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Subject: Re: Chamberlin 300

From: Jerry Korb <jkorb@...>
Date: 2007-09-29

 

Bernie wrote:

Holy cow puddles!! Some poor sucker paid $11,110.56for that rickety
piece of furniture.

--- In Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com, mark kasian <easle12@...> wrote:
>
> someone just bought themselves the world's most
> expensive headache.




 

Hi Gang,       Wow ! Never thoughtthat beastie would sell for so
much, especially in its unrestored condition. Hopefully, it willfunction
as well as the Chamberlins historically sound..... I wish the newowner
the best of luck.....He(she) will need it.....
 

This brings to mind an example I wish to share.  Now that allprev.
Chamb. records are out the window, a new bar has been set , to alevel
beyond most avg. keyboard owners/players.
 

As many of you might know, I've been an Edison historian/collector
well over 30 yrs. Coincides closely to my orig. M400 purchase.
Edisonian items could be had very reasonably in the70s-80's.
 

....However, in 1994 ,  a unethical/rude newcomer with no historicalinterests,
only those of financial gain , came on the scene, and started buying
early lighting artifacts for 6-10X prevailing prices.  Onceword spread,
everyone scrambled to buy stuff  while still "affordable."Then eBay
began in 1995, and fed the frenzy still further.
 

Result, many collectors were driven-out because they couldn't afford
to acquire new material.  Too many examples to give here, butimagine
trying to afford $5-6K for orig. Edison lightbulb from 1883, whenthey
orig. sold privately for $300-400 .
 

Does that make the item REALLY worth that much  ?  Nope,only its
intrinsic value, which is minimal.  After today, will all Chamberlins
be sold for 5-figures, unrestored or working ?  Could pricethemselves
out of the mkt,  "In Search Of The Lost Dollar."
 

Maybe I'm full of it, or worrysome, or whining, whatever.
"But time will tell, of prices that fell,a short short time ago....."
 

Regards, -- Jerry Korb  (JKMK6 suddenly worth six figures, heh-heh!)