Keeping secrets... Great under the radar gear.
- Thread starter Acespaceman
- Start date
nyhifihead
Well-Known Member
70s hitachi amps/integrated
I will talk about something after I buy it but not before.......I do a lot of research on things I have never heard or touched before but I only read about it. I seriously doubt anybody would care about buying something from out from under me but with my luck, the first time I do say something, I will get bit.
xero-D-hero
Super Member
I did'nt realize it was a vintage gear "value monster" we're slaying here ???
Lets be honest,the only reason pickers & flippers are able to inflate prices is because there are eager buyers who are willing to pay their prices.
And often enough the buyers that are willing to pay those inflated prices are the very same ones guys like you are turning on to their "secret" gems.
Those tend to be the kinda of buyers that dont have the patience to seek out the killer deals,they just want to make the purchase & be done with it.
Some might say that you're exhibiting some of the same negative qualities as many of those pickers & flippers that you seem to dislike so much.
That is you desperately want to protect your secret "gems" from competition by those you've deemed unworthy of said helpful information.
Me,,,I dont play favorites,,,if I'd tell one person about a worthwhile piece of gear,,,I'd tell anyone about it...
I'm not out to be some self styled "pied piper" for stereo advice amongst my family & friends.
So I guess I find it pretty ridiculous to think that I need to stand mute here @ AK just to (potentially) suit their benefit.
What it boils down to is this >>> I'm just not a selfish person.
I was raised to see that as a negative trait,not a positive one.
And my family and friends know that to be the case.
Like I said,,,let the chips fall where they may...
Also,consider this:
Sometimes letting the cat outta the bag on particular piece of gear results in a bunch more of those items hitting the market.
And that usually results in supply going up & prices going down,so looking at this from a single POV can backfire on a fella too.
People who had been sitting on those items due to low interest see that suddenly folks are seeking that item out so they go ahead and try to sell thiers.
There are no absolutes in the audio world,even in the vintage gear marketplace.
If all one wants to see is the downside,that's likely all they are ever going to see.
But often enough there is an upside to any given situation as well,you just gotta look for it.
GTGFN
Bret P.
Acespaceman
Active Member
WOW!! I aparently typed a lot of things I don't remember typing.
I thought it was an honest, innocent question about how we feel about Hype/Price in the Vintage Market.... Never thought it was supporting evidence for my personal character assasination.
A simple "Yes", or "No" would have sufficed, but I appreciate the effort of putting all that together!
Acespaceman
Active Member
....so says the guy who lists his location as "Gem City" instead of "Dayton"...............oh.... whoops.... did I let the secret out ?!!
Thanks a lot! Now EVERYONE'S gonna want to move here. When I can't afford to live here anymore.... It's your fault! LOL
xero-D-hero
Super Member
Well I'm sorry,but I did'nt see any direct question(s) in vvvv that vvvv post of your's that could be answered by a simple yes or no answer.
Maybe I missed the Yes/No question ???Excellent post, and very altruistic. Let's look at it a different way though. All of my friends, and family are very aware of my passion for vintage audio. From time to time, one of them will ask me for advice on a certain type of gear that they've either never owned yet always thought was cool, or used to have back in the day, and would like to get back into (usually reel to reels, and turntables).xero-D-hero said:I dont keep any secrets,but I dont hype stuff up either.
Like Joe Friday always said,,,just the facts...
Then let the chips fall where they may.
If my posts somehow affect prices/supply in any way,so be it.
The goal was to help fellow AK'ers,and I'll never regret doing that.
Bret P.
In every instance, I can recommend a piece of vintage gear that will perform, and sound WAY beyond their expectations, for not much money. I like to think I'm able to help these folks out in getting started down their own path with vintage hi fi, (at a reasonable price) by NOT feeding the online vintage gear value monster.
And lets be honest here,the largest number of people who benefit from feeding that monster are not audio buffs, but the Pickers, and the Flippers who have arguably made this hobby a whole lot less fun than it was 5, or 6 years ago.
Thoughts?
If so by all means please point it out to me...
All I read was a self-serving rationalization trying to show me (and the others here like me) the error of our ways.
The whole thing read like you were giving yourself a well deserved pat on the back for being such a magnanimous guy.
And then you asked for my thoughts,so I gave 'em.
I cant help it if they hit a raw nerve.
My reply was'nt intended to be a character assasination...
The thing is when one puts their POV up for open consideration like you have here that sorta thing can happen.
Re-read my reply to your post,it was very carefully worded to not directly call you out. But I absolutely call 'em like I see 'em.
And I just did'nt see much difference between your point of view here,and the point of view of any random pickers/filppers.
Both POV are self serving,and both POV relate directly to monetary motivations,just to somewhat different ends.
My only motivation when discussing audio gear is to help others,even if that eventually comes at my own expense.
Me,I'd never let this sorta thing bother me,life is too short to stress out over this sorta thing.
FWIW
Bret P.
Acespaceman
Active Member
I think I'll just give up Bret. Unfortunate, but I cannot recall another time I've been so completely unsuccessful at communicating my thoughts with any other individual.
Have a good one.
Have a good one.
I agree whole-heartedly with grillebilly.
I have an Onkyo TX-3000, a mid-range unit from around 1981.
Though it relies on the STK-0050 integrated amp, a potential problem if it ever fails, it sounds really good!
I would not hesitate to buy another Onkyo from the 70s or early 80s. Great stuff!
Acespaceman
Active Member
I've seen new versions of those STK-0050's on Ebay for very reasonable prices readily available. Do the new ones not work? I like my Pioneer SX-780 which uses the same chips... Hope the new ones are viable if I need em!
Acespaceman
Active Member
The gear I'm talking about is stuff I ALREADY OWN. I'm not a hoarder, so I don't buy multiples of anything. So I'm not looking to "Buy it for cheap"
I'm simply talking about actively trying to not contribute to driving up the price on some of the last "Good Deals" out there.
I would have never guessed that this could be seen as "Self Serving".
Self serving would be Talking up the under the radar gear I own, and selling it at a big profit. I don't do that.
I'm simply talking about actively trying to not contribute to driving up the price on some of the last "Good Deals" out there.
I would have never guessed that this could be seen as "Self Serving".
Self serving would be Talking up the under the radar gear I own, and selling it at a big profit. I don't do that.
If I have something that I like I don't mind telling what I think about it. If I have something that I don't care for I'll tell that too.
Actually eBay has done more to inflate prices than any other thing I know. It has opened up used products to the entire world. Prior to eBay used items were sold at garage sales or maybe a listing in a local newspapers, so for the most part not many people would know the prices were going up on specific gear because you had no real way to measure the increases in value. In the past most collectables values were measured by people who would go to brick and mortar auction houses, document the articles and what they sold for and then publish it in a book or catalog. I don't recall any such catalogs for audio gear. As for telling people about my deals, I usually am quite excited about items that I find, most are items that everyone already knows about, but I try to refrain from telling what I paid for something, because I usually only buy something if I think it is an exceptional deal. If I broadcast how cheap I paid for something, then I might have a more difficult time selling it for a high price. Not that it will likely happen as I rarely ever sell anything.
ScottFan355
Super Member
Ya my Scott 355 and 208 should be worth THOUSANDS auction people! Duh
strandtentje
New Member
Occasionally, 'Multitech' branded CD players pop up in Western Europe. Usually sporting unironically colorful frontplates, they're easily rejected for looking toylike- A mistake I made once, wihch brings me to the following:
My partner has two now, they both sport the same drawer as the NAD 5300, and the electronics are full Yamaha too. It sounds a tad warmer than its NAD cousin. Operation and software is crap, construction is not super stellar, and in unserviced condition they're prone to skipping. Having said that, they're fun and satisfying players when they can be picked up for 10-20€. Anything higher and the seller clearly hasn't read this post carefully enough. Apart from the hilariously good sound, it's just not a high-end experience.
But do get one. Because they're lovable. And don't sell them for 10x the price because I will come to your house and hide all your remotes.
My partner has two now, they both sport the same drawer as the NAD 5300, and the electronics are full Yamaha too. It sounds a tad warmer than its NAD cousin. Operation and software is crap, construction is not super stellar, and in unserviced condition they're prone to skipping. Having said that, they're fun and satisfying players when they can be picked up for 10-20€. Anything higher and the seller clearly hasn't read this post carefully enough. Apart from the hilariously good sound, it's just not a high-end experience.
But do get one. Because they're lovable. And don't sell them for 10x the price because I will come to your house and hide all your remotes.
Mac Lessig
Active Member
Hide all the Remotes........ wait a minute...... that's serious. I'd be lost without mine. I read that and all most spilled my coffee in the keyboard cause I was laughing so hard........ Just what this thread needs a bit of humor to lighten things up............ LOL