Experience with Vintage Walkman Lab on Reverb

Has anybody had experience purchasing from "Vintage Walkman Lab" over on reverb? Asking because I see they regularly list numerous models for sale, some of which occasionally interest me. I'm curious to know your insights into the seller's accuracy of description or customer service. Is the seller a forum member?

 

Never heard of them. I just spent 20 minutes over there checking out what they have listed. I see a few nice late models I wouldn't mind trying. Like the Sony EX808. Price seems fine to me. In the description of some it says:

"Vintage collectable cassette player, don`t play the tape too long or too tight, don`t compare with new one or digital devices. No perfect guarantee, may need further adjust for the best performance ! No Return !"

or "Vintage device, may need further adjust for the best performance !!"

That doesn't bother me too much. What they have there appears in excellent cosmetic condition. I would expect to have to do some extra repair work in future, maybe. It is a good place to start. At least they claim to be in working condition with belt replaced. You may end up spending more on e-bay to get a non-working item with hidden defects the seller lied about etc., then have to buy another or try repairs. Costing more than paying more and buying once from a place like Vintage Walkman Lab. I'd buy one of the two EX808's if I needed a decent walkman.

EDIT: I am not a collector in the usual sense, I mean, sure I will buy more in future, but not to collect. More to be able to possess such fine examples of mechanical engineering and actually use each and every one. With a lot of reading and rationalizing beforehand to decide what model to get and what capability / build feature it will bring etc,.

(I have a lot of contempt and ridicule for modern audio "devices" and, well, hate most of them actually. Everything about their cheap nasty ugly look, feel, design philosophy, disposable mindset, preying on the consumer, peer pressure, propriety battery that requires a research project to replace every few years, reliance on display screens and software etc., etc. ,)

 

Vintage Walkman Lab is a re-seller, they don't perform any repairs (apart from a simple belt change maybe) on the walkmans they sell. But the walkmans are usually in very good condition.
I watched their YouTube channel in the past and remember them selling DD series walkman with cracked center without mentioning it's a problem.
So do expect that unless it's a serious problem that affects the playback in a very obvious way, they will likely not consider it a problem.

Given this, if the prices are right, the seller seems serious to me. I would look at their YouTube videos, note how device is working, cosmetic condition.
If you are concerned about the condition and return policy, it's best to contact them and ask.

 

I wouldn't buy EX808 as it has propetiary Sony headphone connector. If hey have original headphones (that works, some don't) then I would consider it eventually. I don't think that EX811for example is worser and has normal jack connector.

 

3rd party adaptors can be found here: https://www.ebay.com/itm/224860934489 but won't look or feel as good as the original.
Indeed that proprietary connector is a downside. In my opinion the original headphones are not as good as a pair of modern IEMs or over-ears.
So even if the device comes with the original pair (which many won't), one would still want another one for the best sound quality.

 

Best to avoid propriety headphone connectors like the plague. My comment was a prime example of an uninformed knee jerk utterance Prior to any decision one is required to do exhaustive reading and youtube-ing to avoid such pitfalls!

 

I have purchased a few small things from Vintage Walkman Lab, but not on reverb, rather their eBay store. That is only because I've never used Reverb before.

Here's a few things I've noticed about them:

• As already mentioned, they mainly sell the Japan exclusive thin style Walkmans from the 90s and early 2000s. Being that they are a reseller, this makes sense as those units are cheap and easy to source, super easy to change the belt in, and appear unique to other export markets outside Japan. Recently, they have started selling older more hard to find ones from the 80s too.

• They are not from California, but instead they are from HongKong and Tokyo... this ebay listing from them states this.

• The had two Youtube channels @VWL1985 and @VWL2017. The latter only has videos going back 3 months, the first account had videos much older, but that earlier account was terminated (see attached photo).

• Their prices can be incredibly high, or slightly low for what you get. I find that if you are looking for JDM players, you might get a deal. But for the 80s' 'Grailz', you will overpay. Cosmetically, they are only the best tho.

My experience overall wasn't great. Shipping on accessories such as gumsticks or sidecars was slow, like 2 months from China or Japan. I was originally hopeful because their ebay page says San Fransico as the shipping location, but each time, it was HongKong or Japan. I found their custom ex808 headphone adapter to be flakey and not well made...

Hope that helps...

 

Agreed with the incredibly high prices, items are usually in top cosmetic condition.
Considering what they sell I believe they can only be competitive in a local market, excluding international shipping and customs duties.

 

gosh, just had a look at that seller‘s shop - for what i see, prices are quite sportive

 

yes cheaper to buy drugs than these i bet/and more fun lol

it would probably be cheaper to have a gangbang with Madonna than to buy one of these lol