846A Valencia

[Eric 5]

Hi. I have a pair of 846A Valencia Speakers that have been in my family since the early seventies. (I think) They sound awsome and are in great shape but I just dont have the room for them anymore. I am thinking of selling them but have no idea how much they are worth or where to find a buyer for them.(ebay??) Could someone give me some guidance on how to find their value? Websites? Thanks for your time. Eric

[AL-TEC]

Hi Eric. The model 846A Valencia Altec's you have were 15 inch model 416 woofers with 800 hz cross-over to 811 HF horn. These were nice smaller ported speakers to use in the home to give as close to the "big" Altec "Voice Of The Theater" sound as much as possible, but of course to be not so large as "VOT".
A pair.....in nice looking and sounding condition would probably sell for at least $300.00 a pair, to $500 a pair. (Depending on how well some Altec fan liked them). If a potential buyer could just hear them, then that would be best, because the great sound would sell them for top dollar.
They could be sold on an E-Bay auction. I would start them out on a ten day auction, and start the bidding at $200.00, and put a reserve of $300, or $350, and see what happens. You could offer delivery to adjacent states, or you can say that the winning bidder would have to come to you to pick these floor models up at your location. The shipping/trucking costs and having to come to your location to pick them up may deter some potential bidders though.
I have had good luck selling large items on E-Bay even when there might have not been a winning bidder due to not meeting my reserve ect. But....good things did happen after so many saw my item after the auction was over,if you know what I mean.

Good Luck,

AL (AL-TEC)

[hal333]

I found a pair of Valencia's on E-Bay about a year ago. I wound up paying $450.00 for the pair. They were in excellent condition - probably in someones living room for the last 30 years. They do sound great!

I shipped them by STANDBY air freight (there is such a thing). It was fairly cheap considering that they arrived in two washing-machine sized boxes. The seller did a fantastic job of packing them and you will need to pay attention to this. Be sure and add shipping charges if you sell them on e-bay.

Good luck!

[Steve Burger]

I respect Al's comments a great deal but I think the value that I have seen on Valencia A's is closer to $650 to $850 or even more for the right set. I would never sell for less than $700 because the likelihood of them getting parted out would be way too high at that point. Let's break it down for what some guys would ***** them out for. A set of Altec 416 woofers $250 to $375, xovers $100 to $150, 806 horn drivers usually about $175 to $225 for a set, 811 horns $85 to $150 a pair, cabinets $125 to $250 a pair. Even if you took the bottom dollar that comes out to over $700! I absolutely hate seeing these wonderful classics ripped apart. Therefore I would refuse to sell for less than about $700. Please re-evaluate giving those classics up. You will not find anything better.

[Steve Burger]

Sorry Todd!

[Eric 5]

Thanks for the good info guys. I really appreciate it. I love the speakers, its just a matter of space. I guess I could hold on to them in storage and bring them out someday when I have more space. Hmmm. What to do.... Eric

[Albert Allen]

I agree that $300 to $400 is too low and that vultures er..um..I mean entrepreneurs would get them and part them out at that price.

Albert

[hal333]

I felt that I got a fantastic deal at $450.00 The top bidder backed out after the auction was over. As I recall he seemed to be in Japan where these things have astronomical value. Maybe he balked at the shipping. I would not part with mine for $450.00 - but then ... look where I spend my on-line time.

Keep them, Keep them, Keep them.

You will never regret it.

Hal

[Frankie C]

If you were in driving distance, I would give you $800.00 cash and pick them up. Keep them as family heirlooms. I had a pair 30 years ago, and still regret having them stolen. You will never find anything of this quality in the future. Some things never lose their value. These are classics which I believe will just increase in value as time goes on. Like a vintage guitar, old tube hi-fi, this stuff is the cream of the crop and only appreciates in value with age. Does anyone think all these Chinese drivers all the big mfgs. are using now will still sound good or even be operational 30 years from now. They don't manufacture anything nowadays with the craftsmanship of the vintage stuff. If you wanted to replicate a pair of Valencias now, they would probably run in the $2-$3000 range a piece, easily, if not more.

[Steve Burger]

I have noticed some in the past few weeks getting as much as $1000 to $1500 for the ALTEC Iconic Valencia 846A.