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Just WAIT until someone televises a Altec flip. Every scrapper on the planet Earth will be hunting down and ravaging our babies for parts or anything they can find that says "Altec".
Then... Anything left will be higher than a giraffes ass.
Trust me people, get 'em while you can.
Is that really going to be a future episode of American Pickers or are you just joking around with photoshop? $3500 would be a really high price too. They usually try to flip their stuff for quick profit (at least on the show) so not always top dollar.
Its Photoshop.
Scary... Isn't it?
Hah!
It's interesting when such shows (storage wars, etc.) evaluate things. Oft the electronics, are a bit high for seemingly BPC. (At least, compared to my neck of the woods)
I joined ebay in 1998, model 19's could be bought between 100-300 bucks, A5's and A7's regularly sold for far less than the cost to ship them. Until a bigger and more internationally recognized medium comes along, i doubt prices/values will ever see as solid of an increase across the board again.
Like all collectibles, Altecs too will peak. The values, along with the volume of the population among which they're appreciated will decline. Ford Model A anyone?
I am NOT proud to say, but i know one of the guys the pickers visited. And no, not the fella with all the tunnels, he was actually a likable yet very eccentric guy. The fellow i know is just as eccentric not nearly as likable, and i can promise you that their visit did absolutely nothing for his particular field of interest.
I think before we have to worry about the pickers tipping the general public off to Altec, we'll first have to see them fully embrace vintage hifi. That of course is not to suggest it won't happen, i just don't think it's an impending doom yet.
Now if some Altecs show up on Hardcore Pawn, then all bets are off!:D
I have to respectfully disagree with that....Quote:
Originally Posted by bowtie427ss
I dont think most people want Altecs for any nostalgic reasons or consider them "collectible" due to their size, but I could be wrong.
Personally, I keep mine because they kick ass and I like the best. Once someone makes something I think sounds better, I will be done with them. They will go out like the turntable did.
I'm into Altec's strictly for the sound.
So how about some other opinions here... Why do you have a set of Altecs?
When a brand new pair of the same old crappy Bose 901's sell for $1400 new, our Altecs must be priceless.
I have never heard a lot of really high end speakers, but of the ones I have heard: Bose 901's, Klipch corner horns, JBL 15" studio moniters, EV 30" thingies and giant electrostat panels, I own Atecs for their sound first :), then the cost second :):), who cares how they look. Wifey even loves them.
Well put. I generally agree.Quote:
Originally Posted by bowtie427ss
The variable being: our information revolution currently in progress.
e.g. ...how many folks didn't know they couldn't live without Altec Pro (or ___) , until they got on the interweb and saw other folks dissing their (insert choice of cost effective manufacturer name here) DJ boxes.
ooh. Tell us more about the EV W30's. Someone was hawking (usage?) a pair down here for $1500 for a while.
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After looking at the specs, I didn't think they'd fit into my current setup/s. (nor did I have that coin just to play and find out)
The store wouldn't let me turn them up 35 years ago, so it's hard to remember, but they didn't so(und) that great to me.
I stumbled into the Altec world...and I'm not Leaving!!!!
http://archives.telex.com/archives/E.../30W%20EDS.pdfQuote:
Originally Posted by gearfreak
I actually have six sets, maybe more if i took a close inventory. They make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.:DQuote:
Originally Posted by Nipper
But, i promise we're a very small niche group, same as those who still enjoy vinyl and their turntables. The majority have gone the way of the dinosaur and they're not coming back. Vinyl lovers and Altec lovers combined probably make up less than 1%(probably more like 0.1%) of the overall audio/recorded music market, and i'll wager that in a decade it's still less than that.
When the demand reaches a point where it becomes profitable for GPA to advertise their services in ANY popular publication where Altecs were originally advertised, then i might have to change my position. I'm fairly confident the trend will continue as it has for the last 30 years with only incidental spikes or dips along the way.
Consider that this is THE Altec User's Board, we have what maybe 10-15 regularly active posting members(the fewest i've seen in 6 years of being here) and maybe that many more fleeting visitors in a month's time. Hardly a dominating force in any kind of market.
Don't get me wrong, i've been an Altec lover since the 70's and will leave this world as one. But, i am also a realist. I'm very aware that without the role the internet, and especially ebay has played in making our domestic treasures available to the rest of the world, Altec values would not be half what they are today. We now see the result of corporate greed, and global economic reconciliation slowly muddying those waters, and beginning to stifle foreign interest in all but the rarest of the rare.
Again, i think model A's and tube radios are a good preview. Study the trends of those markets over the last 30 years. As the part of the population that collected and appreciated them dies off, so does the interest and value.
The native Americans had a saying that roughly translates to "only the rocks are forever".
Just my .02 for the sake of friendly discussion........................... no offense or argument intended beyond the constructive aspects.
Hope you're wrong. I'm holding onto some of my gear for retirement. :)
Not to sound self serving, but this is one reason it's important for us to be the best stewards of our interest group as we can be. It's our duty to "spread the love" to all those with interest and the potential to keep the love alive.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cal Weldon
I was a horny for a very long time and after various adventures with Altec, EV, Klipsch, JBL, Edgar, McCauley and other gear (in various combinations both stock and DIY) pretty much settled with plain old Altec gear.
Then I moved from a large house to a high rise apartment and sold all the horns and got Martin Logan stats. Now I'm moving to a larger place and Altecs and horns are still no longer on the agenda. I reckon I'm done with all that.
Although I do think once in awhile about that GPA 12" coaxial......
Although this forum has few members, there is lots of talk of Altecs on other forums! I have read many times "I would just like to hear these altecs or have or find these Altecs" All I know is that with my 604's I can feel like I am in the recording studio and it is nice to know that many pieces of music of music I listen to were recorded with ALTECS very close by.
Me Too ! Or I plan on opening an Altec Store ! :cool:Quote:
Originally Posted by Cal Weldon
You have certainly done more than your share Bowtie.Quote:
Originally Posted by bowtie427ss
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Brennan
that sounds like a midlife crisis . (j/k)
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for a while i was listening to to 4 755's per side. on a flat baffle.
the most close speaker i had heard to that was a/the martin-logan cls.
tonal quality was the same almost exactly.
only real difference was the dispersion.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Brennan
that sounds like a midlife crisis . (j/k)
```````````````````````````````````````````
for a while i was listening to to 4 755's per side. on a flat baffle.
the most close speaker i had heard to that was a/the martin-logan cls.
tonal quality was the same .
only real difference was the dispersion.
4!!! per side? Where they A's or another version? I had a single 755A that I sold for $1800. I can't imagine having 8!Quote:
Originally Posted by tomt
I just made myself a little sick! I play around with antiques, and have been to hundreds of shops in my lifetime. I looked up images of altec 755a and I have seen the exact same western electric or altec box at least a dozen times. I wish I would have known, they sound like fantastic speakers......Quote:
Originally Posted by Audio_by_Goodwill
Never underestimate the power of the Hipster. Ask Papst Blue Ribbon. With that said, Altecs are just too dang big and ugly for 99% of the population.
What happened to the 'disturbing image' ? That was the best part of this thread! :-)
PS. Seems hostboard search still not working right. Could not find this one using various iterations of 'price' 'prices' etc.