Prices crazy high?

I recently purchased a 'partially working' JX707... close to 200 euros, and the only thing that partially works is the radio!
For a DD9 you need to first sell a kidney.

 

Well only the collectors are paying that kind of money, I guess they have money to burn.
What people are willing to pay is relative to how much disposable income they have.
As most of you know I work for an art gallery, I see all sorts of people walking in carrying or wearing things that cost eye-watering amount.
Just last week a lady walked in carrying a very small handbag that I know cost £450000, in the last month or so another guy walked in wearing a watch that I know does not cost less than £500000. So basically, what we are seeing on Walkman is nothing but pocket change.

 

That is true, all collectible prices are going up constantly.
for example, Some watches are out of reach for collectors. Cars are more expensive. sport memorabilia cards are getting crazy expensive........
I think Walkman units prices will go up. Walkman units including Boodokhan, WM-3EX , Dolls and Guys will be difficult to get. So those who collect walkman should try hard to obtain those models.

 

Not sure I agree with you there, I am sure there are plenty of people that think what we spend on audio gear is insane. If they have earned the money, they can do what they like with it after all you can’t take it with you.

 

Let’s use footballers as an example, the club they play for will not pay them that huge amount of money if they are not going to make x times that salary back by having that individual in their team. So what I am saying is, these people will not get paid that much if people did not think they are worth that much.

I agree with you, there are more important jobs that people get paid less for, that is life and it’s unfair but what can you do.

 

I want to add my thoughts in regard to crazy walkman prices.

First of all, there has been an increase in awareness (in the general public) that these devices exist and there are people who are interested in buying such.
This increase in awareness is obvious because there are WAY more units for sale than just 2-3 years ago. So it is clear there is more stock out there waiting to be sold, but most buyers don't know that (yet).
This perceived increase in demand has driven most sellers to ask crazy prices. Of course it's to be noted the fact they ask doesn't mean they always sell.
There is also a real increase in demand, but nowhere near as high as the hype that's going around.

Apart from the majority, there is a minority of sellers who ask correct prices and who do sell, unlike some who just want to speculate and think along the lines of "I either sell it at 1000$ or it's not worth selling".
The latter are not really interested in selling, but just in speculating. Who knows, maybe they make some easy money (some do, some don't), they have nothing to lose after all. That's their mindset.
Here is an example of such seller: https://stereo2go.com/forums/threads/beware-of-ebay-seller-tunosau.7147/ After more than 2 years, this walkman is still for sale.
This particular JVC I have seen sold for as little as 70euros at auction (with quite a few bids) and usually doesn't sell for much unless serviced. But it does sell when price is right, that is the main point.
Seen plenty of such examples, that's why I don't take asking prices as being market prices as there are always better deals if one is patient enough.

Second, there are people who have specialized in buying and re-selling walkmans without doing anything to them. This is, in my opinion, wrong because there is no added value but there is added cost.
I know others have different opinions about this subject and they're entitled to their opinions. But regardless of any opinions, this practice does increase the market price of all devices.

This is generic, not reffering to any particular walkman. There are of course walkmans sought after by collectors who want to collect them: some just for display, others want to actually use them.
However, in my opinion, they're not the main factor driving prices up because most buyers are not collectors and most devices are not very collectable.
I agree with @Boodokhan statement: some very collectible walkmans prices will unavoidably go up and that's normal to happen as there are few of them and demand is high.

Now we are at a peak or close to it because people who were young in the 80s now have money to collect them. It's the nostalgia factor driving them to buy and some are willing to pay a lot just to re-live the experience.
But this market is slowly going to be replaced by a market of younger people. So, in my opinion, this increase is something that will not last forever.

 

Walkmans ... some were sold for 300$ or more when new. And there is for example TDK MA-R tape, that was sold originally for about 18-20$ and now seller sell it for 5-6x more. If I can somehow justify selling serviced Walkman in very good condition that has warraty and works for close to original price, tape that's has been stored 40 years in who-knows-what-humidity weather is probably not usable.

 

my rants and raves are all over the forums about crazy prices spanning for decades, 40 year old items that do not work are not worth a carrot......i have had all the boomboxes and they are gone and i never made a penny....infact that hobby owes me thousands for all the dishonest deals i have had on ebay and the forums....i don't believe in greed and never will lads.

 

Here's a strangely familar place and a very familiar topic.

The value of anything asthtically retro piggy backs current trends as it always does. The curve isn't a consistent one but it is logical.

Retro is cool again, Nike are re-issuing their classic kicks, Seiko are rehashing all their 70's/80's designs and popular music is heavily, heavily influenced by 70's/80's dance beats. It's a good thing. Neg effect is the prices of boomboxes and walkmans. It's the same stock in circulation, no new ones have been made and it's folks like us, the weirdy hoarders that reduce the numbers.

I'd like to say we only have ourselves to blame but I guess it's the Net result of all these things.

 

Yes, I myself gave 3 MD players (and one Walkman) with music recorded to MD's and headphones (wired!) for birthdays. And I prepare 4th one for present.
I'm curious if it will be fad or will stay with us for a bit

 

I'm only buying and selling locally, and I too have seen a huge price increase in the local market. It's still much more reasonable than the prices I see online internationally, thank god, but it's something that irks me.

The way I see it, the price increases can be categorized into 2 rather different market niche, each with each own dynamics:
1. Collectible models becoming more expensive
2. The common market models becoming more expensive

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The collectibles market dynamics is something typical and is greatly affected by the nostalgia effect. Which as @Valentin noted may be reaching its peak. These are focused on the "rare" models. Not just the grails, but virtually any model that represented the golden age of the cassette. Models that are typically interesting to discuss here in this forum. Though it's not just the older generation. I also see a lot of younger collectors that are driving this market.

Here we see a segmentation that will actually drive the prices of non-working models up, looking for stuff to repair or simply own. The increase of internet accessibility and the international market affects the prices a lot. Many sellers, who are otherwise not so knowledgeable about the things they sell, quote Ebay listings frequently as a justification for offering high prices (though it's usually still far below those prices).

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What I found more interesting, and actually rather sad, is the dynamics of prices in the common market. Here we see a generally younger demographic that are joining the 'retro is cool' trend, whether because they really like it, or just to follow the hype. These don't look for the rare models. They probably don't even know or care about those older models. They're looking for working models, and they're willing to pay.

The sad part, for me, is that that they're willing to pay prices that are, arguably, too high for the quality they're getting. I'd say that this is a good example of "ignorance is bliss". They're paying $30 for units that are only worth $10. But it's no worries for them, since they're actually very happy with what they're getting. I just find it rather disheartening to see sellers taking advantage of this by hiking up the prices of no-brand units. But that's just how the free market works.

I also feel that the "expensive" prices offered are also not particularly expensive for new entries to the hobby. They may be expensive to prices of walkmans before, but they are comparable to other pieces of new gadgets. I recall a time where I told a friend that I just sold a Sony boombox for just under $100 (which was quite expensive for the local market then) and she was surprised that it was so cheap. So I feel it it maybe a natural thing that the prices for these basic units are at what they are. This is actually reflected in the prices of new-production units, including those from crowdfunding projects. They're generally comparable to other new gadgets, i.e. quite a lot more expensive than what I feel a comparable basic Sony or Aiwa form the early 2000s in used condition is worth.

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In the end, these 2 different markets would interact to affect each the overall price trend.

Unsurprisingly, there are those from moving from category 2 to 1. Having paid a high price for their first unit, even higher prices become more justifiable when upgrading to a "true vintage" or "well-known brand" unit. Thereby feeding the hype for these "rarer" models and the increase of overall prices.

 

A walkman is a so called pop culture collectable, not an established category like coins and currency, stamps. Comic books are in the process of becoming an established catagory, but are not there yet.

In the past there have been more collectables that were very popular with the generation that grew up with them, but there comes a point when there is more supply than demand and then prices go down. This usually happens when the generation that grew up with it dies. Some examples from the past are Elvis memorbilia, PEZ dispensers, vintage toy robots, Lionel trains.

Regarding the handbags, Rolex watches and more luxury items, think about this: When you buy a bag of 500.000 usd in a economical interment with zero procent interest rates (speculate) I understand that you do it when you have the means to do it. But when you can get 5% without risk in a money market account this gives you 25000 usd interest (without compounding) a year. This is exactly the times of speculation on this kind of items are over. Also a handbag is nog a liquid asset, what If you want to sell it? Take into account auction fees, risk of fraud and much more.

I don't have a Cristal bal but I think some fundamental things are changing in the financial system and the decade of easy money is over, this will also effect the prices of Walkmans on a certain degree.

 

I have never known a TDK MA-R cost that much originally, it cost £5.99 and I remember buying it from Boots back in 1985 . I posted about the cost before when people said it costed xxx, here is my original post on this forum. TDK MA-R original price

 

I think you will find people buying these kind of bags, are not speculating or looking to sell it on at a profit.
Watches are a different matter, there is a second-hand market for that. For me Rolex's are cheap high-end watches for the uneducated masses, the guy I said came in wearing a watch to is at least £500000 was not wearing a Rolex. He was wearing a watch that most people will not know what it is, I know what it was because I like watches. I did not know about the bag, but one of the ladies did and pointed it out to me.
So this high-end stuff flies under the radar and the people wearing / carrying them are not likely to get mugged.

Making a tiny bit of profit on the amount you talk about will not come into their mind, as that is just pocket change for them.

 

Lots of good points here. A colleague summed it up when he said there is a "Nostalgia Wave". It didn't stop him from buying a JVC Boombox he had always always wanted as a teenager and importing a Korg MS20 synthesizer from Japan (which he then had to pay to get fixed).

How long will it last ? In the 1980s I used to be into Valve (tube) radios. The one I paid the most for, forty years ago probably isn't worth any more than I paid back then. In hindsight I should have bought a WM22 but back then they were just a Ford Fiesta type Walkman you could buy new anywhere that sold Sony.

Back to the Korg MS20, about a year after my colleague bought his Korg decided it would be worthwhile reissuing it.
https://www.korg.com/uk/products/synthesizers/ms_20fs/

More recently Audio Technica have done the same with the Sound Burger. Techmoan has reviewed it and reckons there are some improvements over the original while in real terms it costs less



He was right about the "limited edition" being a gimmick. You can now yet a yellow one shipped from Japan for less than £200.
https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/Audio...ndburger-Lightweight/dp/B0C3VWJHK4/ref=sr_1_2
200+ sold in the last month and that is just through amazon.jp. They are on other websites but availability seems to be a bit patchy
https://www.audio-technica.com/en-g...-bgzftKOexHbAWJXN1LrY4SuDuAAmZ8hoCIG8QAvD_BwE

That will certainly keep a lid on the prices of original Soundburgers.

While Sony seems to have lost interest in audio, I wonder if a company like Aiwa would be tempted to reissue one of their personal stereos if they thought there was a big enough demand ? I know a personal stereo is more complicated than a turntable, but Techmoan reckons no original moulds were used in the new Sound Burger.

A final thought Technics did the same with the SL1200 years ago. Which company is most likely to try and cash in on a nostalgic reissue of a Boombox or Personal Stereo?

p.s. With prices people tend to forget about inflation. I just fed @TooCooL4 's £6 for a tape through the Bank of England inflation calculator and got £17.70 which is close to @Raul 's price.