Indeed, I do class myself as very fortunate!
TLS like I said you are more than welcome to visit, but I would worry about the length of the trip, so I will understand if its not possible.
So in a nutshell what should I do now?
Are any of the items something I can just put on ebay right now, perhaps those Pioneer units, as they seem bulky and not quite part of the more specialist interest?
I will need to move these items soon, but I will pack and remove them as neatly as possible. Ready for someone to view or whatever we feel is best.
So yes, I do still plan to sell them, and I hope that doesnt make me some terrible capitalist, but like I say, I dont even own a sofa just now, the money for these would be better spent on lifes basics and not the luxuries at the moment!
I heard back from Geoff Kremer this afternoon.
I sent him a link to your photographs.
He recommends selling everything except the Ferrograph on eBay.
He says the Reslo Ribbon microphone should fetch a lot, but I will have to get out of him what a lot is.
Is that Garrard and SME built in, or on a self contained plinth?
If the units are not on a plinth I would sell the Garrard 401 and SME separately.
Are your sure the Garrard is in working order. If you are, I would sell in on eBay only to countries that are 50 Hz. You can change the voltage. Then there will not be a hassle about drive pulleys.
I would put it up for sale with a starting or reserve bid of 550 GBP and a Buy it Now of 1050 GBP. Sell it with the manual, 45 rpm adapter and oil.
Measure the SME from pivot to the end of the head shell. To me it looks as if it is a 12" arm, but you need to be sure so you can describe it. If it is a 12" arm I would put it at a reserve or starting bid of 150 GBP with a buy it now of 290 GBP.
You still have not told me what cartridge is in that arm. I need to know so you can price it and we can decide if it needs to be sold with the SME or separately. The cartridge looks as if it might be a Decca, but I can be by no means sure. If it is, you have another huge windfall. Take of the head shell from the arm, by unscrewing the lock collar. Cartridges are fragile. Turn it upside down so you can get a photograph and also look for identification. SME do not now, and never have made cartridges, so we must know what is in it.
The Stax I have no idea what to ask, check eBay completed sales. Stax are still in business making electrostatic headphones, making yours less valuable.
I would think though they should make at least 150 GBP may be more. I would start at 100 GBP and no Buy it Now.
The receiver I would start at 50 GBP with a Buy it Now of 125 GBP.
The cassette unit if it is working I would start at 100 GBP with a buy it now of 175 GBP.
You may have a problem in that you do not know if units are working. If you don't know you have to list them as non working or for parts, and they will fetch little. So it really is vital you know the working status of your gear.
I would sell the JW modules and trash the cabinets. Treat them like glass and place thick cardboard over the cone side of the modules immediately and place them cone side down. You will have to pack these very carefully. I would sell the two speakers in each enclosure as a pair. If I remember correctly they should be 8 ohms each. There will be a Boosey and Hawkes sticker on the back. There will be at the bottom numbers 4, 8 and 16 ohms. The ones that do not apply will be scratched over, and the one that applies to that module circled.
You will have one odd driver to sell. The one you ruined will have to be trashed.
I would start each pair at 90 GBP with a buy it now of around 200 GBP. Half those numbers for the single.
The odds and ends I would offer for sale separately with no reserve.
Now the Ferrograph: - Geoff Kremer is very interested in negotiating with you to buy it.
It looks to be a nice example. He has told me that machine is four track record and playback. So it is the type that you turn the tape over. So it plays the common commercial tapes of the era. That makes it much more sought after by collectors.
However that machine has an interesting wrinkle. It can play two track tapes also! There is a lever on the back of the playback head, that shifts it in position, so the both heads can come to lie at least half way across the width of the track. So not a perfect solution, but one I have not encountered before.
He had to remind me that the pinch roller on the Wearite decks is brass and not rubber which I had forgotten, so we don't have to worry about the pinch roller.
Now you have to understand that all tape recorders need the loving restorers hand before they can be used, so you can not expect a fortune. I know Geoff will treat you fairly.
I would plead with you to work with Geoff so he can obtain it, and this rare and unusual machine can be saved and well restored for certain.
If you PM me I will give you his contact details.
This machine is far too historic be entrusted to a parcel service, so he or I will have to drive up to Newcastle Upon Tyne to collect it.
If you can wait until I come, I can do a better appraisal of the status of what you have.
I will try and get a better handle on the Reslo Ribbon. I think they were the best PA and announcer mike ever made. Speech was absolutely natural without chesty voice. They have a figure of 8 pattern like all ribbons, so they pick up sound off the back. Despite this they were less prone to feedback than other types.
You had to leave them several feet away, and never scream into them, or get them close to the mouth. They sound far better than modern radio announcer mikes. However they would not do for present day moronic radio personnel. That mike is a real reminder of a gentler more civilized age. And that alone makes it worth a lot.
Any questions post or PM me.
This has been a very important post on this forum, and quite likely the most significant we have ever had.
