tomchris
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/22/10
Loc: Connecticut, U.S.A.
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Re: Are classic telescope prices appreciating?
[Re: sgorton99]
#5541562 - 11/27/12 06:30 AM
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I agree with the comment about shipping costs raising the price. I was going to have my restored Unitron and accessories (including three original wooden cases) packed and shipped professionally. The shipping costs, however, were very high. Now I will be meeting a buyer locally this weekend who is buying the scope. I also sold many of the accessories earlier. I also think that the struggling economy is making it harder to sell scopes for the most part. I hated to "part out" the Unitron but it ended up being the only way to finally sell it.
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Joe Cepleur
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 03/18/10
Loc: Dark North Woods
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Re: Are classic telescope prices appreciating?
[Re: strdst]
#5541579 - 11/27/12 07:10 AM
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A neighbor had 15 acres adjacent to me for sale for months at 90K. he relisted the land at $120K and ka-ching it was sold. Some people truly believe that you get what you pay for, and if it costs more it just must be better.
My family had a wonderful business that ultimately failed for larger reasons, but had struggled all along over price. The view that paying customers want low prices is not necessarily true. Sometimes, they want the best, which they presume to be the most costly. When I joined and raised prices, we fared better, yet were still value-priced, so customers went elsewhere. As business dwindled, we could no longer afford to be the best. Sometimes, the customers are right.
With telescopes, sellers want to get rich quick by dumping Grandpa's gold mine, or so they think. In a marketplace as large as eBay, there is often some fool who will pay the price. Over time, this will raise the high end of the market, but it may be a distortion. Many more scopes (we can hope!) may still sell at reasonable prices. Not every alt/az yoke-mounted 60mm is truly worth the big bucks that naive sellers and silly buyers think.
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BarabinoSr
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 11/17/05
Loc: Slidell La
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Re: Are classic telescope prices appreciating?
[Re: Joe Cepleur]
#5541807 - 11/27/12 10:27 AM
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You're right, Joe! Sometimes when people sell classics, some put them at what they believe is a fair price that may or may not be so in the eyes of a potential buyer and that's ok , then they are others who want to move them just to get them to a good home, or just to make some room. I was very fortunate to add a TASCO 11TE-5 as well as a nice Meade 4500 both for less than $100 and complete with tripods and EQ mounts that way.The seller said that she just wanted them out of her way. On the other hand,I have seen an 11TE-5 on ebay that the owner has been listing at least $250 to $300 including shipping and there have been no takers. I beieve that some sellers may easily price their instruments out of the market,especially during these rough economic times. Knowledgable buyers will only pay what they think is a fair price for such an item. Are their prices appreciating? I think it depends on the instrument and its condition .
Clear Skies,Gary
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Joe Cepleur
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 03/18/10
Loc: Dark North Woods
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Re: Are classic telescope prices appreciating?
[Re: BarabinoSr]
#5542204 - 11/27/12 02:03 PM
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Complicating the marketplace, eBay now allows "Buy It Now" pricing as well as auctions, where people list scopes for beyond top dollar. Auctions create a truer marketplace. With fixed pricing, arrogance, cowardice, and foolishness distort the market. The good news is, most overpriced scopes appear not to sell, so auctions effectively yield higher prices.
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Preston Smith
The Travel Scope Guy
Reged: 04/24/05
Loc: Eureka, Pa
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Re: Are classic telescope prices appreciating?
[Re: Joe Cepleur]
#5542331 - 11/27/12 03:23 PM
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Bottom line is it is till caveat emptor. Sadly, there are some out there who will put something up for sale and have their buddies bid up on it so that it sells at a very high price. When prospective buyers see the high price they assume that the market on that scope is going up. Then, about a week later the scope magically reappears on Ebay - and often sells for the higher amount.
The best thing to do is get as much education about the scopes on forums such as ours. Then YOU can make a wise decision on how much you want to shell out.
I buy a LOT of things on Ebay - not just telescopes. My advice is do not determine what the top price is you are willing to pay for the scope. Rather, determine what is the price you can walk away from the sale with no regrets. That gets rid of the "what ifs" and doubts... 
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Napersky
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/27/10
Loc: Chicagoland
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wdretired $25 Tasco 10 TE
[Re: wdretired]
#5542344 - 11/27/12 03:33 PM
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The Tasco 10TE is one of the coolest looking Classics!
I had two, gave the better one away but kept the older serial number scope. I love the looks, white tube with the Unitron look! Royal Astro Pedigree.
The 15TEA, is the same as the 10Te except for Pedistal, drive, 2nd finder scope. I bought it off the Amart auction for around a $1,000. It is on it's pedistal in my living room and I admire it every day.
Mark
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Joe Cepleur
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 03/18/10
Loc: Dark North Woods
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Re: Are classic telescope prices appreciating?
[Re: Preston Smith]
#5542357 - 11/27/12 03:41 PM
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Ebay... do not determine what the top price is you are willing to pay for the scope. Rather, determine what is the price you can walk away from the sale with no regrets. That gets rid of the "what ifs" and doubts...
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Larrythebrewer
super member
Reged: 02/14/09
Loc: Cincinnati, Oh
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Re: Are classic telescope prices appreciating?
[Re: Joe Cepleur]
#5542694 - 11/27/12 07:37 PM
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Out of curiosity, how or what do members of this great forum use to determine the price when selling one of their classics?
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sgorton99
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 04/30/08
Loc: Wisconsin, Madison
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Re: Are classic telescope prices appreciating?
[Re: Larrythebrewer]
#5542700 - 11/27/12 07:40 PM
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Out of curiosity, how or what do members of this great forum use to determine the price when selling one of their classics?
I search Astromart and this site for examples of previous sales and asking prices.
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omahaastro
sage
Reged: 08/30/06
Loc: Omaha, NE
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Re: Are classic telescope prices appreciating?
[Re: sgorton99]
#5542804 - 11/27/12 08:58 PM
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In the early part of the century, I got an email from a stranger asking, "Are you selling your Cave on eBay?", and included a link to a listing. I was shocked to discover that someone had lifted the description/photos of my 8" Cave off of a blog I had, verbatim, and created a fake listing on eBay (the fellow who emailed, obviously finding my blog by googling the description). What was even more shocking, there was only an hour left, and it was going for $1200!! The seller was purportedly from the UK. At the time, I couldn't even figure out how to contact eBay to tell them that the listing was fraudulent, and the auction ended. I have no idea whether the buyer lost $1200 or not. At any rate, given the price it had fetched, in the case of Cave telescopes, I can most definitely say, that these telescopes have appreciated in value (I spent $400 to buy it, second hand, in 1980).
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strdst
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/23/08
Loc: Oregon Territory
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Re: Are classic telescope prices appreciating?
[Re: Larrythebrewer]
#5542902 - 11/27/12 09:48 PM
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Quote:
Out of curiosity, how or what do members of this great forum use to determine the price when selling one of their classics?
Hi Larry,
I haven't sold anything yet but when and if I do I have a simple formula for determining a selling price...
My cost (excluding my initial shipping and packing charges) X 0.60
Pride of ownership has had lots of value you know 
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terraclarke
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 05/29/12
Loc: Over the river and thru the wo...
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Re: Are classic telescope prices appreciating?
[Re: strdst]
#5542922 - 11/27/12 09:56 PM
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Gawd! I can't imagine a Monolux #4380 going for $1450!!! I got mine this past summer at A local Goodwill in Cincinnati for 75 bucks! It's a beautiful scope, great optics, completely complete down to the sun and moon filter. The scope was filthy and the box scuffed to hell on the outside, but after a day's work completely disassembling and cleaning everything including the objective, it looks great. Only a couple of very minor/tiny nicks on the tube that I touched up with white out  I still need to refinish the wooden box. Gee, maybe I can get 1400 for it too, *BLEEP*! NOT! I did think the 75 bucks a very good deal however
Oh yeah, I did have to get a dust cap for it.
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strdst
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/23/08
Loc: Oregon Territory
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Re: Are classic telescope prices appreciating?
[Re: terraclarke]
#5542952 - 11/27/12 10:17 PM
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See I knew it!... I overpaid again! My Monolux 4380 was $89 at ShopGoodwill! Sheesh... $75!
The Monolux mentioned at the start of this thread, I'm quite sure, never sold for $1450 or even $150. It is interesting though that some sellers are thinking any 1960's telescope is antique and therefore worth a bundle no matter the condition because the stuff is somewhat old, and they just bought it at an estate auction, and of course they ain't stupid, and they know there is some kinda profit to be had or they wouldn't have bought it
Sorry for the bad sentence structure, if there even is any, I was on a roll!
No slam to the Monolux 4380, HOC optics. Certainly one of, if not my favorite, telescope in the 60 X 910 catagory.
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strdst
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/23/08
Loc: Oregon Territory
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Re: Are classic telescope prices appreciating?
[Re: terraclarke]
#5542962 - 11/27/12 10:21 PM
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Mine came with a dust cap 
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mikey cee
Postmaster
Reged: 01/18/07
Loc: bellevue ne.
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Re: Are classic telescope prices appreciating?
[Re: strdst]
#5543060 - 11/27/12 11:21 PM Attachment (10 downloads)
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Now you've gone and piqued my interest. No plans just curious that's all.  Mike 
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strdst
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/23/08
Loc: Oregon Territory
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Re: Are classic telescope prices appreciating?
[Re: mikey cee]
#5543080 - 11/27/12 11:39 PM
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I'd go $1450 and you can keep the dust cap!
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JonH
super member
Reged: 04/07/12
Loc: Brisbane Australia
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Re: Are classic telescope prices appreciating?
[Re: strdst]
#5543347 - 11/28/12 07:26 AM
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I wonder if price changes for scopes are like real estate values. Some areas move quickly whilst others stay stagnant. Looking at historical prices on Astromart the cost of just about any unitron scope has climbed a fair bit over the last five years whereas some of the other classics seem to be staying put.
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Jon Isaacs
Postmaster
Reged: 06/16/04
Loc: San Diego and Boulevard, CA
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Re: Are classic telescope prices appreciating?
[Re: Larrythebrewer]
#5543360 - 11/28/12 07:40 AM
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Quote:
Out of curiosity, how or what do members of this great forum use to determine the price when selling one of their classics?
I rarely sell anything.. I buy cheap and if and when I am finished, I pass it on to someone who can make better use of it than I.
As far as Ebay and CL prices, I don't bother with EBay so I can't comment but I do watch CL closely. Asking prices are not selling prices. I see people asking double new prices for scopes in current production.
Jon
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bierbelly
Postmaster
Reged: 01/23/04
Loc: Sterling, VA
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Re: Are classic telescope prices appreciating?
[Re: Jon Isaacs]
#5543733 - 11/28/12 12:03 PM
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IMO, "classic" scope prices are limited by the cost of similar new scopes. OK, Unitrons are going up, but they'll never reach the cost of an equivalent AP or Televue. Classic scopes are a niche market, just like any antique. The fact that some people are now realizing that some of these are worth more than the $25 they bought them for at a flea market or garage sale doesn't exactly mean that their prices are skyrocketing...just that people are more aware of things.
What's depressing is to compare the new prices of these old scopes, especially the better ones like Caves, etc, with what their prices would be in today's dollars/currencies, and then compare what a new equivalent would cost.
For example, my Vega sold for about $3000 in early 1960s dollars...that was more than a Corvette! Now you can get an 8" MakNewt for less than 10K (but a Corvette is up to $60K), and it's probably a better instrument. Optics manufacturing techniques have greatly improved over the last half century, to the point that things are made not only better, but much more less expensively now.
PS, rereading my post, I intended to contrast what we're calling "classic" with those virtually unobtainable antiques like Brashears and Clarks.
Edited by bierbelly (11/28/12 12:07 PM)
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Napersky
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/27/10
Loc: Chicagoland
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Re: Are classic telescope prices appreciating?
[Re: bierbelly]
#5543737 - 11/28/12 12:06 PM
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Great Scope that VEGA.
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