Ridiculous ebay price rises on unbent machines

[Nixot]

I read about people getting SA-2s for £2 or 50p... I bought mine off of eBay for £10! And, that was the cheapest! There were ones going for £21 and £30! It's madness! And don't get me started on the Casio SK-1!

[kitsophrenik]

i have a speak and spell


ner ner ner ner ner


....ahh maturity


..that is all

[Circuitbenders]

and so we come to the ultimate in absurd pricing

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160448116413

Yes, thats an average condition standard TR606 for the bargain prioce of £750, but it comes with a carry case so thats alright then. 

[Matt the Modulator]

Nutter! he surly hasn't got a chance of getting that price for any of the stuff he has for sale

[Circuitbenders]

its alright, he's now put the buy it now down to £395............... still a little unlikely i suspect. 

[Matt the Modulator]

this takes the biscuit £275 for a Boss dr-55  My mind boggles
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ROLAND-Boss-DR-55-Dr-Rhythm-Drum-Machine-boxed-MIJ-/280576145344?pt=UK_Drum_Machines_Grooveboxes&hash=item4153a437c0

[Circuitbenders]

Its curious that the people who put these things up for absurd buy it now prices invariably have to mention every tiny little detail regardless of its importance, like it somehow validates their outrageous valuations. Its never just Boss or Roland, its always 'Roland Japan', like theres any other kind of Roland. Theres always something like 'a small amount of sticky tape to one end of the battery cradle' like its some kind of museum exhibit that needs careful restoration by an expert, and they are always obsessed with mentioning and photographing the serial number, like it actually proves something!

[Ciderfeks]

To a degree it's a self perpetuating situation because a lot of people will look up values for things on ebay before listing their own stuff, often just copying a previous listing. How often do you see VL-1's or Speak & Whatevers listed as "rare" (although the Speak & Read is scarcer  - I'm pretty sure it was never released in the UK? Maybe wrong). I find it quite funny when you see people who are obviously selling off their kids old toys with the "can be circuit bent" tag line. It's just so damned easy to buy stuff on the 'bay though, especially after a few ales...

[Matt the Modulator]

To a degree it's a self perpetuating situation because a lot of people will look up values for things on ebay before listing their own stuff, often just copying a previous listing. How often do you see VL-1's or Speak & Whatevers listed as "rare" (although the Speak & Read is scarcer  - I'm pretty sure it was never released in the UK? Maybe wrong). I find it quite funny when you see people who are obviously selling off their kids old toys with the "can be circuit bent" tag line. It's just so damned easy to buy stuff on the 'bay though, especially after a few ales...

I'm with you on all of that  "rare" which is funny because most are usually always available on ebay and loot and stuff for sale etc - i went through a silly stage of emailing people who put "can be circuit bent" asking how and were is the evidence of this ! hahhahaha i was usually pissed and stoned  - i need to build a breathalyser rigged up to by pc which stops me from bidding if iam over the limit. 

[arron]

Jeez, 1200 quid?  Are you off your head?  You could buy ten Redsound Darkstars for that, or five brand new Novation Xiosynths.  WTF do you want a TB303 for?

Do you think that maybe the reason for buying such sought after machines is the investment value? The TB-303 is worth £1,200 + because that is what people are willing to pay, including my self. I bought my first one for £45.00 and my second for around £100

The TB is unique and the sound it makes and the operation is so simple, that is the appeal of them. The x0x box is a very good attempt at recreating the sound but it just does not make your spine tingle like the real thing, it is not just about the sound with the TB-303, it is also about owning a piece of musical history.

Due to the flood of x0x boxes on the market, they are never going to be as desierable as the original TB-303. You also mentioned that the TB is easy to build but you would need the CPU, the original CPU from a TB-303 is worth more than a self built xox box and there is a very good reason for this...

[Circuitbenders]

hmmm, so is it better, or even at all reasonable, to spend £800 on an original 1970 Tonebender fuzz pedal when you could build one indistingushable from a vintage one with exactly the same parts for about £5? Much like a TB303 you'd be buying a piece of musical history, but you'd also be an idiot. 

[arron]

Much like a TB303 you'd be buying a piece of musical history, but you'd also be an idiot.  

You would be a rich idiot in around 20 years time, when they reach a value that would make you cry when you look back at this thread and think, now who was the idiot here?

[Gordonjcp]

Much like a TB303 you'd be buying a piece of musical history, but you'd also be an idiot.  

You would be a rich idiot in around 20 years time, when they reach a value that would make you cry when you look back at this thread and think, now who was the idiot here?

I saw a Roland SH101 in Holburn Hifi in Aberdeen, way back in 1991.  Fifty quid.  Cheap even then.

"Oh, Malc said he was going to buy that", says Gav.
"Aw okay then, I'll let him get it.  I'm a bit short of cash this week anyway."

A few days later, "Hey Malc, did you get that SH101?"
"No, I was skint.  Did you get it?"
"No... shit."
But alas, it was gone.  Bugger.  Fifty sheets for an SH101.  I saw a scruffy-looking one on eBay for 600 the other day.  Bugger bugger bugger.

[Gordonjcp]

The TB is unique and the sound it makes and the operation is so simple, that is the appeal of them. The x0x box is a very good attempt at recreating the sound but it just does not make your spine tingle like the real thing, it is not just about the sound with the TB-303, it is also about owning a piece of musical history.

Due to the flood of x0x boxes on the market, they are never going to be as desierable as the original TB-303. You also mentioned that the TB is easy to build but you would need the CPU, the original CPU from a TB-303 is worth more than a self built xox box and there is a very good reason for this...

You don't need the CPU from a TB303.  It doesn't do anything clever.  You don't need the special magic transistors from a 303.  They're not doing anything clever either.

It's really easy to build a perfect copy of a TB303.  I built two while researching how to write a softsynth recreation (I gave up and made it TB303-styled rather than a slavish clone, because I realised I preferred it my way). 

[Circuitbenders]

You would be a rich idiot in around 20 years time, when they reach a value that would make you cry when you look back at this thread and think, now who was the idiot here?

i do see your point, but i buy music gear to make music, i'm not an antiques dealer. i'd imagine theres people out there who own a TB303 and an x0xb0x, but keep the TB303 locked away in a cupboard as they're scared of devaluing it by actually using it.

I'd like to own one yes, but not for £1500! Even if i won the lottery and had money to piss away i wouldn't buy one for £1500 as its both absurd and obscene in my opinion. A mate of mine used to own a TB303 but he sold it and bought 2 well built x0xb0x's, an xbase09, a sampler, a mixing desk and some FX units with the money!