Too many variables at play here. If Andy at Vintage furnished you tubes you have quality assurance and recourse.
If you paid $80.00 at the flea market and none or only one of the Amperex tubes was usable in your ARC, you would be screwed.
This assuming they were genuine Amperex. There are tons of copies that are pure junk.
I occasionally take chances with used no warranty tubes just as you describe. Awhile back I purchased a whole box of military test gear pulls. I negotiated down to $6.00 each to allow for duds.
There were some genuine diamond bottom Telefunken and Dutch Amperex, even a couple of Mullards, but a good many landed in the trash can. Too far out of spec to be of any value to anyone.
If you paid $80.00 at the flea market and none or only one of the Amperex tubes was usable in your ARC, you would be screwed.
This assuming they were genuine Amperex. There are tons of copies that are pure junk.
I occasionally take chances with used no warranty tubes just as you describe. Awhile back I purchased a whole box of military test gear pulls. I negotiated down to $6.00 each to allow for duds.
There were some genuine diamond bottom Telefunken and Dutch Amperex, even a couple of Mullards, but a good many landed in the trash can. Too far out of spec to be of any value to anyone.