What’s Up With Monster Receiver Pricing?

Somewhere in this thread, the model train craze of a while back was mentioned. It’s a great example. Gen X generally isn’t driving this latest surge, boomers are. And it’s an unsupported ledge as much as the Lionel, etc. price spike during the about two decades that was thought to be the next long term investment grade thing. And for the same reasons, childhood dreams, adulthood purchasing to fulfill.

Nostalgia. It’s a hell of a drug.

That was a ledge, this is a ledge.
 
I agree that nostalgia might be one of the best drugs there is.
But there are more folks willing to get into physical music content and the associated paraphenalia that Lionels. Broader appeal.
But I don't disagree that it might be a ledge anyway.
 
I agree that nostalgia might be one of the best drugs there is.
But there are more folks willing to get into physical music content and the associated paraphenalia that Lionels. Broader appeal.
But I don't disagree that it might be a ledge anyway.
When I was younger, train sets were as common as stereos, and the sheer amount of periodicals, books and then the shows was dizzying. It was a huge, huge hobby. So the appeal at the time was equal, and the pinnacle was the costly, fancy O gauge sets. The older stuff captivated the adults at the time, and they traded at these conventions.
Even in my town of sub 30k, the armory hosted train shows 3x per year.

The only real difference is the internet making this current nostalgia-fest all the more rabid and also more precarious.
 
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Listening to music is far more timeless than playing with trains. I understand the analogy, but I disagree that they are alike. People have and will be listening to music forever. As an example, how many train sets did Sears sell compared to the number of stereos and Hifi’s purchased? I’d guess the ratio was at least 100:1. A relatively small hobby compared to a pervasive one.
 
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Listening to music is far more timeless than playing with trains. I understand the analogy, but I disagree that they are alike. People have and will be listening to
music forever. As an example, how many train sets did Sears sell compared to the number of stereos and Hifi’s purchased? I’d guess the ratio was at least 100:1. A relatively small hobby compared to a pervasive one.
Only speaking of the vintage mega receiver run up compared to the then model train run up of the most desired models. Both effect a rather small percentage of the items sold in either category. One created a huge ledge and collapsed with a single generation. So will this run-up.

My gen? No, not so interested in maintaining this insanity, nor the classic car insanity.

Millennials? Even less interested in maintaining this or that.

Please don’t pick the few % that are to create a rebuttal.

There’s a reason the hifi market has truncated so dramatically. X and Millennials use different items for listening.

I mean of course music listening will carry on, and on the ever shrinking and getting better devices and personal players. Music is timeless, monster receivers aren’t.
 
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Only speaking of the vintage mega receiver run up compared to the then model train run up of the most desired models. Both effect a rather small percentage of the items sold in either category. One created a huge ledge and collapsed with a single generation. So will this run-up.

My gen? No, not so interested in maintaining this insanity, nor the classic car insanity.

Millennials? Even less interested in maintaining this or that.

Please don’t pick the few % that are to create a rebuttal.

There’s a reason the hifi market has truncated so dramatically. X and Millennials use different items for listening.

I mean of course music listening will carry on, and on the ever shrinking and getting better devices and personal players. Music is timeless, monster receivers aren’t.
I wrote this in a previous post, but those of us that were old enough to lust after the monster receivers of the mid- to late-70's are as young 50, with our best earning years and retirement ahead of us. The audio aesthetic hit its zenith in the 70's, and that plays to the MCM hunger as well as the vintage audio craze (the epitomy of which is monster receivers from the late-70's). I believe the monster receiver runup has many years left, but I'm wrong a lot.
 
I wrote this in a previous post, but those of us that were old enough to lust after the monster receivers of the mid- to late-70's are as young 50, with our best earning years and retirement ahead of us. The audio aesthetic hit its zenith in the 70's, and that plays to the MCM hunger as well as the vintage audio craze (the epitomy of which is monster receivers from the late-70's). I believe the monster receiver runup has many years left, but I'm wrong a lot.
I read that post, I am 53, I had no idea monster receivers existed until I saw them in a neighbors old audio magazines some years later in his attic. I’m way into audio gear, but my neighbors had either 1. Slimline gear which didn’t have the the commanding look, or 2. my one neighbor with a runs the gamut separates system with pairs of speakers on a patch bay all over the house. I liked the separates idea. Anyway, maybe the first born of my gen would remember the monsters, but even my brother (five years older) and his buddies had no knowledge. They were into the newer digital stereo items and the awesome boomboxes.

Anyway, you hit the nail. It’s the particular members of your gen. who really sees this stuff in the stores, on the pedestals, in the windows, on the shelves. The spectacle burned an image and those of you want to live that memory. You’re the ones driving the market and that’s pretty much the whole of it. So I agree, but I push the years more toward early 60’s.

And yes there’s *probably* years left in them being desirable. It is past those years where I’m looking though. Time does run out. Sooner or later.

There’s been several “eras” of audio aesthetics, mine was the black faced digital wiz-bangs. It’s starting to climb in value, but my gen has a dual tech nostalgia split. The “ultra mod” stereo look and the gaming console/video revolution. That might be the stuff we pine for as part of the halcyon days of youth and early adulthood.

But also, we don’t (in general) seem to be putting the same emphasis on the stuff of our youth nearly as much. Also, there’s a lot of chips in them, some annoyingly hard to find. Think batwing transistor for the xx80 Pioneers. Annoying.
 
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Even in the day they were sold, the big ones were expensive - like $1,100 in the mid 70s, so about $5,700 in today's $. When you could get them for $300-400. it was more of a deal.
I just saw this monster from Rotel - 70+ lbs. It can be split into 2 stacked units with special connectors, which sorts no longer makes it a receiver, right? Rotel RX-1603 receiver restoration... what a beauty!
I was in college in the mid 70's, and lusted after other audio stuff, like the power amps with huge blue dual panel meters. I had a SX-525 and JBL-L26's, that was OK, but as soon as I started working, upgraded.
 
It isn't just the monster receivers that have seen a huge increase. In the process of pondering a couple of my 70s integrateds that have been "under the knife" over the past couple of weeks I was looking at current prices for them. Yikes! Look up the sales on a Luxman 5L15 these days.
 
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Pretty Yamaha. Not a monster and not a monster price. Though definitely more than they were going for not too long ago.
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IDK those x20 receivers were the preferred models with discrete transistors instead of ICs in the x40s.
When I saw the $350, I was stunned it wasn’t $600 or more.

Huh, I just checked EBay and they are selling under $350 regularily. Perhaps these are a new under the radar option???
 
IDK those x20 receivers were the preferred models with discrete transistors instead of ICs in the x40s.
When I saw the $350, I was stunned it wasn’t $600 or more.

Huh, I just checked EBay and they are selling under $350 regularily. Perhaps these are a new under the radar option???
If I didn't have this ridiculous, emotional attachment to my receiver, I would jump on this one. Nostalgia is a powerful drug.
 
NOW, you guys are triggering my (name of some other audio website*) dumpster-diving proclivities!

I paid real money for the CR-820 that's here (I think) -- but you don't wanna know what the CR-620 (grubby cosmetically but in good working order as collected in the field) cost. :o



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* naah, you could never guess which one... :confused: :rolleyes:😬
 
NOW, you guys are triggering my (name of some other audio website*) dumpster-diving proclivities!

I paid real money for the CR-820 that's here (I think) -- but you don't wanna know what the CR-620 (grubby cosmetically but in good working order as collected in the field) cost. :o



____________
* naah, you could never guess which one... :confused: :rolleyes:😬
I'm assuming "collected in the field" means it cost you nothing more than gas to get to the dump.
 
Actually, 'twas purchased at a charity fleamarket, but, yes, back in the Time of the Harvard Dump. (actually the item in question was collected in then-nearby Littleton, MA).
 
Does it help cool the market if I admit that I adored how my CR2020 looked but found it dull to listen to?

If there’s a better than just-decent sounding receiver I’ve not heard it.
 
Does it help cool the market if I admit that I adored how my CR2020 looked but found it dull to listen to?

If there’s a better than just-decent sounding receiver I’ve not heard it.
I don't think so -- even though I agree absolutely with your second statement in particular. I'll give the 2020 some credit for being attractive in a 1970s-style overkill ( but not marantz-rococo-level) kinda way. :)

Unfortunately, I don't think either you or I is an influencer when it comes to this sort of thing. ;)
After all, certain other (aforementioned) audio sites are still treadin' the boards -- although I am not sure anything as 1990s as forum websites is thriving at this late, oh-so-technologically-advanced, date. :confused: :confused: :confused: 😎
 
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Technologically advanced -- 2023:
3DReview_Screenshot_V001.jpeg
 
I was going through a Sony receiver phase last year or so and now have 5 after selling an STR-6800. I recently bought a STR-GX90ES that will replace an STR-D1011S in my family room, and a STR-6050 and STR-6055 that didn't excite me that much, but more then the STR-6800SD. An STR-D911 anchors the garage system and does fine out there, and the STR-GX90ES is quite nice in the family room running some Fried Model Qs.
 
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