I've got a WM-D6 in extremely good condition -it was sitting in a polyprop container for most of its life with little to no use. It almost looks like it's fresh out of the box. (It might be a "C", I'm at work, I don't have it with me) I can't really decide what to do with it. I know the prices seen on eBay for working models are wildly overinflated and I'm not expecting that, but are they worth restoring to sell or should I just sell as-is? I can't sell it as "working" per se because I've only got the ye olde battery pack, plus, as per the FAQs here, it will probably need re-rubbering and lubing. Now, I'm not dumb, but I don't like the idea of me trying to change fiddly rubber parts that may drop desiccated bits into the Walkman or shelling out $48 + shipping for a US 3d-printed AA battery adapter if the D6 may only actually sell for £250. How much might someone charge to refurb in UK/southeast/London area? Helpful suggestions please P
Depends on how much the unit costed and how much a refurb will cost. High selling price can imply waiting a lot, so keep that in mind. A proper refurbish implies more than lubing and new rubber, there are 5 potted modules in this unit that need to be adressed. If you don't have the AA battery holder, that should be added to the cost. It's a very important accesory and, in my opinion, should be added to the sale regardless if it's sold as-is or refurbished. In my opinion selling refurbished is worth it the most if you can do it yourself. Paying someone to do it can still be worth it, but profit margin won't be as high in this case. Comes down to how much you paid on the unit. If you paid nothing, there's more that can be invested in a restoration without affecting the profit too much. On the other hand, if you already paid a significant amount on the walkman, maybe it's a good idea to sell as-is and let the next owner deal with it. In any case, think it's best to test it first so you know if it is really working or not.
If it really is a WM-D6 (minus the C for Dolby C) then that is the more desirable early iteration with superior head. I know some disagree and have a fixation on Dolby C models only. But everything I ever read indicates the D6 has "better" audio and better head design and select component choice in it's implementation. Especially since the sample you have has spent most of it's life in storage. The head will have little to no wear and overall the motor and mechanical s will have aged little. Time capsule stuff. And this is a valuable (selling) point. (And this "D6 is more desirable than D6C" viewpoint has become my steadfast opinion over time as well - even though I have never even heard or seen a D6! See how that works? Years of reading others opinions and assessments / testimonies / findings and "research"... begins to coalesce and solidify into "fact". Not very scientific I know. But It's not like there are labs testing these different models and handing down evidence based reports. All we have to go on are the observations and assorted findings of others... ) Anyway good luck. One of these days I might / may be crazy enough to go looking for a D6. I want to. But the cost of restoration is high. (And the audio output will lack the "sparkling magic" of a rebuilt and re-calibrated top Nakamichi deck with it's nutty sparkling highs and low resonate bass... all separate... and swirling around in discrete layers in inky black space... yeah. I didn't believe it was possible till I heard it myself. Years of reading those Nak Nuts started to rub off and I took the chance that they were right. Yup. They were. It's hard to ever go back and listen to a cassette on anything else again after. )
I've restored and sold 2 WM-D6 units recently and yes you definitely need to re furbish the EQ, Speed control, Dolby and muting modules if you want the best sale price. This is not the easiest of refurbs though. If this is outside your skill set you could check with @Deb64 in the UK who does a full professional rebuild of WM-D6 and D6C models and shares my enthusiasm for the D6 and its sound quality.
@Deb64 restored my WM-D6 a few years ago. Her abilities and skills are phenomenal! If you decide to have someone do the restoration, you’ll be very pleased with her work.
