What's the market these days for NOS 70's/80's cartridges and/or tonearms?

Well specifically SME tonearms, SME won't sell tonearms anymore so I would assume those prices are rising and will continue to do so.

Won't sell tonearms anymore? What just Turn Tables?

There is a million SMEs of just surplus.. That was a WIDELY used tonearm and still one of the best.. I use the 3012s and 3009s still..

Aftermarket parts, just look.. A lot of aftermarket parts... Good for 100 more years..

Regards

Not much left. I bought it all from Russian time traveler.

The market is crazy for everything vintage and NOS. You named some brands, right, a well known brands normally cost more than unknown (and even better quality) brands. The prices going up constantly. Same about rare records, absolutely insane prices on auctions for rare original vinyl.

Last week I was reading about Nakamichi decks (Dragon, RX505 or RX202 etc), reading old posts on various forums I realized that probably I have missed the train (10-15 years ago). It’s unbelievable, the prices today are crazy! Even for cassette tapes the prices are very high. So the deck you expected to buy just for fun (because it’s cool) will cost nearly $2000.

Same about vintage cartridges and tonearms. Sometimes it’s better to make your own discoveries and grab them before the price went crazy in the next 5 years.

@chakster , Most of the NOS cartridges are gone no? 

@mijostyn  No, I did not buy all of them yet, but learned which of them can be ignored. 

I have a NOS Shure V15-mk5mr in original box plus a NIB Jico replacement stylus. Wonder what these will be worth two decades from now? So far I have held off from using this V15! I have plenty of other cartridges on hand. Using the NOS Shure can only reduce its future monetary. value.

Original Blue Note jazz LPs now sell for hundreds! I can't afford those - and wouldn't pay those prices anyway! Anybody want to bid on my Andy Warhol banana sticker (intact) Velvet Underground LP. Record mint - looks never played. Cover (version 3) is EX (showing signs of minor aging). There are some now on Discogs listed at over $1K not as nice as mine!

Speaking of tonearms: I have a NIB Mayware Formula 4. Back in the Days of Yore (1977) I had the Australian JH copy  mounted on the Ariston RDII Superior TT with a Microacoustic 2002 electret cartridge. This was a particularly nice sounding set up! 

When writing my post for this thread, I probably should have been clear to indicate the purpose of my question was with a view to sell the NOS items I originally obtained for a second vinyl system project, but have now changed my mind.  At the same time, I didn't want to appear to "sneak in" items for sale via the question, so I just asked the general question regarding the current market for items such as I've mentioned.  Sorry if I've wasted anyone's time by the lack of clarity.   Yet, the feedback and responses thus far have been helpful, nonetheless.

What you got then? 

Dear @nolojunko : Always exist some interest in NOS audio items ( vintage ) but you don't need to ask/thread for that you just need to put an advertize here in Agon site and you will have first hand experiences about.

Agon gives you the opportunity to put on sale even through an auction or other alternatives to your items been sold.

Here in Agon are several audiophiles that can be interested about including me, just disclose it through an Agon advetize.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

The difference between audiogon and better platforms like ebay and US Audio Mart is the listing fee. Nobody charge listing fee, except audiogon!

On Ebay you pay fee only if your listing is sold.

On US Audio Mart you don’t pay anything at all in any situation even if you sold your items. It’s free platform and extremely popular.

Another new platform is Reverb.

But Audiogon will charge their free just for listing, they want you to pay them even if you item remains unsold (and most likely it will be unsold for a long time). 
Auction is very bad idea for beginner if you don’t have followers and feedbacks, your item can be sold with very little interest for very low price if it will be an auction.

@rauliruegas;@chakster

Thanks so much you guys.  I guess because I have no feedback (never been a buyer or seller here, since almost all my sales have been private party or dealer sales and/or trades), and I had thought Agon buyers are a bit picky about the lack of sales history.  But perhaps I should give some listings a try, as you suggest.

I don't have a lot of items, but do have a few I believe are desirable, e.g., Shure V15 Type 4, NOS; Stanton 681EEE MKII, NOS; SME3009R, NOS, unopened; 1957 TD124 (first year production, likely Sept S/N) from estate sale (it came with a Rek-O-Cut 120, and everything functioned fine).  Other items are just vintage HiFi equipment, of which I purchased new in mid-late 70's, that I previously had an nostalgic attachment to, but fortunately for which I kept all boxes and manual - - like Pioneer Spec 1 preamp, JBL4311WXA, Phase Linear 400, and, most recently I decided to sell my Herron VTPH-2A phono pre (only 40 hrs on it, so it should go quickly).  Again, I'm not trying to elicit buyers in any respect by identifying what particular items I'm interested in discovering the market for purposes of listing appropriately in accordance with, especially, Agon standards, etc.  

Even if you don't have any feedback history you can still make fair prices (especially for NOS items, for used items grading must be very accurate, it's better to under grade than over grade) and build your reputation. With paypal your buyers are fully protected with paypal buyers protection (they can return everything for full refund if they are not happy with condition).  

@chakster

Thank you for the kind and informative response guiding me through the various online seller/buyer options, plus the other advice relative to selling - very helpful!

you're welcome :) 

All that stuff is history the market is 0.Good luck though.

And my post about high listing fee charged by audiogon for every listing, even after I paid that fee myself several times in the past (while other platforms never charge listing fee), was removed by audiogon moderator. Posting truth is prohibited here.

@ebm  

All that stuff is history the market is 0.

Zero? 

You are an expert as I can see. 

Watch final auctions for vintage high-end gear on ebay, the prices for some old stuff are higher that your curent setup. There are turntables that cost over $100k, tonearms that cost over $10k, cartridges that cost over $5k and so on and on. Everything made 30-40 years ago, but still NOS. Huge market, especially in Japan.

I have 3 Technics Epa 250 NOS rods never opened in their unopened packaging; I bought them many years ago from a shopkeeper who closed his shop at a ridiculously low price.

https://i.postimg.cc/15ChjP33/1.jpg


I think that in a little while I could get a great deal .... but the whole market is really crazy, it’s not worth buying anything or a few vintage products anymore; the market is drugged and drunk!

I have no problem with the listing fee. Both items that I sold recently went within a week of listing. You have the option of paying less up front or more when the item sells. Audiogon is a business. If you don't like it sell elsewhere. 
As for NOS items, not interested. Technology moves on and the overall quality of modern gear is significantly higher. I got rid of older gear simply because it was being out classed. Why go backwards? There are much nicer things to get all romantic over than Hi Fi gear, if not your wife than an old 911 at least. A cartridge? 

I have no problem with the listing fee. Both items that I sold recently went within a week of listing. You have the option of paying less up front or more when the item sells. Audiogon is a business. If you don’t like it sell elsewhere.

@mijostyn nobody in this world charge listing fee and if you don’t know about it’s your problem. In real world only sales fee charged after you sold something, if your stuff is unsold you don’t pay anything and this is fair! People are not professional sellers and it’s must easier for them to list for free (good motivation). For this reason most of the great stuff are not for sale on audiogon, but the reason for popularity of audiogon among old people is ONLY because of the forum and contribution (I bet you don’t have instagram, facebook or your own blog to share knowledge about hi-fi), this is why you’re here with others. Contributors share their knowledge for free on audiogon for everyone, they support this site (forum) and it’s a huge support with knowledge, but when they want to sell something they must pay for listing. Just think about it. This site do not allow you even upload an image to your own post directly, so hosting of the forum is nothing but a text information (cost almost nothing these days). I hope it will be upgraded in the future and it will make this source only better for everyone (more user friendly).

Technology moves on and the overall quality of modern gear is significantly higher.

Yeah, especially in analog, this is why people are still using NOS tubes made 50-100 years ago and claimed they are superior to almost any modern tubes. Nothing changed in record pressing for most of the labels, studio equipment is vintage, all the lathe machines for cutting are vintage. All best studio microphones are vintage. Studio Multi-track reel to reel recorders are vintage. Studio mixing consoles are vintage. All studio monitors are vintage, or made by the same companies today just like they made it in the 70s. Music instruments also vintage in most cases (look at the jazz, soul musicians). Did you ever visit recording studio, do you know musicians or recording/mastering engineers? They will quickly explain you what they think about your modern high-end gear.

Nothing wrong with vintage stuff if it was on the top level and can be serviced (if needed) by professionals.

Keep your fairy tales about superiority of modern high-end gear for those who prefer digital, this is the only field where progress is so obvious.

In analog it's not like that. 

Keep your fairy tales about superiority of modern high-end gear for those who prefer digital, this is the only field where progress is so obvious.

Maybe....there would also be discussion in this field; several audiophiles in the world after trying the best of today's digital are looking for the top converters of the 90s that in their opinion sound better. A return to the origins.

I've heard about it too. I think we're all using computers and we learned quickly for how long you can use anything digital until there is an upgrade in software and if your software is not up to date you can't use it properly any longer. In 5-10 years digital equipment goes to museum and new gear gives us more everything. This is progress for sure.

If someone will say this about analog he must be crazy.   

I'm going to list the items for sale on U.S. Audio Mart instead of Audiogon. . . for all the good reasons noted.  Thanks much for the feedback on my post.

Sorry become a millionaire on resale maybe I'm wrong but who really cares not me.

EBM certainly doesn't seem to offer anything edifying to the conversation.  The dumb comments likely produce the opposite.  I'm outta here.  Talk to the hand.

Quality Vintage tonearms are in demand. Ittok, Syrinx, Helius, Zeta, Mission and a few others — SME of course — fetch much more than their original prices after adjusted for inflation.

But not so with cartridges, except the legendary ones. Most buyers in the current market would rather choose from the recent proliferation of new cartridges, with guarantees, rather than take a chance.

All my cartridges are minimum 30 years old, most are 40+, and one is pushing 60, and were all bought NOS, and only one had a bad suspension. But too many people think older suspensions have all failed — mostly due to opinions-without-experience they read on forums like this.

Who cares. It was my oldest cartridge from 1968 and suspension was just fine, hard to believe, but it’s true. Some people have no clue what they are talking about and never had a first hand experience with some of the best cartridges ever made (if they are looking for new high-end cartridges only). I have extremely positive and rather unique experience with over 50 top vintage cartridges since that day, I want to mention only a few MC below: 

In the late 1970s, Haruo Takeda started designing OEM products for many foreign companies, some of the most well-known among them being Krell, Cello and Mark Levinson. It was at this time that Takeda San also started producing cartridges under his own brand Miyabi.

Takeda San says, "I was always frustrated by modern cartridges - including my own designs in the past -because they always sounded clean and nice but failed to present a very important element of music. What was missing was the linearity of dynamics. Many cartridges can produce clean sound but the sound is only one element of music. They fail to present the flow of music. Listeners may not realize this if they are not familiar with music that requires a wide dynamic range and delicate gradations within it. Large orchestral works and certain piano recordings are typical examples.

Miyabi MCA is low output (0.25mV) and low impedance (4 Ohm) Moving Coil cartridge with PH Semi Line Contact stylus tip. Frequency response is 10Hz - 50KHz.

The cartridge uses Alnico magnets because Takeda San likes the sound of Alnico: “It is firm yet not nervous”. The other materials in the cartridge are chosen to achieve certain results in combination with each other. Huruo Takeda says: “I don’t ship out my cartridges right after their construction. I always listen to them for a couple of hours, make any necessary adjustments and then let them sit for about a week. I then repeat the same process until at least 20 hours of listening sessions have accumulated. So it usually takes 2 - 3 months from the construction of a Miyabi cartridge to its delivery. This is a bit different from what people call break-in.”

Haruo Takeda has made his last Miyabi cartridges specifically for the Japanese company 47 Labs before retirement. Now all his cartridges are very hard to find, but Miyabi MCA is one obscure vintage model, most audiophiles never heard about it, here is mine (Miyabi MCA number 40). And this is my Miyabi Standard. Those are State-Of-The-Art cartridge from the golden age of analog.