Need Help - My daughter inherited speakers from her Grandfather. We are going to sell them to help with college.

[watschr]

My daughter's Grandfather was the only owner of these speakers and he left them to her when he passed.   She is asking me to sell them to help pay for her college and I am not at all knowlegable and want to make sure I sell them for the right amount.    Any information would be helpful and appreciated.    

[triceratops]

I am surprised no one has responded to your questions yet, so I'll jump in.

 

These speakers are circa 1966 Klipschorns, often referred to as "corner horns". The design uses a folded bass horn to allow the speaker to have great clarity, efficiency, and space-saving (if the horn wasn't folded it would be much larger).

 

The model number of this pair is KDFR, which stands for Klipschorn Decorator Fir Raw. Decorator models have no fancy veneer or grill cloth, so that a person decorating the house interior would select paint, veneer, fabric, or even wallpaper (yes, I've actually seen it) to coordinate the appearance of the speaker with the room. This pair is made of fir plywood and is unpainted so it is described as fir raw. This was the most stripped-down, basic model you could buy at the time, but it sounded just as good as the Klipschorns with fancier cosmetics of that day. These decorators were an ideal choice for an audiophile on a budget, who didn't want to compromise performance.

 

Even though the speakers were originally built in 1966, your photos reveal that some updates have occurred over time. The photos show that the high-frequency driver (labeled K-77-M) and the mid-frequency driver (labeled K-55-M) are newer drivers, and from the labeling are genuine, factory-tested replacements. We can also see that at least some of the wiring has been updated with newer wire. What we can't see is if the drivers in both speaker cabinets match, and if other components (like the low-frequency drivers and the crossover networks) have also been updated.

 

The value of the speakers is a difficult question to answer, as it depends on many factors like the local market, sales venue, condition, and many other variables. There are many things we don't know from these photos, but my arbitrary guess is that the speakers are probably worth somewhere between $1000 and $1800. I hope others will offer a more accurate assessment, and more photos will definitely help. 

 

Good luck with your sale, and note that there is a "garage section" of the forum where you are able advertise the speakers when you are ready to sell.

 

 

[Schu]

I agree with that assessment.

[seti]

These would be great fun to do a designer pair with some crazy veneer down the front. Great deal.. Glad you aren't closer I don't need another project.

[Schu]

the decorator model is my favorite just because of that ^

there's something great about a solid wall of veneer that sound spectacular.

[CWOReilly]

So much potential!

[OO1]

Welcome to the Klipsch Forum

 

The Speakers are  signed by Lloyd S, McClellan  , klipsch 's 1st Employee ,  the speakers have newer 1980's drivers and crossovers ,  they should sound amazing   , these are build from Fir Plywood .

 

the cabinets are worthy of new  veneer  if you are handy  , I would spiff these up , otherwise ,   you're attracting low offers given the poor condition of the cabinets ..

- the drivers -horns and crossovers are worth 1250$ , and the cabinets are worth 1250$ .

 

-a pair of similar khorns  in raw birch sold for 2650$  lately  ,  however the cabinets  were in very good condition   , but the drivers and crossovers were much older

 

 

 

[PrestonTom]

Quoting TTops 

 

" ..........The value of the speakers is a difficult question to answer, as it depends on many factors like the local market, sales venue, condition, and many other variables. There are many things we don't know from these photos, but my arbitrary guess is that the speakers are probably worth somewhere between $1000 and $1800. I hope others will offer a more accurate assessment, and more photos will definitely help....... "

 

 I think your estimate is a reasonable one.  There are too many unknowns on this one (do the drivers work, are these in the USA, have they seen flooding and mice etc) 

These are not really collector's items (and there are not many collectors anyway) and the condition is quite rough. They do have potential for the right buyer (at the right time and the right location etc) who needs a fairly time consuming "project".  It just seems like quite a few "ifs". 

 

These might take a long time to sell, even at $1500. 

[ClaudeJ1]

Where are the speakers located. The shipping cost for them might be higher than the value! But it certainly helps to know what Zip Code they are in!!

 

[billybob]

Yes maybe the OP will get back.

Until member above saw this was way long...☕.

@watschr

[jimjimbo]

#1.  Unfortunately, these are not valued at nearly $3000, even with updated drivers.  As PrestonTom stated above, likely between $1000 to $1800.

#2.  This pair would not have AL crossovers, as these are Klipschorns.

 

Good luck with your sale.

[J M O N]

The model "KDFR" stands for Klipschorn -- D-Style (decorator), with a finish of Fir Raw (unfinished).  Basically the finish is just raw plywood, not even birch.  I don't have the SN decoder handy, but the "E" in the serial number will indicate the year it was made.

 

Based on all of the above, and the condition they are in, even with today's inflated prices, I'd estimate their value at about $1200.  If someone offered $1000, I'd take it.  This is probably not what you wanted to hear, but we're all just trying to help you establish what you would likely be able to sell them for.

[codewritinfool]

 

As an owner of 1968's ("F"), I'm pretty certain that "E" is 1967.  Every other assessment is dead on, in my opinion.  Those are certainly newer 77 and 55 drivers.  I wonder why they were swapped out?

 

They may not look nice, but I bet they sound great.

 

 

[Khornukopia]

On 6/14/2022 at 11:21 AM, codewritinfool said:

Those are certainly newer 77 and 55 drivers.  I wonder why they were swapped out?

 

This 1978 Dope From Hope bulletin listed the upgrade options available for low cost, at that time. I obscured the 1978 prices to avoid causing any confusion today.

 

[Coytee]

On 5/22/2022 at 6:29 PM, watschr said:

She is asking me to sell them to help pay for her college

 

I'm not to up on any monetary valuations....  just thought I'd mention the sentimental side.  Given she's in college, I'm presuming your daughter is of typical college age with "typical" concerns a young lady of that age group might have (whatever they may be).

 

Obviously not knowing her, I think it would be a shame to sell these for "X" dollars to buy books....  or pay a college electric bill....and then 20 years down the road as she reflects on the memory of her grandfather, she realizes that she had something that he held dear, he wanted her to have and it's gone, all to buy books (or whatever).

 

So yeah....  I'm trying to nudge you/her into the idea of keeping the memory alive.  I realize she might get totally turned off by speakers this large (ala my poor wife)....  but if not, then she's got something she can use the rest of her life to keep her Grandfathers memories and some of his experiences alive with her.

[Evelon]

I would put them at around 1200-1300 and sign off that we can agree on a price. As an option to sell to someone under the custom project, many artists buy such more often than collectors. And college should be no problem at all for your daughter. Thinking back on myself, it was only hard to write essays on topics like climate change. To get rid of that, I took an example from https://eduzaurus.com/free-essay-samples/climate-change/ and changed it a bit. So you can use my little tip. 

Edited June 27, 2022 by Evelon

[JosephClaur]

This information is very useful for me . I like read 

[tragusa3]

I agree with Coytee.  She would be selling something of emotional value for an insignificant amount.  They will take effort to store and hold onto, but I wonder if her future might hold a home for these?  It would bring me great comfort to watch his great grandchildren dance to music played through "Grandpa's" speakers years down the road.  Priceless.  I would hope that happens to mine.

[Shakeydeal]

Another example of a drive by thread. Members offer genuine and thoughtful advice and the OP is gone with the wind. Hopefully someone in the future can glean something from this so it's not a total waste of time.

[Marvel]

9 hours ago, Shakeydeal said:

Another example of a drive by thread. Members offer genuine and thoughtful advice and the OP is gone with the wind. Hopefully someone in the future can glean something from this so it's not a total waste of time.

They were last on here in the middle of June, so I would assume they got the info they needed, even if it's not what we think is important.