Vintage synth prices – sky-rocketing?

Where are those vintage synth prices headed for? No one can have missed the fact that the general price level has been on the rise since the late 90s. Still, developments of the past few months are in a league of their own. We’re talking about a vintage synth bubble. Not only in Europe, but also in the USA. There’s no nicer way to put it.

eBay-Elka-Synthex-01

Auction: http://www.ebay.de/itm/Elka-Synthex-with-MIDI-beautifully-restored

Anybody looking for a Synthex for a mere 10 000 Euros?

Ok, ok, this is our most far-out example. It is for a beautiful, restored Synthex and the starting price is lower (7500 Euros). But let’s face it: such exorbitantly high prices are going to be more and more the rule. The average Synthex these days costs 6000 Euros – twice as much as the original price in 1984.

eBay-Elka-Synthex-02

Auction: http://www.ebay.de/itm/Elka-Synthex-Analog-Synthesizer

By the way: the 6000-Euros-Synthex offered here has no MIDI. An upgrade is possible, but affords additional costs.

eBay-ARP-2600-01
Auction: http://www.ebay.de/itm/Rare-Vintage-ARP-2600-Analog-Synthesizer

ARP-2600 for 13 000 USD?

Prices aren’t looking any better with the ARP-2600. Even in the US, where availability is greater than in the Old World. Admittedly, this also in an indication of how things are developing with eBay (that concern pocketing 10% of the sales price). In addition, the market is being strongly influenced by speculators and inflated prices. From this perspective, the ARP-2600 for “only” 7000 Euros looks like a real bargain. But just think about the sums we’re talking about and compare them with prices for new analog equipment. For 7000 Euros you’d get a huge .COM system, a huge COTK system, a great Doepfer monster case, a MacBeth Elements (plus a GRP A4), etc.

eBay-ARP-2600-02

Auction: http://www.ebay.de/itm/Arp-2600-modular-synthesizer

There’s no way to get around it, 2014 has shown a clear rise in price for vintage synths. True, whether those prices are actually being paid is a question of its own. Time will tell: we may be looking back at the present day and speaking of a vintage synth bubble.

Filed under General

“Es genügt, einen Ton schön zu spielen” sagte der Komponist Arvo Pärt im Jahre 2005. Diese Aussage ist ebenso einfach wie ich auch exzellent: Es braucht kein Meer an Tönen, denn entscheidend ist der Klang. Dass so mancher Vintage-Synthesizer der 70er und 80er Jahre teils unerreicht hochwertige Klänge liefert, steht außer Frage. Doch tatsächlich leben wir “heute” in einer nahezu perfekten Zeit. Einerseits hat man – mehr oder weniger – noch Zugriff auf die Vintage Analogen, andererseits wird auch bei Neugeräten die wichtige Komponente des hochwertigen Klanges wieder zunehmend berücksichtigt. Doepfer, Cwejman, Synthesizers.com, MacBeth, Moog, GRP, Studio Electronics, COTK, John Bowen und andere Hersteller bauen hervorragende Synthesizer, die den “Klassikern” in nichts nachstehen. All diesen (alten wie neuen) “großartigen” Instrumenten ist Great Synthesizers gewidmet. _________________________________________________________ In 2005 composer Arvo Pärt said: “Playing one tone really well is enough”. In other words, it is sufficient to play one tone 'beautifully'. I agree with that. All musical efforts are focused on the sound itself. Although I studied classical music (piano and drums), it’s the electronic sound that inspires me. Synthesizers are the epitome of new sounds and exciting tonal spheres. Today, many companies produce high-quality - excellent! - synthesizers: Doepfer, Cwejman, MacBeth, Moog, GRP, Synthesizers.com, COTK, Studio Electronics, John Bowen and others. It's their products I'm really interested in ... apart from Vintage Synthesizers, which I have been collecting for 20 years. Subsequent to our former websites Bluesynths and Blogasys, Peter Mahr and I have now created GreatSynthesizers. We hope you like it.