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Is This Guy Crazy?
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packrat1979
May 20, 2012, 8:18:13 PM5/20/12
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For those of you like myself who collect vintage blank cassettes, if
you've been following a certain eBay sellers listings then you must be
starting to scratch your head. A few days ago, he listed numerous lots
of Audio Magnetics XHE cassettes, most with a starting price of $.01.
As an avid collector of that brand, I was thrilled to see these rare
and not-so-valuable cassettes come up for auction. I was quickly
disappointed though, as the next day the seller had pulled all 10
listings, and relisted the cassettes with a Buy It Now or Best Offer.
The problem was his prices, far too high for these relatively low-end
cassettes: he wanted $75 for each pack of 10 XHE normal bias
cassettes, $95 for 10 XHE HD II, and a whopping $75 apiece for some
XHE metal cassettes. I sat back and waited to see if anyone was dumb
enough to spend that much money, and sure enough nobody was buying any
and he was rejecting all offers. Getting frustrated by this point, I
wrote the seller politely informing him that these cassettes were not
worth that much, and if he'd price them more reasonably, I'd be glad
to buy some. The reply I received was not a friendly one - he claimed
to have had many offers by email and phone (an obvious lie), would
automatically reject offers of less than $90, and also informed me
that he had put me on his blocked bidders list - after which he
sarcastically wished me a nice day. To insult me even further, he had
the audacity to make a $1 offer on a $35 item I currently have listed
(which I quickly turned down of course).
But this story continues to get even stranger. This morning, the
listings for these cassettes disappeared again and then reappeared
this evening. The HDII's were priced only slightly cheaper at $90 per
10, and the XHE Metal? You've got to see this price to believe it:
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/270982214839?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
In my years on eBay, I've only once seen a single new-old-stock
cassette sell for that price, and they were TDK SA-XG 90's (which sell
for around $50 apiece today).
Since I have more than one eBay account, I could still buy some of
these tapes if I wanted to, but only if he lowers his price or if
other people start buying them up. But there's no way I'm buying any
of those XHE metal at that price, I don't care if they're the last
ones on earth.
Looking at the sellers other listings, I notice a trend - the
overpriced cassettes always have free shipping worldwide. But it's
obvious that he has jacked up the price to compensate for the highest
shipping rates possible, and then some.
There's clearly no reasoning with this guy so I'm not going to waste
any more time, but I'm curious to get your opinion on this.
you've been following a certain eBay sellers listings then you must be
starting to scratch your head. A few days ago, he listed numerous lots
of Audio Magnetics XHE cassettes, most with a starting price of $.01.
As an avid collector of that brand, I was thrilled to see these rare
and not-so-valuable cassettes come up for auction. I was quickly
disappointed though, as the next day the seller had pulled all 10
listings, and relisted the cassettes with a Buy It Now or Best Offer.
The problem was his prices, far too high for these relatively low-end
cassettes: he wanted $75 for each pack of 10 XHE normal bias
cassettes, $95 for 10 XHE HD II, and a whopping $75 apiece for some
XHE metal cassettes. I sat back and waited to see if anyone was dumb
enough to spend that much money, and sure enough nobody was buying any
and he was rejecting all offers. Getting frustrated by this point, I
wrote the seller politely informing him that these cassettes were not
worth that much, and if he'd price them more reasonably, I'd be glad
to buy some. The reply I received was not a friendly one - he claimed
to have had many offers by email and phone (an obvious lie), would
automatically reject offers of less than $90, and also informed me
that he had put me on his blocked bidders list - after which he
sarcastically wished me a nice day. To insult me even further, he had
the audacity to make a $1 offer on a $35 item I currently have listed
(which I quickly turned down of course).
But this story continues to get even stranger. This morning, the
listings for these cassettes disappeared again and then reappeared
this evening. The HDII's were priced only slightly cheaper at $90 per
10, and the XHE Metal? You've got to see this price to believe it:
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/270982214839?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
In my years on eBay, I've only once seen a single new-old-stock
cassette sell for that price, and they were TDK SA-XG 90's (which sell
for around $50 apiece today).
Since I have more than one eBay account, I could still buy some of
these tapes if I wanted to, but only if he lowers his price or if
other people start buying them up. But there's no way I'm buying any
of those XHE metal at that price, I don't care if they're the last
ones on earth.
Looking at the sellers other listings, I notice a trend - the
overpriced cassettes always have free shipping worldwide. But it's
obvious that he has jacked up the price to compensate for the highest
shipping rates possible, and then some.
There's clearly no reasoning with this guy so I'm not going to waste
any more time, but I'm curious to get your opinion on this.
gtbuba
May 20, 2012, 9:45:49 PM5/20/12
to
>
> In my years on eBay, I've only once seen a single new-old-stock
> cassette sell for that price, and they were TDK SA-XG 90's (which sell
> for around $50 apiece today).
> Since I have more than one eBay account, I could still buy some of
> these tapes if I wanted to, but only if he lowers his price or if
> other people start buying them up. But there's no way I'm buying any
> of those XHE metal at that price, I don't care if they're the last
> ones on earth.
> Looking at the sellers other listings, I notice a trend - the
> overpriced cassettes always have free shipping worldwide. But it's
> obvious that he has jacked up the price to compensate for the highest
> shipping rates possible, and then some.
> There's clearly no reasoning with this guy so I'm not going to waste
> any more time, but I'm curious to get your opinion on this.
Let them simmer for awhile. People get stars in their eyes. Mix it
> In my years on eBay, I've only once seen a single new-old-stock
> cassette sell for that price, and they were TDK SA-XG 90's (which sell
> for around $50 apiece today).
> Since I have more than one eBay account, I could still buy some of
> these tapes if I wanted to, but only if he lowers his price or if
> other people start buying them up. But there's no way I'm buying any
> of those XHE metal at that price, I don't care if they're the last
> ones on earth.
> Looking at the sellers other listings, I notice a trend - the
> overpriced cassettes always have free shipping worldwide. But it's
> obvious that he has jacked up the price to compensate for the highest
> shipping rates possible, and then some.
> There's clearly no reasoning with this guy so I'm not going to waste
> any more time, but I'm curious to get your opinion on this.
with a bit of greed. Try putting out a WTB in Nashville or LA's
craigslist. GT.
slinkp
May 21, 2012, 11:10:45 AM5/21/12
to
Not a tape collector here, so can somebody explain to me why a blank
SA-XG 90 would fetch $50?
I mean it's still a piece of plastic with 1/8" of low-speed mag tape
in it right?
SA-XG 90 would fetch $50?
I mean it's still a piece of plastic with 1/8" of low-speed mag tape
in it right?
Mxsmanic
May 21, 2012, 1:23:00 PM5/21/12
to
What is the utility of a blank vintage cassette?
Gareth Magennis
May 21, 2012, 2:51:13 PM5/21/12
to
"Mxsmanic" <mxsm...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:6fukr79nlkc756qsp...@4ax.com...
> What is the utility of a blank vintage cassette?
>
Possibly very little, but people collect rare things, and place great value
>
on them.
Its not uncommon.
Gareth.
packrat1979
May 21, 2012, 2:53:19 PM5/21/12
to
To anyone who doesn't collect vintage tape, it probably does seem like
lunacy. But have a look at completed listings, especially for tapes
such as TDK MA-XG and TDK MA-R, and you'll see just how many "crazy"
collectors are out there. But there aren't many crazy enough to pay
$200 per cassette, that's for certain.
I think what drives the market are people like myself -
thirtysomethings trying to recapture their youth. They seem to be
creating a market for lots of stuff from the 70's and 80's...
lunacy. But have a look at completed listings, especially for tapes
such as TDK MA-XG and TDK MA-R, and you'll see just how many "crazy"
collectors are out there. But there aren't many crazy enough to pay
$200 per cassette, that's for certain.
I think what drives the market are people like myself -
thirtysomethings trying to recapture their youth. They seem to be
creating a market for lots of stuff from the 70's and 80's...
Scott Dorsey
May 21, 2012, 7:04:43 PM5/21/12
to
slinkp <sli...@gmail.com> wrote:
>Not a tape collector here, so can somebody explain to me why a blank
>SA-XG 90 would fetch $50?
Drugs. Back in the seventies, a lot of people took very powerful drugs.
>Not a tape collector here, so can somebody explain to me why a blank
>SA-XG 90 would fetch $50?
>I mean it's still a piece of plastic with 1/8" of low-speed mag tape
>in it right?
have more bass due to the cartridge being larger than other formats. I blame
drugs.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."
David Gravereaux
May 21, 2012, 7:14:11 PM5/21/12
to
though they aren't mine, and that's fine.
In my market, there are many commercial dealers of test equipment that
offer Tektronix plugins for sale at outrageous prices.
My personal take is that they don't expect to sell any, but offer them
to (apparently) inflate the value of their collection. And seems to
happen across the whole industry.
For example, the going rate for a Tek SG5010 oscillator is ~$600 if you
want to sell one, yet a place like LabX will offer it for $2088
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=390382598102
--
packrat1979
May 21, 2012, 7:47:01 PM5/21/12
to
> I collect Tektronix 5000 series plugins, so I understand your interests,
> though they aren't mine, and that's fine.
>
you? I even have the original power supply for it (which holds up to 3
Tek plugins).
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