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Vintage Synth Pricing Model


ProfD

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I've recently seen a Mogue Rogue, ARP Axxe and OCTAVE Cat being sold for close to $1k.

 

There was also a Linn 9000 with a $4,599 sticker on it too. That's just another kind of ridiculous. :rolleyes:

 

Anyway, I'm old enough to remember when mono synths fell out favor. It was hard to give them away. :D

 

Please enlighten this old KB player on when and how inflation took these once $75 (used) synths into the cost of a brand new Moog Grandmother. :laugh::cool:

PD

 

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."--E. Ahbez "Nature Boy"

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I think there has been a resurgence the past 5-10 years in interest in "vintage" synths of all kinds. But the price increases surely have been compounded by the pandemic-related appreciation of collectibles of all kinds. Baseball cards, NFTs... you name it, and the prices are through the roof.
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Probably started with kids in Chicago finding a Roland TB-303 in a pawn shop, within a year or two of it being discontinued. It was the 1986-1987 time frame - analog synths were out of fashion with the pros, who were moving on to D-50, and soon after M1 digital synths. Great time for kids just starting out to pick up analogs on the cheap to make dance tracks that would prove to be influential.

 

https://articles.roland.com/acid-tracks-by-phuture/

 

Of course as the years progressed, the next generation wants to emulate the synth tones of the previous one, so they too seek out analogs, gradually driving up demand and value.

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Prices on old (vintage) gear has gone crazy over the last year.

 

2 - 3 years ago I would've been lucky to sell my pristine, fully loaded ASR-10 sampler for $500. I threw it on the local Craigslist a few months ago and it was gone in one day for $1800 cash with zero bartering.

 

Hah ... Should've asked for more!

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Not only have vintage prices been rising over the last several years, but what's considered "vintage" seems to have expanded to anything that is 20 years old or more, regardless of weather or not it was/is a piece of crap.

Juno 106 are currently going for avg $2k on Reverb!! That's insane - $300, maybe!

Some other outrageous prices, guaranteed to buy you street cred:

Roland JX-3P, $800-$1200!

Alpha Juno 2, $700-$900

Crumar Bit One - $1800

Korg Poly 800 $400-$600

Sequential Six Trak $800-$900 DEAR LORD WHY?????

 

I couldn't see spending more than $300 on any of the above (and that's only after a drunken Reverb shopping night). But seriously, if someone pays it, then it's worth it. The someone just isn't me.

I can't even get into the out of control prices for the big boys (Jupiter 8, Prophet V, Oberheim OB series, etc.....) That's just beyond my pay grade.

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I remember when ASR-10 prices started going through the roof because certain Hip-Hop msic producers were using it.

 

To a degree, a similar mentality is driving up the prices of "vintage" gear across the board (no pun intended).

 

Some folks believe only a certain piece of gear can get that sound when it comes to making music.

 

Then, there is my generation. Those who read Keyboard magazine from cover to cover lusting after and dreaming of gear.

 

Now, those same folks are flush with enough living space and cash to pay a premium for fits of nostalgia and a determination to own the gear of yesteryear. :laugh::cool:

PD

 

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."--E. Ahbez "Nature Boy"

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Not only have vintage prices been rising over the last several years, but what's considered "vintage" seems to have expanded to anything that is 20 years old or more, regardless of weather or not it was/is a piece of crap.

Juno 106 are currently going for avg $2k on Reverb!! That's insane - $300, maybe!

Some other outrageous prices, guaranteed to buy you street cred:

Roland JX-3P, $800-$1200!

Alpha Juno 2, $700-$900

Crumar Bit One - $1800

Korg Poly 800 $400-$600

Sequential Six Trak $800-$900 DEAR LORD WHY?????

 

I couldn't see spending more than $300 on any of the above (and that's only after a drunken Reverb shopping night). But seriously, if someone pays it, then it's worth it. The someone just isn't me.

I can't even get into the out of control prices for the big boys (Jupiter 8, Prophet V, Oberheim OB series, etc.....) That's just beyond my pay grade.

 

I wouldn't pay $100 for a Poly800. I still have the rack mount version (EX-800), and there's nothing at all I would miss if I got rid of it. It still works fine....Maybe I'll sell it down the road for some ridiculous high price.

 

I don't get the prices of the old Juno 6 & 106 synths. Pretty limited synth. Had them looong ago. Nothing that can't be accomplished with good software these days without the fear of component failure.

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I don't get the prices of the old Juno 6 & 106 synths. Pretty limited synth.

I never understood the 106's popularity. I bought one for a church in the 80s(?), mainly because it was cheap at a Veneman's annual blowout sale.

 

As a rule, any synth without at least two oscillators and velocity sensitivity is a non-starter.

-Tom Williams

{First Name} {at} AirNetworking {dot} com

PC4-7, PX-5S, AX-Edge, PC361

 

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Roland Jupiter 8 is now unobtainium and sells for at least $10k or more for a nice one. It pains me to realize I bought my first one with a flight case in 2001 for $1200 and sold it for $2k within a year or two. Then I bought my second one around 2004 for $1800 (also in a flight case) and sold it a few years later for nearly $4k. I thought I was cashing in big at the time and needed the money more than the gear at the time. If only I had held onto one of these things.

 

Don't even get me started about the Juno 106 I bought from my HS girlfriend in 1988 for $300, including a case and a Roland Cube 40 amp.

 

Many more stories like this in my vault of regrets, LOL.

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Korg Poly 800 $400-$600

 

What to the what? You can get a Minilogue for that and still have change for some dignity.

 

 

Yeah...BUT BUT It's vintage and it has an analog filter!

 

i think some folks like to modify them. There's more than one mod kit available. Still.....Why?

 

Full Bucket Music just released a Poly-800 vst for free if you just gotta have one.

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I don't get the prices of the old Juno 6 & 106 synths. Pretty limited synth.

I never understood the 106's popularity. I bought one for a church in the 80s(?), mainly because it was cheap at a Veneman's annual blowout sale.

 

As a rule, any synth without at least two oscillators and velocity sensitivity is a non-starter.

 

Veneman"s is now a Guitar Center.

 

 

I sold an ARP Omni for $25.00 because it was partially working. It"s annoying seeing non functioning gear have a high price?

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I think we're nearing a Venn point where the demand for vintage gear will smash foreheads with the lack of capable techs affordable by humans & the related lack of aging parts.

 

Its a great time to be gathering software synthesizers and never smelling ozone, hot solder, anguish and adrenaline in a rancid mix.

 

A friend of mine's grandmother said "Vintage really means 'Too old to be doable anymore.'" :laugh:

 "I want to be an intellectual, but I don't have the brainpower.
  The absent-mindedness, I've got that licked."
        ~ John Cleese

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The first rise in vintage prices was 1991-92, starting with anything with a panel full of knobs. Minimoog was one of the first, but they didn't all rise in synchrony. IE Oberheim and Roland polyphonics kind of lagged behind anything Moog and ARP.

 

Vintage analog synths without a panel full of knobs - IE Rhodes Chroma, Moog Source, Roland MKSx0 - were late to rise, despite their great sound. People shunned them (no knobs) until about 2010.

 

Today the prices of vintage synths is crazy. Some have leveled off. Some are outpacing others IE Memorymoogs JP8 and Oberheim polySEM/OBX/OBXa/OB8 are trading for ridiculous money, even broken ones.

 

I grabbed a few fixer-uppers at a discount but those days are gone.

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I bought a Poly 800 new in 1984. At the time I already had a Jupiter 6, OB8, and Pro-One so it wasn't because I couldn't afford anything better. I had seen Chuck Leavell and Don Muro demo it at NAMM and thought it would be good as a strap-on Keytar/Synth/MIDi controller that I could use anywhere since it ran on batteries. It had some very useful sounds that I couldn't get with the more expensive synths. The global filter was a minor drawback but it worked fine for single-note lines with it's note-stacking capability and I MIDI'ed it to the Jupiter 6 to occasionally layer sounds. After not using it for many years I discovered it makes a good controller for the Behringer Model D. I looked at a lot of modern MIDI controllers and didn't find anything that seemed ideal. I tried the Poly 800 and discovered the flat space is perfect for placing a Eurorack-size module on top. The joystick sends Pitch Bend and Modulation to the Model D. The slider on the Poly 800 quickly sets the bend range and the sequencer can play the Model D.

 

Several years ago I noticed the Juno 60 was getting raves on various Synth forums. I had tried one when they came out in the early 80s but didn't care for it and got the Jupiter 6. So I checked CL and found a Juno 60 locally for $400. I put $600 into it to fix a couple of minor issues and install Minerva which adds MIDI, Patch Memory expansion, and other features. Not long after I got the Juno prices started going up and now are getting close to $3K. I'm still no big fan of the Juno 60 but I use it on gigs that call for a lot of Synth and it does sound more authentic than using a ROMpler.

 

While Analog Synth prices have escalated a lot of 80s Digital gear has fallen to a fraction of original cost. DX-7s seem to be in the $300-500 range. Even something more advanced like an SY77 or SY99 often falls into that same price range. Many vintage Samplers are nearly worthless. I have a Roland S-50 that might be worth $100-150. I also have a Roland S-770 that I bought new for over $5000. Prices fell to a low of $200-300 but have slowly risen to around $400-500.

 

Fortunately, I have some Synths that have increased in value like a Prophet 5 rev. 2, Oberheim Matrix 12, Yamaha CS70M, and Korg MS20 (original). Now that I'm getting to retirement age it may be time to start selling some of these.

C3/122, M102A, Vox V301H, Farfisa Compact, Gibson G101, GEM P, RMI 300A, Piano Bass, Pianet , Prophet 5 rev. 2, Pro-One, Matrix 12, OB8, Korg MS20, Jupiter 6, Juno 60, PX-5S, Nord Stage 3 Compact
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Now that I'm getting to retirement age it may be time to start selling some of these.

That reality is the upside to synth value appreciation.

 

Being able to cash out on old synths will reduce inventory and finance a newer synth capable of covering similar sonic territory. Seems like the perfect way to cruise into retirement. :cool:

PD

 

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."--E. Ahbez "Nature Boy"

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My other muso buddies often ask me why I don't have a roomful of vintage keys gear. I'm honest -- the new tech is infinitely better than the old, unless you're looking for a very specific nostalgia-based experience. A modern stage instrument can emulate literally dozens and dozens of older boards, and that's before you bring the iPad.

 

Example: I love B3 sounds -- and love playing a real one -- but don't crave owning and maintaining one. Ditto Rhodes, clav, Moogs, Prophets etc. The only exception would be a real grand piano, for which there ain't nothing like the real thing.

Want to make your band better?  Check out "A Guide To Starting (Or Improving!) Your Own Local Band"

 

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I remember when ASR-10 prices started going through the roof because certain Hip-Hop msic producers were using it.

 

I've held on to my 3 old Korg DSM samplers hoping that might happen :)

 

Many years ago I saw an ad in the newspaper for Moog taurus 1 pedals $600. Older lady, her husband passed away and just so happens to have a pristine CS80. She wanted $1000 for that. I just barely scrounged up the scratch for the Taurus and I've already got these digital keyboards, who needs that thing? Oh boy was I wrong.

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Insanity isn't just buying an original Jupiter-8 for $20K+. Its sourcing the sheet that kept all of the capacitor caps at an even temperature to maintain tuning. That's why you could slow-roast a hot dog over one. The most fatigued and hardest to replace parts will always go first.

 

Coming soon: the complete displacement of such synths by plug-ins and modern reimaginings like the Jupiter-X. Memories of those endearing small distortions and subtle warmth of the first-gen hardware will gradually croak, much as the old greybeards like us do likewise. :sick::laugh:

 "I want to be an intellectual, but I don't have the brainpower.
  The absent-mindedness, I've got that licked."
        ~ John Cleese

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