Overpriced Vintage Equipment: You've gotta be kidding me!

[Soundfield]

There seems to be an odd phenomenon on eBay where wildly overpriced items disappear without being sold only to be relisted days, weeks or months later at the same or even higher prices. I’ve noticed several items like that (and not just audio equipment) which have been up periodically for ‘sale’ for a couple of years at ever increasing prices. It’s never made sense to me. Are they really for sale? Is it a technique used as part of some wider scam? I’m no criminal mastermind so can’t work out if there is something fishy going on or whether these people are just idiots!

 

[Jeff ss]

There seems to be an odd phenomenon on eBay where wildly overpriced items disappear without being sold only to be relisted days, weeks or months later at the same or even higher prices. I’ve noticed several items like that (and not just audio equipment) which have been up periodically for ‘sale’ for a couple of years at ever increasing prices. It’s never made sense to me. Are they really for sale? Is it a technique used as part of some wider scam? I’m no criminal mastermind so can’t work out if there is something fishy going on or whether these people are just idiots!

I wonder the same thing myself.

 

[ar surround]

There seems to be an odd phenomenon on eBay where wildly overpriced items disappear without being sold only to be relisted days, weeks or months later at the same or even higher prices. I’ve noticed several items like that (and not just audio equipment) which have been up periodically for ‘sale’ for a couple of years at ever increasing prices. It’s never made sense to me. Are they really for sale? Is it a technique used as part of some wider scam? I’m no criminal mastermind so can’t work out if there is something fishy going on or whether these people are just idiots!

This seller only has four items currently up for sale. And they have only one feedback rating as a seller. I surmise that the seller is just on a fishing expedition. They have put a ridiculous price on this receiver with the hope of getting that amount or something near to it. If not, they probably don't care as they don't seem to be like eBay vendors who want to move significant quantities of inventory.

Or, perhaps it is one of our own QQ members getting entertained by watching us go bonkers over it.

 

[par4ken]

There seems to be an odd phenomenon on eBay where wildly overpriced items disappear without being sold only to be relisted days, weeks or months later at the same or even higher prices. I’ve noticed several items like that (and not just audio equipment) which have been up periodically for ‘sale’ for a couple of years at ever increasing prices. It’s never made sense to me. Are they really for sale? Is it a technique used as part of some wider scam? I’m no criminal mastermind so can’t work out if there is something fishy going on or whether these people are just idiots!

I suspect that it is a tactic that some sellers use to make watchers think that the item actually brought in that price. Then they relist it hoping that some sucker will bite the next time!

 

[tonyE]

You want VU meters? I got a couple of those external Radio Shack VU meter boxes. Got one on between the amps in the main stereo... lots of money in that system and when I turn on the El Cheapo VU meters everyone notices that and tells me how nice the system looks.

Oh, I do have the Akai AS980. That baby is 27" wide, it's got six meters and more knobs than this Sansui. My Akai goes to 11.

Plus I do have a Marantz quad, I think it's got meters too... I dunno how many meters that one has.

But, yes, this thing is way overpriced... sorry. I don't think he wants to sell it... maybe he plans on torching his house and claiming the loss: "see this thing was worth $$$$$, I had it posted on eBay"...

 

[soesbeout]

It looks like that $5700 Sansui wasn't sold after all. It's been relisted on eBay. Someone maybe have a change of heart?

I've noticed something, too. There are a LOT of vintage quad receivers on eBay recently. Since I was looking for one and set up alerts, I've seen a lot of recent postings. I think maybe the downturn in the economy and hard times for some have forced the sales? Most aren't listed cheap either. Here are just a few (Sansui and Pioneer, where I had setup alerts)

Sansui 9001s LIKE NOS- Sansui QRX 9001 MUSEUM QUALITY Best Quad Quadraphonic Receiver 2 BOXES | eBay
Vintage Sansui QRX-9001 Quadrophonic Amplifier BUNDLE (Rare, Seller Refurbished) | eBay

Sansui 9001 in the UK Vintage Sansui QRX-9001 Quadraphonic Integrated Stereo Receiver / Amp / RARE / | eBay

Sansui 7001s Sansui QRX-7001 1974 Quad AM FM Stereo Receiver TESTED & CLEANED - Works Great! | eBay
SANSUI QRX 7001 STEREO RECEIVER 4 CHANNEL VINTAGE WORKING BUT READ | eBay
Sansui QRX-7001 1974 Quad AM FM Stereo Receiver TESTED & CLEANED - Works Great! | eBay

Pioneer QX-949A in Canada Pioneer QX-949A AM/FM Four Channel Stereo Receiver | eBay

Pioneer QX-949As Pioneer QX-949A Quadraphonic 4 Channel Stereo Receiver | eBay
and Pioneer QX-949A Quadraphonic 4 Channel Stereo Receiver USED Original | eBay

That seems like an awful lot -- and those are only two that I get in my alerts.

So the seller say's on the 9001 bundle seller refurbished but also say's all the parts are original you can't have it both ways. !!

 

[Soundfield]

So the seller say's on the 9001 bundle seller refurbished but also say's all the parts are original you can't have it both ways. !!

Actually they probably can, since many seller's seem to think that to "refurbish" just means to squirt a bit of cheap contact cleaner about.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

Actually they probably can, since many seller's seem to think that to "refurbish" just means to squirt a bit of cheap contact cleaner about.

I cannot give just an emoji on this, because if this is true (and it may very well be) of the seller’s handiwork, I would need an “Ugh!”

 

[surround.sound.enthusiast]

Gadzooks!
There's 11 watchers & the seller has 100% satisfaction rating.

I'm one of those watchers. I got to see if it ever sells for that amount.

I'm another of those watchers. I'm not interested, but want to se if it ever sells too. Call it morbid curiosity.

 

[4-earredwonder]

No space on the little box!!

 

[4-earredwonder]

SM 2 with real vu Meters would be great. I would definitely buy a third SM for that feature.

No space on the little box!!

 

[Zerochief]

Talking about crazy, this unrestored mint condition QRX-9001 recently sold for $7100 plus shipping! (and it hasn't been re-listed so I suspect the deal went through)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/3339783597...=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

 

[J. PUPSTER]

View attachment 68447

Talking about crazy, this unrestored mint condition QRX-9001 recently sold for $7100 plus shipping! (and it hasn't been re-listed so I suspect the deal went through)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/3339783597...=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

It is gorgeous ... ...... ... um Nah!

 

[4-earredwonder]

ANYONE who spends this kind of gelt on an 'underpowered' receiver with 70's technology should have their noggin examined!

 

[Soundfield]

ANYONE who spends this kind of gelt on an 'underpowered' receiver with 70's technology should have their noggin examined!

But think how useful the built in Dolby FM feature would be....
Oh dear, that feature was a waste of money even when this thing was new !

 

[Sonik Wiz]

ANYONE who spends this kind of gelt on an 'underpowered' receiver with 70's technology should have their noggin examined!

I think part of the appeal is it gives the purchaser extraordinary bragging rights as to what a wonderful but expensive piece of collectible technology they have. In my area there was a real estate developer, J.C. Nichols, whose motto was "people aren't happy until they feel they spent too much." Yeah, sorta like that.

 

[par4ken]

View attachment 68447

Talking about crazy, this unrestored mint condition QRX-9001 recently sold for $7100 plus shipping! (and it hasn't been re-listed so I suspect the deal went through)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/3339783597...=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Wait and see if it comes up again. It could be that a couple of jokesters just pushed the bids up sky high and have no intention of paying up. I've seen it happen before, Even the earlier bids seem high but I'm sure that they likely were serious bidders. But with seemingly valueless items such as sports cards selling for hundreds of thousand dollars who knows!

 

[4-earredwonder]

I think part of the appeal is it gives the purchaser extraordinary bragging rights as to what a wonderful but expensive piece of collectible technology they have. In my area there was a real estate developer, J.C. Nichols, whose motto was "people aren't happy until they feel they spent too much." Yeah, sorta like that.

SW, I suppose in the final analysis how people choose to spend their money is really their business. Over the years, I have spent 'ruthlessly' on audio gear which within a few years was rendered obsolete but then placated myself by thinking out loud 'at least I don't have a gambling habit!' Get the gist?

 

[J. PUPSTER]

I actually wouldn’t be surprised if someone paid around $3-4,000 for it; but twice that just doesn’t seem right. Hope the buyer knows there’s no HDMI LOL. And just look how pristine the innards are on that thing; unbelievable!

 

[4-earredwonder]

I actually wouldn’t be surprised if someone paid around $3-4,000 for it; but twice that just doesn’t seem right. Hope the buyer knows there’s no HDMI LOL. And just look how pristine the innards are on that thing; unbelievable!

And that GORGEOUS solid wood case!