THE $500 Question: Should I have the Tannoy Lancaster Cabinets Shipped, or just the Gold Dual Concentrics

[1931jared]

I purchased in an online auction some vintage Gold Tannoys, 12" Dual concentrics. My problem is getting them shipped back to me. I live in Los Angles and the Tannoys are in Texas. They are in Lancasters cabinets. I enjoy hi-fi, listen to about 6 hours of vinyl per day, but I also resell. These Tannoys will be for resale. I have been quoted (the lowest) $620 to have them shipped to me. Pretty steep and cuts severely into my PM. QUESTION: Is spending the $620 for both intact cabinets & speakers worth it, or...do I have my relative who lives there, take the speakers and the crossovers out and ship them to me for just $120? In other words, how valuable are the Lancaster cabinets themselves? Is it worth paying $500 more to have them shipped? Important to know is that one of the cabinets is black and one is brown (See Attached Photos).

Again, I am re-selling. It's not a matter of trying to duplicate the sonic environment of the Lancasters (which would be difficult)...I'm just asking a pragmatic question. How much am I depreciating the set of Gold Duals by not including the Lancasters, and if so how much? Thanks in advance for everyone's time.

 

[lovinthehd]

Are you selling just the drivers and crossover? Or is your buyer expecting a full speaker? Or?

 

[TLS Guy]

I purchased in an online auction some vintage Gold Tannoys, 12" Dual concentrics. My problem is getting them shipped back to me. I live in Los Angles and the Tannoys are in Texas. They are in Lancasters cabinets. I enjoy hi-fi, listen to about 6 hours of vinyl per day, but I also resell. These Tannoys will be for resale. I have been quoted (the lowest) $620 to have them shipped to me. Pretty steep and cuts severely into my PM. QUESTION: Is spending the $620 for both intact cabinets & speakers worth it, or...do I have my relative who lives there, take the speakers and the crossovers out and ship them to me for just $120? In other words, how valuable are the Lancaster cabinets themselves? Is it worth paying $500 more to have them shipped? Important to know is that one of the cabinets is black and one is brown (See Attached Photos).

Again, I am re-selling. It's not a matter of trying to duplicate the sonic environment of the Lancasters (which would be difficult)...I'm just asking a pragmatic question. How much am I depreciating the set of Gold Duals by not including the Lancasters, and if so how much? Thanks in advance for everyone's time.

Those drivers do not come up for sale on eBay often. However a pair of those drivers and crossovers in perfect condition, recently sold for $2,300. A pair of the complete speakers, in what looked to be pretty much perfect condition sold for $1700.00

This is common in vintage speakers like that. Some want spare or replacement drivers, and some want to built the classic horn loaded cabinets for those drivers. So it is common for good drivers of that type to sell for more than the completed speaker.

You had better make sure those items are in perfect working and cosmetic condition, or you will get yourself in hot water.

The high end vintage audio market is somewhat akin to other high end vintage markets, of the antique variety. Vintage Tannoy items are in that category.

 

[1931jared]

Are you selling just the drivers and crossover? Or is your buyer expecting a full speaker? Or?

The buyer has his own application for the Speakers and crossovers. So I am left with the empty Lancaster Cabinets. Want to know how valuable the vintage 80's Era Tannoy Lancaster Cabinets are...empty...no speakers....just the cabinets.

 

[1931jared]

Those drivers do not come up for sale on eBay often. However a pair of those drivers and crossovers in perfect condition, recently sold for $2,300. A pair of the complete speakers, in what looked to be pretty much perfect condition sold for $1700.00

This is common in vintage speakers like that. Some want spare or replacement drivers, and some want to built the classic horn loaded cabinets for those drivers. So it is common for good drivers of that type to sell for more than the completed speaker.

You had better make sure those items are in perfect working and cosmetic condition, or you will get yourself in hot water.

The high end vintage audio market is somewhat akin to other high end vintage markets, of the antique variety. Vintage Tannoy items are in that category.

Thanks for your response. yes, I am seen where the speakers by themsoeve can sell for more than speakers + cabinets. The question remains though, is there any kind of a market for the empty Lancaster Cabinets. Is it worth having them shipped for $500? Do you think they would eventually sell for $500 or thereabouts?

 

[TLS Guy]

Thanks for your response. yes, I am seen where the speakers by themsoeve can sell for more than speakers + cabinets. The question remains though, is there any kind of a market for the empty Lancaster Cabinets. Is it worth having them shipped for $500? Do you think they would eventually sell for $500 or thereabouts?

Absolutely not. You would have to pay someone to take those off your hands. They may well be DIY cabinets in any case. There is no bracing. Anyone having those drivers will build much better cabinets. Those cabinets, will ring like barrels!

 

[1931jared]

Absolutely not. You would have to pay someone to take those off your hands. They may well be DIY cabinets in any case. There is no bracing. Anyone having those drivers will build much better cabinets. Those cabinets, will ring like barrels!

Well, for a guy who has no life, you certainly had an impact on mine, !!!!! Thank you for your opinion. You are helping make it a lot easier to accept that I'll likely soon be tossing them in a dumpster this weekend somewhere just west of Houston. Thanks again...I think.

 

[1931jared]

Well, for a guy who has no life, you certainly had an impact on mine, !!!!! Thank you for your opinion. You are helping make it a lot easier to accept that I'll likely soon be tossing them in a dumpster this weekend somewhere just west of Houston. Thanks again...I think.

So you know, they are the original Tannoys. that's been confirmed. Does that make a difference?

 

[lovinthehd]

The buyer has his own application for the Speakers and crossovers. So I am left with the empty Lancaster Cabinets. Want to know how valuable the vintage 80's Era Tannoy Lancaster Cabinets are...empty...no speakers....just the cabinets.

If he has the cabinet to use the drivers and crossovers in I wouldn't worry about the old cabinets, particularly due shipping expense and hassle of finding a willing buyer to absorb such, should you happen to keep them; maybe if you were local and could just store them until they sold, that might be worrth keeping them around but from a remote location doesn't sound like a good alternative.. A cabinet plus drivers and crossover might be a speaker....

 

[TLS Guy]

So you know, they are the original Tannoys. that's been confirmed. Does that make a difference?

Possibly, but they won't make $500.00 in that condition, especially as they don't match. In addition if someone bought the cabinets finding the drivers and crossovers would be a huge problem. No one is going to invest that much money and have such a poor cosmetic results. Lastly you could build much netter cabinets for less than $500. So much as I hate seeing antique gear trashed, under the circumstances I don't think you have a realistic alternative, as I doubt you could find a local buyer.

You could put them on the local Craig's List for $80.00 or so, and see if you get any takers.

 

[1931jared]

Are you selling just the drivers and crossover? Or is your buyer expecting a full speaker? Or?

Hi lovnthehd, sorry I just now saw this. No, the customer hasn't purchased yet. This is inventory I purchased and am trying to get it back to my store in Southern California without it gouging my bottom line too dearly.

 

[lovinthehd]

Hi lovnthehd, sorry I just now saw this. No, the customer hasn't purchased yet. This is inventory I purchased and am trying to get it back to my store in Southern California without it gouging my bottom line too dearly.

You previously quoted me in post 4....you okay or a bot?

 

[1931jared]

Possibly, but they won't make $500.00 in that condition, especially as they don't match. In addition if someone bought the cabinets finding the drivers and crossovers would be a huge problem. No one is going to invest that much money and have such a poor cosmetic results. Lastly you could build much netter cabinets for less than $500. So much as I hate seeing antique gear trashed, under the circumstances I don't think you have a realistic alternative, as I doubt you could find a local buyer.

You could put them on the local Craig's List for $80.00 or so, and see if you get any takers.

Yeah, I thought about the Craigslist option but it's getting too complicated. I'm just gonna screw the back panels back on, put them in a dumpster outside a hi-fi store and give some poor soul who finds them, 30 minutes of ecstasy on his home until he arrives, takes the backs off and finds out they're empty.

Question: I've been looking everywhere to find the specs for the gold 12" Tannoy so I can anticipate shipping cost (weight) and can't for the life of me. Anyone with a link to a spec. sheet?

 

[lovinthehd]

Anticipating shipping costs without total weight/size of packaging is somewhat a waste of time.....

 

[1931jared]

No bot here. Jut having a time of it figuring how the linear communication thread works here. I posted in three forums in order to get a consensus opinion on my situation. Each forum is a little different. If this site was the only game in town, I'd know the rules a little better. But thanks again for helping provide information. Appreciate your opinion. The photo to the left is of me and the license plate is also the title to a book I authored. Look it up...and buy a copy, LOL.

 

[TLS Guy]

Yeah, I thought about the Craigslist option but it's getting too complicated. I'm just gonna screw the back panels back on, put them in a dumpster outside a hi-fi store and give some poor soul who finds them, 30 minutes of ecstasy on his home until he arrives, takes the backs off and finds out they're empty.

Question: I've been looking everywhere to find the specs for the gold 12" Tannoy so I can anticipate shipping cost (weight) and can't for the life of me. Anyone with a link to a spec. sheet?

Weight is seldom quoted in speaker specs. Here are the Tannoy specs, your drivers included. I would guess the weight of the drivers would probably be around 15 pounds, give or take a pound or two. Those speakers are very low Qt drivers (0.24), and would perform badly in those reflex ported enclosures. I remember them having virtually no bass.
Low Qt drivers have to be horn loaded, and it was with the corner horns their reputation was made. Plans are readily available, so you can bet the new owner will build horns for those drivers.

The new owner will need to be a good carpenter.

Those speakers are still produced to this day. However, if you have to ask the price, you can't afford them.

 

[1931jared]

Thank you everyone for your contributions here. Your advice and opinions certainly helped me make my decisions on how to proceed.

 

[TLS Guy]

Thank you everyone for your contributions here. Your advice and opinions certainly helped me make my decisions on how to proceed.

You are welcome. It was another excuse to go down memory lane.

What is the nature of your business, is it just an eBay Internet sale business or do you have a store front?