I think this has to do with our beloved instruments becoming more accepted and absorbed into awareness by the pop culture.
These things are becoming less underground and more commercialized - too bad because something gets lost when that happens.
It somehow becomes trivialized, and reduced.
There has been more info than ever before on these instruments because of the internet. There's also the two Mellotron books, Dianna's movie, real thing vs lacklustre samples debate in music forums, general curiosity, mechanical engineering, music history etc.etc. etc. that make having the real thing for some people more desireable.
There's also the rarity factor - being able to buy something that might not appear again. Mellotrons are being made again, but not Chamberlins. I never believed the $35,000 Birotron story until the seller privately confirmed it to me.
There's also the condition of an instrument which will influence someone's buying decision.
I kind of see this happening as a natural course of events although I thought it would happen much slower than it is. We've seen Mellotrons' gradually going for higher and higher and more frequently, so it stands to reason that the related keyboards like the Chamberlin and Orchestron, when they do pop up will probably jump higher in ratio as well.
It truly is another era now than when most of us got into this 15, 20, or 30 years ago.
On Wed, Apr 27, 2011 at 6:45 AM, tron400
<tron400@yahoo.com> wrote:
Frank has a new M4000 that cost less than the Chamberlin went for. I have to wonder if he's sorry he didn't save his money to bid on the Chamberlin. It would have cost only him a couple of grand more than his M4000.
Bernie
--- In
newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, djacques@... wrote:
>
> Considering that three years ago a beautiful Mark II went for 12000, I would say that this buyer may have overpaid.
> Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile
>
> Reply-To:
newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: RE: [newmellotrongroup] The financial crisis
>
> I think it says there are still some people in this economy with more money than brains…………
>
> From:
newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com [mailto:
newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Bruce Daily
> Sent: Tuesday, April 26, 2011 4:20 PM
> To:
newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com> Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] The financial crisis
>
>
> I thought it might get above $8000 or so. I wonder what this says about the economy? Of course, one Chamberlin M1 is like having 2 2/3rds M400s (in terms of voices). Was there a bidding war between just a few bidders at the last minute?
>
> I hope it found a good home.
>
> -Bruce D.
>
>
> --- On Tue, 4/26/11, Dieter <dieter_vanmarcke@...<mailto:
dieter_vanmarcke@...>> wrote:
>
> From: Dieter <dieter_vanmarcke@...<mailto:
dieter_vanmarcke@...>>
> Subject: [newmellotrongroup] The financial crisis
> To:
newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com<mailto:
newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com>