Current state of the boombox marketplace

[Superduper]

Anyone that's been collecting long enough knows that our boombox marketplace is very cyclical. That are small waves and big waves.

Just curious what your impression is of our current marketplace. Please rate based on combination of: (1) availability of non-junk (read eggs, etc) boomboxes and (2) prices. Please rate Higher availability and Higher prices with a higher rating.

If possible, follow up your vote with description of your observations of our current market. Also note if you observe more rare and seldom seen stuff become available, or if you only notice the same old crap. Finally, I'm talking about the past month or two.

If you have trouble making up your mind -- YOU can select up to 3 choices if you need to. Please don't choose something stupid like 1-5-10 combination since that's all over the place and makes the poll rather meaningless. Do choose 8-9 if you can't decide between the two. You are NOT required to choose more than one, for those decisive assertive and unconfused smarties.

 

[blu_fuz]

I think the more "rare" boxes are popping up for sale because owners have seen or been told what the boombox might sell for. It seems that when a average/common boombox sells for a lot of money you see 2-4 more pop up quickly. Then a GRAIL comes up and you mind as well plan on taking out a second mortgage for it to stay in the running.

Now about 1 year ago even, these same boxes you couldn't get 1/2 the money for. Even the lower end boxes are selling for $100+. The Magnavox Power Play 3 speaker boxes are a perfect example. You couldn't sell one for $25 a year ago, now you would get $100+.

Economy rising or just tax return time, either way - If you were thinking about selling, the last 2 months you might have gotten 3x the amount for your boomer than you would have gotten a year ago.

 

[Ken]

For the last year and a half, it's been pretty steady...the usual scores & trainwrecks...
olice: moving right along...

 

[redbenjoe]

i voted for 8 & 9

there is MUCH more interest lately-
and 'sleepers' are pretty much gone --

i think i am one of the high$$-type bidders -
and have lost almost every decent box for the past few months

 

[hardmen]

I voted for 8.

Cheers...

 

[BMoney]

I voted for #7. There's almost always one C100F, 777, M90 or M70 on eBay and you will have competition if you're bidding. If you're offering up $200 or less, you might as well not even bother. Just sit down. And I don't really see anything rare either. No 1000s, 5350s, Big Bens, Wheeleys or anything. Really, nothing rare since James listed a bunch of stuff. I agree with blu_fuz though, in the last 2 months you might have gotten 3x the amount for your boomer than you would have gotten a year ago.

IMO

 

[Fatdog]

There's almost always one C100F, 777, M90 or M70 on eBay and you will have competition if you're bidding. If you're offering up $200 or less, you might as well not even bother. Just sit down. And I don't really see anything rare either. No 1000s, 5350s, Big Bens, Wheeleys or anything. Really, nothing rare since James listed a bunch of stuff. I agree with blu_fuz though, in the last 2 months you might have gotten 3x the amount for your boomer than you would have gotten a year ago.

IMO

I pretty much agree with BMoney. I voted #7, but since there seems to be an abundance of mid-tier Panasonics on any given day, I also voted for #6.

 

[fins5]

I voted #5 and 8 because it seems to be a really mixed market.

5 - Because I've seen some decent boxes go for relatively cheap, at least compared to around 06-07, when it seemed almost everything would get a good price (even fixer-uppers with plenty of blemishes).

8- Because M90s seem to be selling for more $$ than ever, and did anyone see the mint, boxed FH-7 Mark III just sell for $612.00? That has to be a record.

Edit: Also, average-condition M70s seem to be enjoying a price spike this week, if bentleygt09's auction can be taken as an indicator.

 

[hemiguy2006]

I voted 5 and 8
#5 Because I havent seen anything out of the ordinary special in the way of rarities lately.
#8 Because There are plenty of "grail" status boxes out there and an occasional rarity but be prepared to pay out the nose for them.

 

[Reli]

The only thing I've noticed is that there seems to be an inverse relationship between ending price and length of description. Buyers seem to prefer auctions with really short , vague descriptions. Maybe because they're illiterate or impatient....who knows.

 

[Boom Shaka Laka]

Seems like there are more listings with "tape deck doesn't work" than there used to be. Of course, I started scouring eBay for boomers back around '00, and no doubt, since then, time has taken its toll on old rubber. Or maybe people are just more open about their boombox issues than they were ten years ago. Back then, I think "Don't ask, don't tell" was the official policy for eBay listings.

I picked #5.

 

[restocat]

There must be new people getting into this collector market, as some of the prices are out of place on the mid range lower quality boxes.

Still a good supply so far. I guess we can all just trade with each other 10 years from now, when a grail will be harder to find. Meanwhile, stock up.

 

[baddboybill]

I went with 6 and 7 because the market is definetly up and it can be difficult to get a box at not only a reasonable price but at all due to the over whelming amount buyers

 

[Ken]

There must be new people getting into this collector market, as some of the prices are out of place on the mid range lower quality boxes.

Still a good supply so far. I guess we can all just trade with each other 10 years from now, when a grail will be harder to find. Meanwhile, stock up.

 

[mellymelsr]

I am just glad that I purchased my grails at last years prices and not todays prices...

 

[Lasonic TRC-920]

Voted 7: Pretty good. Nice selection and some fighting for boomboxes.

I think there are some nice radio's changing hands. I wish I have the cash right now I'd be adding and adding and adding to the collection.

It's a good time to be a buyer and a seller!

 

[hollyrockets]

Don't think I'm too qualified to answer since I've only been paying attention for about six months. But it looks like prices shot up after the first of the year for the ones I was looking at, especially my M70 obsession. I paid more than I thought I would, but got a WAY better box than I thought I would. THANKS AGAIN JAMES!

Quality is Value in this market. I guess I pick #7. I do see a lot of varieties of boxes I'd like to buy that seem reasonable in price if I was not on a strict budget right now.

Great thing is my husband and I were listening to MJ's Off the Wall on my M70 last night, he was and sighed, "I want the M90 so bad!" YEAH! WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE AND LIFE IS GOOD!

 

[oldskool69]

Rut...

Average...

Steam...

I'll explain all three.

The market is in a rut. What has happened is that boomboxes we all know aren't worth hundreds of dollars are now being priced in such a manner. I decided to have a look across the 'Bay and noticed that boxes that wouldn't fetch $30 at a thrift store, are being priced at $100+. What I have also noticed is tons of people who I've seen in thrift stores that troll them for eBay sales, have started pulling the boomboxes out regardless of what it is, and put ridiculous prices on them hoping to catch the "wave" of money based on a severe lack of knowledge. They think every box is a "grail". Have you seen some of the stupid egg (RX-707, etc. nonwithstanding) prices? If these and other units were worth that much many of us here would be millionaires. Which leads to...

An average market. There are many units out there that would normally fecth more money than they do. Yes, some "big number" units sell, but not at the alarcity of say, 2007, 2008 and early 2009. For the most part, prices have stagnated as most that bid are scared to death to spend the kind of mony it would really take during the salad days to get an M90 for instance. The normal $1500 M90 is now the $600 M90. Right now because of the weird to stupid pricing, the market is neither good (not much on serious selections though there are a few pretty regular versus the 50 - 60 you could see week to week) or bad. Just kind of in the middle lumbering along kind of like the economy itself. Which like it at times appears to be...

Gaining steam. There are a number of new collectors out there due to the retro craze, hip-hop, and the resulting curiosity in the youth of today who has grown tired of shoving earbuds in theair ears. Sharing is good again (as it relates to music) by actualy hearing tunes with friends. This also picked up interest in the classic boomers. Not neccesarily the biggest or the baddest, but say RX-5050 tyoes or M60/80's, 8484's etc. Good solid sound, easy to carry, can plug an iPod in at any time. Which is what most people really want on average. (I know we're a little bit different...just a little... )

 

[Superduper]

Well, after a slow start -- quite a few comments. Thanks!

I started this poll because it seemed to me that prices lately, especially for the more collectible stuff has been beefed up noticeably. Then those prices were followed up by more high prices which to me, means it was less of a fluke and more of a symptom of a market gaining some support. Sure there have been a few eBay meltdowns such as an RX-5250 that went for lower than I thought it would but don't know if that's because the box was not well known, or whether bidders thought it would go higher than they wanted to pay.

In any event, I have watched C100's go for quite high.... one was even suggested to be a record.

I have also seen some of the very HTF stuff that is rarely seen come up such as the Panny 7700, Pioneer SK-909, and quite a few boomboxes with cartons, which has been getting very high prices.

So in conclusion -- analyzing the voting curve clearly shows that the market is better than perceived average since the voting curve is quite distinctively between 6-8 with 7 being the hot spot. Perhaps the improving weather has brightened spirits and renewing interest in our hobby again. Whatever..... Just food for thought.

 

[redbenjoe]

try this same poll ... 1/2 year from now