R/E/P > Klaus Heyne's Mic Lab

Vintage Mic Value Registry: Good Idea?

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Klaus Heyne:
I have gotten some flak for deleting prices of vintage mics here. I deleted them in the past because:

1. prices mentioned here are sometimes used to augment sellers' claims as to what they think their mic is worth, citing this forum as 'authoritative' on such matters, despite he fact that

2. prices mentioned here rarely were linked to verifiable information, like: documented, actual sale price, in difference to asking price, or hear-say sale price without showing proof, condition of system, state of originality, etc.

With other words, lots of unreliable, unsupported talk and little if any verifiable follow-up to confirm these prices were truly obtained for mics in a precisely defined state.

I am also aware that the Mic Lab has a great opportunity to provide exactly what is missing so far from the scene: a place where buyers and seller can obtain some level of average value for vintage mics, as determined by the actual sale prices of actual mics in specific conditions.  

I am contemplating launching Klaus Heyne's Vintage Mic Registry as a Sticky, as soon as I have gotten some input from you what it would take to make it authoritative, so that owners, buyers, and sellers would use it with confidence in helping them assess a realistic value of their mics, as defined by prices someone actually paid for them at a given time.

Here is how it might work:
If someone comes across a sale of, say, an M49, he would need to post the following information if he wanted it included in the registry:

1. Specific model and year, including all accessories (e.g. 'Neumann gray wooden  
    box, original bayonet swivel mount...')
2. Functional condition ('works, but is noisy...')
3. Cosmetic condition ('embossed radio station on back of housing...')
4. State of originality ('capsule, tube, cable, power supply, circuit, etc.')
5. Sales price with proof (either eBay auction result, jpg of sales receipt,
    or other tangible proof rather than a claim)
6. Date of sale

Please chime in what you think of these items, or what else we would need to include so that you would feel comfortable using the registry.

Thanks,

jpaul_bordon:
#6  I think a recent purchase should have  verifiability of price, But I did not keep the Ebay receipt from 8 years ago for my U48.  How do we deal with that?
One Single picture? Keep down the clutter? Serial# posted?
Great IDEA BTW!

Klaus Heyne:
Obliterate digits of the serial number, to protect privacy (e.g. "U47 ser. #23xx")

Yes, ONE representative picture to support the claims.

eBay receipts of 8 years ago would probably be of little use, because chances are that the price for a vintage  mic is not the same today. The more up-to-date, the more valuable the information.

Barry Hufker:
Klaus,

I'd think this idea through one more time.  Do you really want to spend time being the "price police"?

Barry

Klaus Heyne:
Tell me more: How would I be the price police? I would just police adherence to the rules of posting, as laid down and hopefully agreed upon my most here.

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