Buried treasures: Cashing in on classic hi-fi

What's your stuff worth?
If you’re interested in selling your old stereo equipment, remember, they aren’t all worth lots of money.  As a general rule, most transistorized equipment — mainly receivers from the 70’s and 80’s — are not worth as much as you'd like them to be. Tube gear generally is in great demand by aficionados and collectors and can sell for the big bucks. 

Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. Some tube stuff never sounded all that good when they were brand new. Those pieces aren’t worth a lot today.

Some transistorized gear sounded and sounds amazing and, therefore, are worth a small fortune.

Some things to remember: Cassette decks haven’t really held their own. Pre-recorded cassettes aren’t popular anymore. Same for reel-to-reel tape recorders. On the other hand, quality FM tuners are surprisingly popular online. And quality used turntables are also very big sellers these days.

Do your homework
How do you know if your particular items are worth anything? The best way is to due your homework online. Search eBay, Audiogon and other audio sales Web sites for similar items. You’ll get a rough idea of what people are charging and what they’re buying. Adjustments may have to be made for the item’s condition. Both buyers and sellers can determine fair prices this way. 

Vinyl Hotline A Systemdek circa 1980. Some vintage turntables from the 50's and 60's sell for hundreds, even thousands, of dollars.

As for shipping and handling, remember it was and is delicate, precision gear that someone thought enough of to hold on to. Some of it weighs a ton. Whether you’re buying or selling, make sure the item is properly packed and insured for shipping.  

One very important caveat: this stuff is old electronic equipment and may need some professional help. Be prepared, especially with older equipment (30 years plus), to have an expert check it out to make sure everything is up to spec. Get it checked before you plug it into a wall socket to avoid major problems.

For the record, I’ve bought and sold a number of items online and for the most part I’ve been very pleased with my experiences. 

This column actually started as a conversation with my boss. I told him about the thriving marketplace. And he told me about his classic Systemdek turntable sitting in a box in his basement. When we checked, he found out that it’s worth a whole lot more than he ever thought. Who knows what you might find.

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