oscarsear Posted October 13, 2007 Share Posted October 13, 2007 Got a guy local to me who has an MC240 for sale. The pics look nice. He's got the original op manual and the original receipt for the amp and the C22 preamp/tuner. The 240 is loaded with vintage telefunken tubes and he's got extras. He's asking $2,500. The problem is I don't think he's had it running in decades. He's asking premium dollars for something he's not certain even works. There's not many people around here who'll pay that much for stereo gear. Even this guy had this stuff given to him in lieu of debt back in the 60's. The other problem is I don't need it as much as I'd maybe like to own it. Tubes and I do not have a good working relationship but I know this can possibly be a real quality unit. I've not tried to talk him down. The wife will not be a happy camper either. So help me out. Give me some feedback. Lend me some ammunition I could use to drive the price down. What would a fair price be assuming the cosmetics pan out as good as advertised? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted October 13, 2007 Share Posted October 13, 2007 I would hope it's $2500 for both the C-22 and 240....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscarsear Posted October 13, 2007 Author Share Posted October 13, 2007 I would hope it's $2500 for both the C-22 and 240....... Nope. He's asking that for just the MC240. I do not know these well enough to understand what to look for in assessing their tech status. What should I look for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HudsonValleyNoah Posted October 13, 2007 Share Posted October 13, 2007 ... What should I look for? IMHO, you should look for a better deal, elsewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshnich Posted October 13, 2007 Share Posted October 13, 2007 You can get one that is in god condition and is warranted for a year for 2K at ncintoshaudio.com Seems like you could use that for a little bargaining ammo. Josh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott0527 Posted October 13, 2007 Share Posted October 13, 2007 Finding one in pristine condition is much harder to come by than a working one. Generally, there shouldn't be much wrong with it's operating condition. Almost any vintage piece should be checked out by a professional if you want it to operate reliably and sound it's best. If it's only in "nice" condition, $2500 is too much. If it's pristine.... no rust, no pitting or major swirl marks in the chrome, 100% lettering, no scratches on the transfomers or base, $2500 is reasonable. Somebody like NOSValves who posted above could have it singing pretty for $300 to $500 I would imagine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscarsear Posted October 13, 2007 Author Share Posted October 13, 2007 Well I've not tried but I think I could ply the person with cash on hand. I do not think he sells a lot of vintage gear or he'd be marketing this thing much differently. How he learned of its potential value is a mystery. I do know that people can get these refurbished and warranted for less than he's asking. I can reference that web site to him if need be. But he's sat on these for 40 years and could be strapped for $$ or something. We'll see what happens. I also don't want somebody really PO'd at me living in the same town. People do weird things for weird reasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted October 14, 2007 Share Posted October 14, 2007 Technically nothing really for you to look at other then does it work properly and what condition is it in cosmetically. The amp would have to be in like new perfect collector condition and electrically work perfectly to be even remotely worth $2500 IMHO. Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike stehr Posted October 14, 2007 Share Posted October 14, 2007 That listing has been on the local Craigslist for some time now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dp1954 Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 Unless its mint and works flawlessly it isn't worth 2500 bucks imho... I own one that is ~90% and only have about 1700 in it including the rebuild by T Dewick... These amps in proper working order are very nice. I have mine driving a pair of lascalas using an mx110 and have no complaints. Best available? NO way, but nice nonetheless. YMMV. dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 People do weird things for weird reasons. Ain't that the truth! I've owned a couple 240s but never paid anywhere close to that kind of money. What is it about this particular one that makes you want it so bad? I'm sure you could find a really nice one for about a grand less. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscarsear Posted October 15, 2007 Author Share Posted October 15, 2007 People do weird things for weird reasons. Ain't that the truth! I've owned a couple 240s but never paid anywhere close to that kind of money. What is it about this particular one that makes you want it so bad? I'm sure you could find a really nice one for about a grand less. Good luck! Well it's more like I came to you all to determine how badly I wanted this amp. It happens to be really close to where I live (within 5 miles). I have an Accuphase E 530 (30 WPC class A) that will allow me to split out the pre amp. I thought I might see what a good vintage Mcintosh would sound like. I figured if I didn't love it to death that I could at least recoup on the investment. I offered the guy a qualified $1,250 for the amp and his extra tubes. He hasn't replied. I'm not sweating it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott0527 Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 Prices have gone up vs. when some of you might have bought your last MC240. Again, if it's pristine, $2500 could be reasonable. But I should add, the price difference between 90% and pristine is pretty large. Here's one right now on Ebay at $2K with a day left. These would be the only kind I would consider going high for. They're hard to come by this nice. They won't sound any better than a rusty one but it's all in the appearance. For that extra 10% of cosmetic perfection, you have to pay big for. http://cgi.ebay.com/McIntosh-MC240-STEREO-TUBE-AMPLIFIER-MC-240-AMP_W0QQitemZ230180768944QQihZ013QQcategoryZ50593QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 "INTERNATIONAL BIDDERS WELCOME BUT PLEASE EMAIL FIRST FOR SHIPPING AND PAYMENT METHOD" I'd say this part of the description has a bit to do with the price of that amp. Them over seas bidders can get a bit insane [] Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom_E Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 Hey! It's not our fault that we don't have access to nice gear over here....! You guys are way to spoiled...[] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom_E Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 Hey! It's not our fault that we don't have access to nice gear over here....! You guys are way to spoiled...[] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom_E Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 Sorry for the double post! Having some internet issues... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscarsear Posted October 23, 2007 Author Share Posted October 23, 2007 Well the gentleman brought this over for me to see and it is in nowhere pristine condition. The chrome has rusted on all the edges and it has pits and scratches in the high use areas. There's no dents and the transformers are fine. Maybe to someone skilled in revitalizing these things it would be a worthwhile procurement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 Some people are really in dreamland when it comes to the value of their old stuff. I assume you told him thanks but no thanks. Did you let him know what it was really worth? I was listening to a radio program where a so-called "record expert" was giving advice to callers. He claimed that the condition of the vinyl was not a significant factor when determining the value of an old jazz record. Yeah, tell that to the poor schmuck who gets $20 on ebay for his beat up original Blue Note instead of the $800 a NM copy went for the week before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscarsear Posted October 23, 2007 Author Share Posted October 23, 2007 He had agreed to my price of $1,250 but I didn't think it to be worth that much. The Mcintosh logo was loose (but still attached). I did not offer lower as the guy is in a real money bind and I did not want him feeling like I was grinding him just because of his predicament and not the condition of his unit. He's not the sharpest pencil in the box and I have enough grief already. He said he's got interest elsewhere but intends to put it on E-bay. Whoever gets it will really, really be pissed off if they're expecting something nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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