New member and collector

[BongoBongo]

Hi,
I´m a new member on this forum and also a aspiring collector of boomboxes. I have laid eyes on a JVC 3090 CQM on ebay that´s currently is up for $510. Since I am new at this I thought I could ask you more experienced collectors if it is worth the money? I love the detail with the black and white tv

 

[Transistorized]

Hi BongoBongo. Welcome to the forum. When it comes to the value of any given model, it really comes down to the person. Do you think it is worth it?

As someone who appreciates vintage gear, IMO...it is a neat piece. I am not much into TV's in my boxes but that is merely subjective and my personal opinion. On the plus side, more switches buttons and doo-dads are always a plus in my book. The fact that it is a JVC is another in my personal opinion. It looks cool because it reminds me of a JVC RC-M70JW on steroids. Based on my experience I will say that JVC, Panasonic (and it's affiliates) are known to have decent sound and quality however, speaking for myself, I have not personally heard this model. My guess is, properly working, it should sound nice. Especially since it has a deeper cabinet due to the CRT.

I will not say to purchase or not. Use your gut feeling. Ask lots of questions on condition and find out if the seller can confirm proper operation of the TV (if that is important to you) among all features. How about the tuner, dial lights, speakers, etc.. I would imagine this box is loaded with circuitry as high voltage fly-back circuitry is required for proper CRT operation. As with any vintage box, things can and eventually do fail.

I am going to assume here so bear with me. By asking the question, it sounds to me as if you like the box and would pay the price currently offered if you could guarantee that everything works properly and the box is sound. Am I reading you correctly? If so...ask yourself, if I pay $510 dollars for this box "working", am I prepared to receive a box for half a grand only to have it malfunction after a week of ownership and usage? How would I feel about that if it were to happen? Do I trust the seller? Am I willing to take the gamble? Do I feel comfortable with the purchase? Is my wife going to kill me?.....etc..

If after reading this, whether you feel comfortable or uncomfortable with the purchase, I think you have answered your own question

Edit: If this is not a Buy it now...expect the price to go higher than currently listed....just an observation

 

[hopey]

It would want to be in full working order and clean cosmetically for that price.

 

[MesaAZGuy]

Aside from "will my wife kill me", is the added cost of shipping. If it's close enough to drive, see if you can pick it up. Shipping is a killer on these hefty items. I agree about the TV. Im not one to care for one being in the radio unless it actually receives everyday signals and not static. More buttons and gadgets are always welcome in my book too. The more, the merrier. If you had a radio with a tv in it and it's nostalgic to you, I would go for it. Otherwise there will always be another one popping up.

Best of luck either way. Welcome to the forum by the way! I'm new too.

 

[gapjr]

First post here also but been lurking and collecting for a while. I agree with everything transistorized said. Very well written and thoughtful advice.

I saw that jvc 3090 myself and love it. I like weird quirky boomboxes. The seller claims it has been serviced but I would want to confirm exactly what that means. Were belts replaced? Deoxit cleaned? Detailed? The main things with that particular seller that would concern me is they are in Sweden(unless you live there) & only have 1 feedback. The feedback he does have states the item arrived broken but the seller gave a refund. I usually won't pay ebay prices but I do look at the sold listings to get an idea what things sell for. I only saw one of the jvc 3090 in the sold listings It was from france and it sold for around $1000. I can't tell you what it's worth because it's one I had never seen before, but it looks like somebody in france was willing to pay $1000. I say if you want it, bid as much as you are comfortable with and if you win it just enjoy it.
I bought a fisher sc-300k which is a boombox with a detachable keyboard made into it. A lot of guys here wouldn't be interested in a box like that but I love it and I'm comfortable with what I paid for and really, that's all that matters.

If it were me and I was starting to buy, knowing what I know now plus had that kind of money to spend on one boombox....I'd look for a jvc m70 & then have money left over for a lasonic trc931 or just buy a conion c100.

 

[Superduper]

10 years ago when analog tv was still working here in the states, they would frequently sell for over $1000. I don’t check all the time but I’ve seen one go for $1500. These days, old knowledgeable collectors aren’t on the hunt like they used to anymore and tv’s have gone digital which has likely diminished demand, but this model is known for superb sound quality and it is more powerful than its size would suggest.... when they’re working properly that is.

 

[Radio raheem]

norm is correct i have both the silver and black one, these sound great but the value has dropped due to the death of analogue tv, they do sound great but im not sure i would want to pay this much but it's up to you at the end of the day

 

[Reli]

That model does indeed sound very good. Not as loud as an M70 of course, but better at low volumes IMO.

It's risky to ship though, not only because of the TV screen, but also because of the thin plastic shroud around the screen. It will crack easily if it's not protected correctly.

 

[Radio raheem]

yea Reli is bang on, sounds better than the m70 but not as loud

 

[Styleking]

I think, IMHO, that most collectors will look back at their initial purchases with at least some regret of overpaying. Especially, if your in competition with more seasoned collectors and on a national site like EBay. If you find something local, say on Craigslist, you'll need to react faster and you might do a little better with the price. But in the end it all boils down to what the value of the box is to you and that will ultimately determine the price.