a Low serial number might make a collectible walkman highly collectible but that number as @Mister X mentioned should be something like 00001, or similar. A serial number of 1726 wont make the walkman "HIGHLY" collectible.(personal opinion)
Thanks for sharing @Silver965 . Except for the WM-F20 though, these are not that low. Lowest I could find here was a B603 with 45k, followed by a D6C with 37k, and an EX510 below 11k. It is hard to believe that all 'collectable serials' as @Boodokhan states, are all gone - either destroyed or no longer traded. We need a former Sony employee to provide more insight in the logic of serial number ranges
There's a cool thread on Audio Karma trying to trace Pioneers Serial Numbers, there might be some insight in the way they did it. There might some some Sony Info over there as well. We've got at least five members here that either worked for Sony or did repairs, they should have a lot of insight. https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/pioneer-dates-of-manufacture.56786/
I am one of those "newbies" and I, too am looking for one of those "golden egg" models. What do you think would be a fair price for a TC-D5 (any model)?
I bagged a TCD5M a few years ago for €100, then more recently an absolutely pristine one for €300. They go for silly money on ebay. Better prices listed from other selling platforms on hifishark sometimes and of course scouring the local 2nd hand sites and placing wanted ads yields good results sometimes.
It really depends, mostly on the condition of the device. It is to be kept in mind a new rubber set for these devices is not available at this point in time and might never become available. Despite this, most of them have rubber in pretty poor condition, that will need either sanding or replacement with some generic rubber. FF/REW idlers are of square type, while the play idler is T-shaped and must be custom made. The sendust and ferrite head (one found on TC-D5M) is relatively prone to wear (unlike the ferrite&ferrite one), so lapping might be required in certain cases. As @Chris_D is mentioning, going to alternatives sites (prefferably local ones to avoid high shipping cost + import costs) will render lower prices. However, even on ebay I have seen many auctions completed at very good prices, so I would consider ebay as well, just don't necessarily take all the prices there as reference ones. What I consider a fair price for a TC-D5 might be very different than what someone else considers a fair price. I might say X is a fair price, while someone else will insist 5X is the fair price. Then a third person might come in and say he or she will never pay more than X/2. I think you should re-frame your question like this "How much I am willing to pay for a TC-D5 (any model) ?". The good part is there seem to be more golden egg deivces for sale than ever before (as of 2022), while the demand for them is limited in reality.
@Chris_D those do indeed look like very nice units Regarding the local marketplaces, websites like gumtree are devoid of any high end walkmans. Local markets are also practically empty of these (never seen any "good" walkmans there). This is from my personal experience with Wantirna Trash and Treasure market. Places like Geelong vintage market (indoor, stall style market) also do not have any walkmans, save for a few budget models. I'm surprised that @mihokm isn't making any reproductions, unlike the center gear. These units are quite popular, so I'm surprised to find that there are no new parts being made for them.
I'm not supised that @mihokm doesn't make new parts. Most of this things has to be quite cheap for sale and making even 1000 parts (sometimes you must make more) is expensive and you get your return after years of sale. If it was easy and profitable, everybody would do it. About T5 , D6 or D6C (I've bought one) I don't think those are models sensible to use. Maybe they have better sound (debatable), but why would you use it if batteries are enough for few hours and they are huge compared to Panasonic RQ-S(X) or slim Sony WM-EX models that works 10-20+ hours on battery. After I've bought Aiwa PC202 I don't use my D6C at all.
A strange rationale and not really one that I think resonates amongst most Walkman/personal audio afficionados. But each to their own. Most of us have many different and varied reasons for using a particular device. Personally, being in a privileged position to be able to rotate through several different devices is part of the enjoyment I get from these devices. Each has their own particular sound signature, operational requirements and quirks, but ultimately I like using them all for what they are and not because any single device is better than another. This week I'm enjoying using my D6. Next week it may be the D5M which is my overall favourite. The week after it could be a DD9, DD33, D3, D6C. The point is about enjoying these devices based on their own merits while they still function/perform as designed and not about pointlessly debating or discriminating between devices because of something arbitrary like battery life duration.
Sure, but D6 and D6C are rarer and rarer, the speed control chip is pretty much unavailable and that means every single one that is dead will not work as it should again. At least some of the other brands walkmans will (after restore) work for another 20 years and don't cost arm and leg. And service don't cost another arm and leg It's hard to enjoy something that doesn't work
In regard to D6 and D6C being rarer and rarer, I have to disagree. I'm seeing a lot more of them for sale than, let's say, 2 years ago not less. Yes, they are not cheap by any means and getting them serviced is not cheap either. Speed control chip is a problem (and it is indeed very hard to get), however the fortunate part is not so many of them have that problem from the total amount (I would estimate about 10-15%). It is also to be mentioned there are some people out there willingly selling center positive adapters marketed as "for D6C", intentionally killing those devices just to make a buck. As for servicing them, getting them serviced will guarantee 20 years of working as is the case with other belt driven ones. That is if properly serviced, like the potted modules adressed for example, cause otherwise those can fail shortly after a service. RQ-S/SX from Panasonic are very good in many regards, WM-EX from Sony have their problems as well (mainly clutch gear on some mechs and worn motors from lack of lubrication). The Aiwa HS-P(C)202 is another very good option, I also agree on that. All these are easier and cheaper to service than D6/D6C/TC-D5, but that doesn't mean people won't still buy the "golden egg" ones. They have their advantages, especially if you never use them outdoors (like I do) battery life is not really a concern. In regard to Marian Mihokm not making a rubber set for the TC-D5/D5M/D5Pro, he stated in a thread from 2019 that making it is very expensive. He stated something like he needs to sell at least 50pcs to afford it and he was afraid he won't sell more than 10 sets. I suggest to all of you: let's make a crowdfunding campaign if you really want to have these parts available, otherwise it's never going to happen. This is how the DD center gear was made, using support from the community. This is how a rubber set for D5 can also happen, esepcially keeping in mind that the only parts that are more uncommon are the play idler and the capstan ring. EDIT: I created a separate thread with a poll about a new TC-D5 rubber set. Link here: https://stereo2go.com/forums/threads/sony-tc-d5-d5m-d5pro-d5pro-ii-new-rubber-set.8115/
The best time to buy any units is from November to the end of January, for some reason the markets are really slow and there's bargains all over the place. I probably bought 10-15 units that were more than 1/2 the normal asking price last fall and they also seem to be in better condition, like someone needed some Christmas Money and decided to sell junk around the house. I've got several units that might never see any tape time, that's not why I got them, I have a strange facination with the mechanical beauty of these machines, too me they're art and you can see they put a ton of love into the design and build. Sure some sound like squealing animals but they get more shelf duty. I think the biggest set-back over the last 10 years is the price of shipping, it used to be a few dollars, I'd bitch if it was over $15 USD, now it's common to see $60+ for shipping inside the country. I used to be able to ship a skid anywhere in the country for $200 USD, I bet that price has gone through the roof as well, looking back, it was dirt cheap.
