Question for tube tester gurus

[tonedaddy]

I've seen any number of Hickok 539C's sell on Ebay for well under a $1000.

Can anybody tell me why this one sold for $13k+?
http://cgi.ebay.com/HICKOK-539-C-Their-BEST-tube-tester-Hickock-539C_W0QQitemZ7543982363

[Old Tele man]

...just remember: they're only as good as their LAST calibration service (...ask when, and by whom).

[Wakarusa]

Suppose I ought to shine up one of my spare 533's. Gotta' be worth six grand on that scale.

[trdlasvegas]

If that's not a mistake, I'll sell you mine for $12,500 and free shipping!

-Tony

[tonedaddy]

Originally posted by trdlasvegas
If that's not a mistake, I'll sell you mine for $12,500 and free shipping!

-Tony :D

That's what I was thinking, but it would have taken the 2 highest bidders, both screwing up their bids.

As in both of them
$13,433.33
$13,333.33

entering in those bids instead of $1333.33 and maybe $1450.

In addition, the seller's already left the buyer this feedback:
"Fast payment and good communication. An excellent ebayer. A+"

I was just so stunned by the price I figured I was missing something in the auction listing. But I still can't figure it out!

[trdlasvegas]

I looked at all of that and I'can't understand it. If I wouldn't get in trouble with eBay I'd email the second highest bidder and offer him mine for $12k or so.

-Tony

[tonedaddy]

Check this out!!

Here's a great example of the insanity that can drive Ebay prices, and how silly things can get!!


My curiosity got the best of me and I decided to contact the seller last night, and ask him what the deal was. Here was his reply:

"You're not the only one to ask that question.

"There is nothing special about my tester other than that it was in very good condition. The 2 high bids were both errors by the bidders- the actual selling price was $1,300, not $13,000.

"I notice that there's another one on ebay that's currently at $1800. In my opinon, that's too high. The high bidder, **********, only bid $950 for mine, so I can't help but think that he's being influenced by my apparent selling price."
:eek: :D


And here's that new auction, and check out the bids (no mistakes here, now) of buyers/speculators who've pushed the price of this one over $2k trying to jump in on the 539C craze!

http://cgi.ebay.com/HICKOK-MODEL-539C-TRANSCONDUCTANCE-TUBE-TESTER_W0QQitemZ7548215425
[edit: link fixed]

How many of those bidders do you think know the $13+k final price of last week's was a mistake, and the real buyer never paid that much?

If you own a 539-C, you may want to sell it high while you can!
;)

[Wakarusa]

This stuff isn't confined to Hickok testers of course. A fairly regular topic of discussion around here is the comparison of an amplifier's (or other piece of gear's) intrinsic value vs. its speculative value. I call the difference between the two "the beanie baby factor".

[tonedaddy]

Well said, and I think you've nailed it.

But at least with some of the amp prices you see you can sometimes attribute it to the "latest/greatest new amp discovery factor" or "discontinued/short supply factor" or "guess what recording artist is now using the amp" factor.
;)