Got a question for all the Veterans here...
- Thread starter howie1976
- Start date
- Status
I think the price of the pretty, feminine looking shiny, bling boxes has always been strong.! Those values have remained strong. The more masculine, dark, (ugly) bling less models even with high performance go for peanuts due to the way they reflect light!
What has gone up is the price sellers ask for base model, poverty pack models. This tone box has been on sale for ever:
http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=201313605383
I value boxes on their performance and as such, this example is worth around $20!!
James....
What has gone up is the price sellers ask for base model, poverty pack models. This tone box has been on sale for ever:
http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=201313605383
I value boxes on their performance and as such, this example is worth around $20!!
James....
Michiel
Member (SA)
Thanks for the interesting insights guys. I'm relative new to boombox collecting, so can't say much about previous prices. But as we all know our beloved boxes suffer from severe rot. Nylon shrinks, gears become brittle, caps dry out, boxes are being raped by bad repairs and nasty mods.
The guys who are going to pay the price in the future are the ones with walls of near dead shelf queens. My prediction is that dead boxes will become more or less worthless in the future. Because the scene will become smaller. The boxes that still work like new will going to fetch much more money, because they become scarce. Also because they are of more interest to people outside the scene and eighties generation. In short; if you want to use your boxes as an investment... Invest in yourself and learn how to repair them, as this is the knowledge that is really dying. My 50cts.
The guys who are going to pay the price in the future are the ones with walls of near dead shelf queens. My prediction is that dead boxes will become more or less worthless in the future. Because the scene will become smaller. The boxes that still work like new will going to fetch much more money, because they become scarce. Also because they are of more interest to people outside the scene and eighties generation. In short; if you want to use your boxes as an investment... Invest in yourself and learn how to repair them, as this is the knowledge that is really dying. My 50cts.
Gluecifer
Member (SA)
I think it's very hard to predict what'll happen in the future in regards to value as this is kind of the 'first generation' of electronics that have massive pop culture identification and appreciation. I think the closest thing to boomboxes that goes back further would be the space-age tv's from the 50s. Things that are a design icon will always have appreciation far beyond the generation that grew up with them.
About 7 years ago I was helping a woman try and sell her doll collection through eBay. She had a huge collection of highly valued dolls she'd collected her whole life. Lots of rare dolls worth (apparently) four figures, very few even left in existence. The issue we found is very similar to Chris's Victrola example. She had no market to sell to. Most doll collectors were retired women, now getting into their 70s and guess what? The younger generation didn't give a ****. We're (still) going through a huge low ebb of antique doll values and unless a new generation comes along and gets interested in them they'll be lost to history. There has to be a new generation coming up that cares about something for it to retain/grow in value.
I think that's where boomboxes differ as there's a huge appreciation for them in generations down to teenagers and from many different cultural backgrounds. That alone is what leads me to believe they'll live on and grow in value. I think the toy side of collectables with value has seen its last generation as toys are no longer of interest to kids and it's all technology they're interested in. In 50 years time there's a very good chance that toys in general will drop massively due to today's children having zero nostalgic affinity with them. OR it could go the exact opposite and they discover toys as adults.
I find it very interesting as to what people will want in their lives, from the past, and be prepared to pay a premium for. I'm pretty convinced though that iconic boomboxes won't drop in value in my life time. There's just too much cross cultural attachment to them, but really, I'm never going to sell my collection and certainly never ever bought a boombox (or toy for that matter) for investment value, however I did have something interesting happen last year that gave me some faith that my collecting instincts are still nicely honed.
For those unaware I collect a tonne of different 80s stuff, way too much to go into here, but last year I had a self made millionaire dealer who's business is knowing what to import/get made from overseas market to sell to collectors and those interest in niche items visit me. He came into my house and was amazed and looking at my boomboxes and other items, he said 'You're so far ahead of the curve, give it a few years this is going to be worth a hell of a lot of money'.
Everything is cyclical, add 20-30 years to anything and it becomes valued again, just look at records. The real magic is keeping something valuable beyond a passing fad or phase. Then again, all it takes is one movie or TV show to re-iconise something and BANG! it's off again!
My moral for my entire collecting though is buy it to love it, not profit off it. If you collect that way you can't lose.
Rock On.
About 7 years ago I was helping a woman try and sell her doll collection through eBay. She had a huge collection of highly valued dolls she'd collected her whole life. Lots of rare dolls worth (apparently) four figures, very few even left in existence. The issue we found is very similar to Chris's Victrola example. She had no market to sell to. Most doll collectors were retired women, now getting into their 70s and guess what? The younger generation didn't give a ****. We're (still) going through a huge low ebb of antique doll values and unless a new generation comes along and gets interested in them they'll be lost to history. There has to be a new generation coming up that cares about something for it to retain/grow in value.
I think that's where boomboxes differ as there's a huge appreciation for them in generations down to teenagers and from many different cultural backgrounds. That alone is what leads me to believe they'll live on and grow in value. I think the toy side of collectables with value has seen its last generation as toys are no longer of interest to kids and it's all technology they're interested in. In 50 years time there's a very good chance that toys in general will drop massively due to today's children having zero nostalgic affinity with them. OR it could go the exact opposite and they discover toys as adults.
I find it very interesting as to what people will want in their lives, from the past, and be prepared to pay a premium for. I'm pretty convinced though that iconic boomboxes won't drop in value in my life time. There's just too much cross cultural attachment to them, but really, I'm never going to sell my collection and certainly never ever bought a boombox (or toy for that matter) for investment value, however I did have something interesting happen last year that gave me some faith that my collecting instincts are still nicely honed.
For those unaware I collect a tonne of different 80s stuff, way too much to go into here, but last year I had a self made millionaire dealer who's business is knowing what to import/get made from overseas market to sell to collectors and those interest in niche items visit me. He came into my house and was amazed and looking at my boomboxes and other items, he said 'You're so far ahead of the curve, give it a few years this is going to be worth a hell of a lot of money'.
Everything is cyclical, add 20-30 years to anything and it becomes valued again, just look at records. The real magic is keeping something valuable beyond a passing fad or phase. Then again, all it takes is one movie or TV show to re-iconise something and BANG! it's off again!
My moral for my entire collecting though is buy it to love it, not profit off it. If you collect that way you can't lose.
Rock On.
mmcodomino
Member (SA)
I absolutely agree with Rick.
if you love it, the value is not that important. Yet I still think they will not run into a sudden drop in value. It's probably not a safe bet to invest in boomboxes as some kind of stocks but that is not the point of our hobby anyway.
To answer the main question of this thread from my point of view:
I started about 7 years ago and got my first boxes for a relatively small amount of money. Of ourse i made a lot of mistakes and overpaid.
What I can say in general is that it was easier to fnd somehting interesting back then and there have not been so many droughts on eBay when alost nothing interesting shows up for days. Then again, it was pretty rare to see an M90 pop up while there's at least one available all the time now.
Have prices gone up? Yes and no...I feel like condition is playing a bigger role now. Mint known grails sell for a lot more than they did when I first started but sometimmes a normally used M90 or 5350 for example can go for a lot less than expected (good for collectors
).
Finds in the wild...I can confrim that flea markets are dead concerning boomboxes and if you find something the seller wants a ridiculous amount of money for it. Then again there's the Greek flea markets that deech has shown us.
One more thing I would like to add...I have recently gotten a lot of requests from musicians and movie productions who need a vintage boombox for their productions...I personally see that as an indicator that the boombox is far from being dead. It's actually more popular than when I started collecting I think.
if you love it, the value is not that important. Yet I still think they will not run into a sudden drop in value. It's probably not a safe bet to invest in boomboxes as some kind of stocks but that is not the point of our hobby anyway.
To answer the main question of this thread from my point of view:
I started about 7 years ago and got my first boxes for a relatively small amount of money. Of ourse i made a lot of mistakes and overpaid.
What I can say in general is that it was easier to fnd somehting interesting back then and there have not been so many droughts on eBay when alost nothing interesting shows up for days. Then again, it was pretty rare to see an M90 pop up while there's at least one available all the time now.
Have prices gone up? Yes and no...I feel like condition is playing a bigger role now. Mint known grails sell for a lot more than they did when I first started but sometimmes a normally used M90 or 5350 for example can go for a lot less than expected (good for collectors
).Finds in the wild...I can confrim that flea markets are dead concerning boomboxes and if you find something the seller wants a ridiculous amount of money for it. Then again there's the Greek flea markets that deech has shown us.
One more thing I would like to add...I have recently gotten a lot of requests from musicians and movie productions who need a vintage boombox for their productions...I personally see that as an indicator that the boombox is far from being dead. It's actually more popular than when I started collecting I think.
SLO
Member (SA)
Very good thread Howie, this coming June will be one year of collecting for me so I'm still very new to the game, and learning all the time. As most of you know I was lucky enough to find 2 JVC M90's in the wild locally, from the same guy, for under $1000. One for $600 and the other for $700. To me, it was a chance to get my hands on 2 of these without paying Ebay's high retail. The chances of finding a M90 in a thrift shop for under $20 here in California are slim to none, but not impossible. So I did what I had to do, to get what I want.
I have no intent to sell or flip any of my boomboxes for profit because I love all of my collection. Im in the game because I love it. Its great to read all these responses from some of you guys that have been in this collecting hobby for years, its like a good history lesson. Thanks for all the replies, this is a great read.
I have no intent to sell or flip any of my boomboxes for profit because I love all of my collection. Im in the game because I love it. Its great to read all these responses from some of you guys that have been in this collecting hobby for years, its like a good history lesson. Thanks for all the replies, this is a great read.
Reli
Boomus Fidelis
There's just more on Ebay compared to 6-7 years ago. A lot more. Like 9 or 10 M70's every single week, and 9 or 10 Telefunken Studio 1's too...... And you would think that would cause prices to drop, but they haven't. I still see M70's ending for $400........So I think the improved economy has helped.
The only prices that dropped are a few models that used to be considered "rare" but then people realized they weren't rare at all. One example is the Panasonic RX-5500, one sold for $700 a few years ago. And I think a lot of people saw that and said "damn, these things are worth that much?" and so they listed theirs, which caused people to realize that it's not rare at all. Now you can buy one for $200 in reasonable condition.
But an M90 in mint condition, watch out.....We're talking $2K if it's listed right. During the recession I remember them selling for only $1K.
What really confuses me is the M70's......Why do they still sell for $400 even though they're not rare? I don't know.....maybe they have more pop culture, more history.....But not to me. It's not a box I remember from my youth. It didn't have enough "style" for me to remember it. Now, a C100.....THAT I remember.
The only prices that dropped are a few models that used to be considered "rare" but then people realized they weren't rare at all. One example is the Panasonic RX-5500, one sold for $700 a few years ago. And I think a lot of people saw that and said "damn, these things are worth that much?" and so they listed theirs, which caused people to realize that it's not rare at all. Now you can buy one for $200 in reasonable condition.
But an M90 in mint condition, watch out.....We're talking $2K if it's listed right. During the recession I remember them selling for only $1K.
What really confuses me is the M70's......Why do they still sell for $400 even though they're not rare? I don't know.....maybe they have more pop culture, more history.....But not to me. It's not a box I remember from my youth. It didn't have enough "style" for me to remember it. Now, a C100.....THAT I remember.
Hurb
Member (SA)
Great question and insights! Nothing much to add as I agree with most of you. I was born in the wrong part of the World to find lots of boxes in the wild. To me the search, and to be on the lookout all the time adds to the fun enormously. Not the type of fun that money can buy. This fun factor only grew over the years that I'm collecting, thanks to this forum, you guys and learning more and more.
milosancho
Member (SA)
Not sure I can be considered a "veteran" collector but I've been collecting boomboxes since March 2008. What got me started was when I found an M90 in the wild.....for $7. Being a collector of walkmans and a member of S2G for some time I knew about boomboxes but I spent all my time and money collecting walkmans. But when I found the M90, I was hooked instantly. I've had a few and sold a few, now I try to keep the collection to a manageble size....about 20 in my collection currently.
As for prices......they go up and come down, but only slightly. I think prices are high now and they are likely to stay high. But deals can still be found.
As for prices......they go up and come down, but only slightly. I think prices are high now and they are likely to stay high. But deals can still be found.
ford93
Member (SA)
My thing back in the 80's was buying the latest rave about it and then sell it and get the next hot box. 
If I knew back then what I know now I would have had a very lucrative investment. Imagine 10 or 20 JVC M-90 NIB unopened that right there would have fetch me some serious $$$$.
I was lucky to have had the job I had back then which helped me to purchase the Boomers I wanted. One more thing I would like to add I still remember that smell once opening a box and pulling out a gleaming, minty, freshly new box. Even then I enjoyed that part!!!!!
If only I could turn back the clock. I really miss those days! :'-(
If I knew back then what I know now I would have had a very lucrative investment. Imagine 10 or 20 JVC M-90 NIB unopened that right there would have fetch me some serious $$$$.I was lucky to have had the job I had back then which helped me to purchase the Boomers I wanted. One more thing I would like to add I still remember that smell once opening a box and pulling out a gleaming, minty, freshly new box. Even then I enjoyed that part!!!!!
If only I could turn back the clock. I really miss those days! :'-(
Styleking
Member (SA)
I'd add that location is a factor. For instance, if you live in the north a boombox is likely to have faced much harsher conditions then one's that were owned in warmer climates. Basements in the north are generally more humid and boxes stored for long periods of time in them are more susceptible to mildew and mold.
The only "wild" boomboxes I've bought in the last five years are from Craigslist and the occasional church sale. Even that has it's pitfalls, a local collector has been advertising his grails locally on Craigslist for years. He has some great boxes, C-100's, 975's, 777's and a Discolite. He has them posted for more than retail, looking for $2400 for the Discolite and $1500 for the 975. I'm not opposed to anyone asking whatever they want but when they do, every guy on Craigslist looking to sell one see those prices and ask way too much money for the run of the mill boxes.
Prices fluctuate, quality and desire are the two main factors but there's also the February price hike. Each year around February-March prices tend to go up because people are getting there tax return money and tend to be a little more flexible with the amount they are willing to spend. My personal experience is that June-August are the best months to buy because people go on vacation and are busy and not checking as often and their money get's to become a little thin by then.
The only "wild" boomboxes I've bought in the last five years are from Craigslist and the occasional church sale. Even that has it's pitfalls, a local collector has been advertising his grails locally on Craigslist for years. He has some great boxes, C-100's, 975's, 777's and a Discolite. He has them posted for more than retail, looking for $2400 for the Discolite and $1500 for the 975. I'm not opposed to anyone asking whatever they want but when they do, every guy on Craigslist looking to sell one see those prices and ask way too much money for the run of the mill boxes.
Prices fluctuate, quality and desire are the two main factors but there's also the February price hike. Each year around February-March prices tend to go up because people are getting there tax return money and tend to be a little more flexible with the amount they are willing to spend. My personal experience is that June-August are the best months to buy because people go on vacation and are busy and not checking as often and their money get's to become a little thin by then.
Well all of you guys make great points on what the future holds for the pricing of boomboxes. I guess only time will tell if they will hold their value and even increase or there will be a drop in price when we all reach the twilight of our lives.
I will say this. As a high school teacher, I'm always around teenagers and I take my boxes to work as much as I can. I've taken a little Panasonic, my Rising and my J-1 and no matter what the size, you should see the positive reaction that these boxes get from teens. They think they are so cool and want to take pictures of them to post on Instagram. Also, at our Venice Meet we had countless people of all ages and ethnicities taking pictures and asking us questions about these boxes. I bet many of those young people had never seen a boombox live and in person.
I know many of us collectors say that we will never sell the boxes in our personal collection but the reality is that we never know what the future holds. In our 30's or 40's we might feel this way but in our 60's and 70's we might feel differently. I know many of us would like to pass these blasters down to our kids and that would be ideal but the reality is our kids may not want them. I know that's hard to believe but it's true. My dad passed away a year and a half ago and he had a prized collection of high end watches. I'm holding on to these watching because of the sentimental value they hold not because I have a desire to collect them. But it's rather easy for me to hold on to a collection that I can keep in a drawer but if my dad collected something the size of boomboxes that I wasn't interested in, then quite honestly I don't know how long I could hold on to a collection like that.
So I guess if we want to leave valuables to our loved ones or we want to be able to sell some of these throughout our retirement years, we have to make sure they stay iconic and relevant. And guess what, that won't happen if they are stored away on a shelf in our homes. We need to take these out to the streets as not only symbols of 80's culture but make them part of today and tomorrow's cultural norm in general.
I'll never forget the words that one of my co-workers said to me when he saw my boombox. He said, "Damn, you just made me jealous of something I didn even know I was jealous of. I want one of those!"
So fellas, I say lets all get to work and take our blasters to the streets. That's actually the best thing we can do to spread the boomboxery culture and help maintain their future value.
Just my .2 cents ....
I will say this. As a high school teacher, I'm always around teenagers and I take my boxes to work as much as I can. I've taken a little Panasonic, my Rising and my J-1 and no matter what the size, you should see the positive reaction that these boxes get from teens. They think they are so cool and want to take pictures of them to post on Instagram. Also, at our Venice Meet we had countless people of all ages and ethnicities taking pictures and asking us questions about these boxes. I bet many of those young people had never seen a boombox live and in person.
I know many of us collectors say that we will never sell the boxes in our personal collection but the reality is that we never know what the future holds. In our 30's or 40's we might feel this way but in our 60's and 70's we might feel differently. I know many of us would like to pass these blasters down to our kids and that would be ideal but the reality is our kids may not want them. I know that's hard to believe but it's true. My dad passed away a year and a half ago and he had a prized collection of high end watches. I'm holding on to these watching because of the sentimental value they hold not because I have a desire to collect them. But it's rather easy for me to hold on to a collection that I can keep in a drawer but if my dad collected something the size of boomboxes that I wasn't interested in, then quite honestly I don't know how long I could hold on to a collection like that.
So I guess if we want to leave valuables to our loved ones or we want to be able to sell some of these throughout our retirement years, we have to make sure they stay iconic and relevant. And guess what, that won't happen if they are stored away on a shelf in our homes. We need to take these out to the streets as not only symbols of 80's culture but make them part of today and tomorrow's cultural norm in general.
I'll never forget the words that one of my co-workers said to me when he saw my boombox. He said, "Damn, you just made me jealous of something I didn even know I was jealous of. I want one of those!"
So fellas, I say lets all get to work and take our blasters to the streets. That's actually the best thing we can do to spread the boomboxery culture and help maintain their future value.
Just my .2 cents ....
Unfortunately my habit of collecting HAS to support itself, so there are many times I buy knowing I am going to flip the box. It could be a double, rare, or something I just don't really want. I simply don't have the extra coin to spend with my home, wife, kids - they are #1. Many of the boxes are stepping stones to get bigger and better boxes, so it's all part of the game.
But, I honestly do collect because I want them, I need them, and I want them! How could you not want to collect something you can actually USE and SHARE with everybody?! Most collections are meant to just sit and never be moved or touched, who would want that?
The market has gone all over the place. Even with everyone seeming to know the value of their garage trashed ghettoblaster, there are still gems to be found.
Good luck to you guys!
But, I honestly do collect because I want them, I need them, and I want them! How could you not want to collect something you can actually USE and SHARE with everybody?! Most collections are meant to just sit and never be moved or touched, who would want that?
The market has gone all over the place. Even with everyone seeming to know the value of their garage trashed ghettoblaster, there are still gems to be found.
Good luck to you guys!
I have 4 kids myself and even when I have the disposable income to add a box to my collection - most times I make it a point to use it for a photo prop so it can be written off during tax time. I did have to give up buying boxes that needed a lot of work. There is just no time to do whats all needed. (I have a 20/20 that's been sitting wide open for months now).........howie1976 said:
you are 100 on that. I've seen some shitty boxes on craigslist for 300-500 bucks. The owners simply don't know or care to research how much that model is worth, so they price high. In fact I have never got a really, really great/cheap deal in the wild. I did buy a CF100 for 700 bucks with everything working but that wasn't a cheap deal-lol I have 3 awesome thrift/resale shops in a 5 mile radius of me but they never get any boxes. A lot of old components/turntables but no boxes.TW5 said:Its getting harder to find people selling there old "junk" for 5$ 10$ anymore
local adds have high prices on boomboxes
and more know there worth something.
Some thought we were a bunch of crazy junk garbage collectors some years back.
Well that was the the good ol days now.
Like a store owner once told me - 80s was the first generation of folks who "kept" things. Folks in the 50s, 60s and 70s threw things away but that stopped in the 80s. So when the recession hit- alllllllllll those boomers, Teddy Ruxpins and GoBots hit the market.lol
retrohead
Member (SA)
i started in 2009.ill tell you what it is.ebay has killed it.yes ebay has been around for about 12 years now (correct me if im wrong)and back in 2009 when i started out,id buy a few off of that awful site,for less than ten pounds a time,but shipping has always been a killer anyway.my first spot officially was in 1998 when i found a completely 'for spares only' conion c100 in a local shop for ten pounds.wasnt into boomboxes back then but it caught my eye.left it at first then went back.it had gone.things right now are manic,everyones an expert and nothings cheap enough anymore,well very occasionally,if your incredibly lucky,im not sadly.
trippy1313
Member (SA)
I never saw this thread before today.blu_fuz said:
This is kinda where I'm at and torn. I've yet to flip a box, but sometimes I feel in order to get more and keep my wife fine with me collecting, is that I can't keep spending OUR money to collect them. It's hard enough getting her to let me because of the space they take up.
Plus I feel if I were to start flipping boxes, I'd kinda feel bad posting it here to make a profit of other members, even though it's just part of the hobby. And eBay sounds like such a risk/hassle. Makes me kinda torn on flipping, plus I rarely find any killer deals worth flipping.
Old school Scott
Member (SA)
For me, the real joy in this hobby has been finding them in the wild.
It's rare that I find any now, but when I started 6 years ago, before the common
images of boomboxes were on tshirts and everything,
there was at least a 30 percent chance that I could find Something during
a visit to the thrift store. People were just getting rid of them because it wasn't
common knowledge yet that you could still play your ipod through them if the cassette
was broken. Gosh darn, I sure do miss 2009.
Cheers OSS
It's rare that I find any now, but when I started 6 years ago, before the common
images of boomboxes were on tshirts and everything,
there was at least a 30 percent chance that I could find Something during
a visit to the thrift store. People were just getting rid of them because it wasn't
common knowledge yet that you could still play your ipod through them if the cassette
was broken. Gosh darn, I sure do miss 2009.
Cheers OSS
- Status