Are you an audiophile or do you know one? Many people
have this affliction and don’t even know it.
An audiophile is a person with a love for —OK, an
obsession with — the high-quality playback of music.
Why do I bring this subject up? The audiophile’s
addiction to sound commands them to collect vintage sound equipment.
Many hi-end boutique manufacturers are out there, ready
to take your arm and leg, as they promise to build you a custom piece with this
old tech. But, many of these great old pieces that are in high demand are in
storage units, garages, thrift stores and maybe, your closet.
Is ‘clunker’
collectible?
My hope is to put you “in the know” before you have a yard
sale and put out your old clunker stereo.
Many are not collectible and are considered to make
better door stops or boat anchors, but, always check first.
Recent examples
To best illustrate this phenomenon, we recently sold a
McIntosh MC2205 for $950 at auction that the owners had slated for the
dumpster. An old pair of Lansing speakers, very unassuming, realized $750 at
one of our auctions last summer.
I have heard these serious collectors’ sound systems, and
there is a huge difference. It’s not just nostalgia for the old, but it does
sound better and they can back it up with scientific evidence.
But in today’s world of convenience, we just pop in our
ear buds and enjoy our inferior music reproduction.