Buried treasures: Cashing in on classic hi-fi

Gary Krakow Columnist • E-mail

Do you have one gathering dust in a closet? Or maybe on a shelf? Could it be in the basement or attic?  You might even have some lurking out in the garage. I’m talking about vintage hi-fi.

Call it used, refurbished or classic equipment, but you may be sitting on a small fortune.

There’s a possibility that the old stereo gear you bought or acquired from the 80’s — or 70’s, or possibly even the 50’s or 60’s — may be back in style with a vengeance.

Forget about old TVs. They drop in value quickly. Hi-fi gear is a hot commodity these days.  Not all older hi-fi is worth a lot of money. But some pieces are nearly worth their weight in gold. It depends on many factors — especially how good it was when it was brand new. And there’s the collector’s factor. But first, let me offer some background.

Before the Internet, classified ads in local newspapers and local neighborhood hi-fi shops were the main outlets for buying and selling older equipment. Most of the time, gear was traded-in when it was time to buy new and improved stuff.

Every big city probably had at least one store that had a booming business in used hi-fi. It was likely a place you could hear what something sounded like before buying it. Here in New York, I used to do a lot of bartering at Stereo Exchange. I got some really classic stuff there.

Quad ESK-57 Hotline This odd-looking loudspeaker is a Quad ESL-57 (1957-85). One magazine calls it the greatest piece of hi-fi ever.  There are dozens of Web sites dedicated to this unusual looking device.

A few years ago I went back to try to find a particular pair of speakers and the owner looked at me as if I was speaking a foreign language. “We don’t deal with used equipment anymore. The Internet killed that business.” I walked out nearly in tears.

Luckily, a few weeks later, on a business trip to Seattle, I walked into Hawthorne Stereo. I felt right at home. There was a giant room with shelves jammed full of interesting stereo gear. The establishment’s owner actually moved a pair of very heavy speakers into his main listening room and let me listen to them on modern-day equipment — some pieces costing $10,000 or more.  I didn’t buy anything, but I appreciated the treatment.

There are still some retailers that deal in classic equipment, like Audio Classics in Vestal (Binghamton), New York. But similar businesses are now hard to find. The vintage hi-fi business has moved nearly completely to the Internet.

The largest online area for used hi-fi is eBay. No matter how old or esoteric, odds are that you will find the item you’re looking for listed on eBay. Maybe not on your first try — but if you persist you’ll find it before you know it.

EBay hi-fi shopping can be both a bad and good experience. As with any form of bartering, the quality of your experience depends a lot on the honesty of the seller. Sellers also complain about some buyers. 

As for buyers, with eBay you usually have to believe the seller’s description of the item. You can’t see and hear it in person like the good old days. You also have to hope they know how to pack the gear. I’ve won eBay auctions only to have the gear destroyed during shipping.  Sometimes you’ll see the words "original boxes" in a listing. That’s a good thing for delicate hi-fi gear. 

The selection of goods available on eBay is much better than in any used hi-fi store on the planet. That’s because people all over the world are listing their goods on eBay. If you know what you’re looking for there’s a good possibility that you can find it online for a good price.

EBay may have the largest selection, but other sites, like www.audiogon.com, sometimes have a better selection of higher-priced gear. Other Web sites also deal with hi-fi bartering and a quick Web search can help you find one to try.

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