Do You Play Or Save Your Best Cartridges

I have a Cartridge Keeper with a selection of Cart's ranging from Ceramic, MM, HOMC and LOMC.

I have a few LOMC Cart's still remaining on Tonearms>TT's infrequently used.

I have collected Cart's with a shortish user life for R&D Purposes. These are available to be used in conjunction with owned Cart's by others, from the Same Brand and Same Model. This is for the purpose of A/B Comparison of equipment, where a Cart's change over is not desired during the demonstration, this improves the experience when comparing, when two very closely mimicking Cart's are mounted.

I also have a few Cart's that are destined to be Donor Models for a rebuild design,  that I have agreed with Third Party Service Technicians to be undertaken. These are the ones I enjoy the most, there is a lot to be discovered, by bringing a material into use not commonly found in the mainstream today. A skilled Technician also gets fired up and quite creative when the challenge is presented.     

If one wants to preserve the longevity of the use of the original, because a direct replacement is not available as a easily acquired New Model or the Producer does not overhaul the Cart' to Original Spec', then the idea of limited usage will have a appeal.

Lyra, during posts on this forum, have made it known, they have certain Cart's offered, that will always be overhauled to Original Build Spec'

If a Cart' is overhauled to an 'equivalent model', with a similar performance, either carried out by the OEM or a Third Party Service, and the Cart' user has no concerns for this variant of the Original Spec'.

The Cart' should not be met with any concern for being used regularly, with the  knowing it can be continually used as a result of a overhaul when required.

This is a good method to incrementally reduce the cost per replay for a Purchased Cart' over a period of time, i.e, a Cart' retailing at $2500, is approx' £2.50 per replay based on a 1000 hours usage life. A full overhaul at approx' $500, will produce a Cart' offering 2000 hours usage at $3000, equating to approx' $1.50 per replay. Carry out the same activity on a second occasion and the Cart' cost per replay is now down to budget Cart' territory, where a Cart' from this price range may be discarded after it usage life has expired.    

It is common to see reports of 1500 - 2000 hours usage life in a Cart', if Cart's known for this longevity are considered, the above equation becomes even more attractive, if a Cart's cost is a concerning factor and deters a buyer from purchasing.  

Is it not that a Cartridge is extremely Fragile and all with a time served experience are knowing there is a Cart' going to be lost, so a spare at hand is not too strange.

This does add to the momentary heart flutters when carrying out certain management procedures for the Cart'. I have stopped Hand Cueing, it helps with my needs.

Spare Cart's are sometimes available, as used Cart's are not sold on, and a model is purchased that has superseded them, over a long period a collection can be acquired.

A Cart' certainly does not need a 1000 hours usage to warrant replacement, some like myself have moved on at a few hundred hours.

I have a Hana SL that is with approx' 100 Hours when superseded after a short period of usage and is now owned for 4 years at least.

The length of ownership and limited usage does not bother me, I have camera Lenses that cost more and have maybe been on the Camera for approx' 500 Images being captured over 6+years.

A Cart' and Camera Lens are a Tool, one is vital to capture light and enable the capturing of a Image, the other is vital, as it tracks a groove, which drive coils, generate a signal, to be transferred to the Point it is to become Sound. 

The Cart' is Sacrificial and will not remain as a optimised performer throughout it usage life, swapping out prior to the Styli being worn, is OK.    

The Cartridge falls into a Market where it is met with a Low Turnover high Mark Up.

This was learnt quite a few years past when HiFi Magazines were being used to promote Cartridges supplied directly from the Manufacturers at the Wholesale Price.

Cart's were passed around a selection of in house reviewers, the ones that were not to be kept in house were soon to be for sale at a very attractive price following the release of the Monthly Magazine.

I once was sold a Cart' from this era with a few hours on it that retailed at £700-800 for approx' £150.

On my initial inquiry, I was quite skeptical about the above explanation given for a unusually cheap Cart'.

The explanation being the Producers are releasing Cart's at wholesale to be reviewed and promoted, this was at the time when Turntables were becoming must have items again, and Brands were producing New Models for the first time since CD hurt the Vinyl Replay ancillaries business.

I picked up in person, by taking a Train from a London Train Station to a Coastal Train Station, where the Vendor met me.

The Vendor was the editor of a well known HiFi Magazine, I believed the story given after that.

Hypothesis to ponder, if the parts for a TOTR Cart' from Brand is say $500 and a Technician once completed their input and any other input required to complete the Cart's as a functioning model adds another $300, how much does the end Cart' get entered into the Market at.

Take the above to a very reputable Brand, and how much does the Cart' get entered into the Market Place at.

Take a renowned Cart' designer and the Cart' is now assembled by their hand and Quality Controlled from Parts on a Bench Table to a functioning model, how much is this personal service going to add to a already substantially priced item.

Many Many Cart's share materials, leaving many many Cart's quite similar in their overall sonic. The Brand and the Service on offer from the Brand will determine the Mark Up over the basic costs outlaid.

Neary all my HiFi System is Bespoke Built, it has been produced by EE's, Technicians and Engineers adept with Micro Engineering Skills.

I have always known the costing for the parts required to produce my Bespoke Items. This leaves me with the equation of how much I am to pay for the work offered from a wanted service. I have never denied myself the opportunity to have the work completed. I am not subjected to substantial Mark Up's just a calculation of hours required and remunerations requested.     

@dogberry I fully empathise with your concern for having a access to a rebuild for a Cart'.

I lost access to a exceptional Third Party Cartridge Service as a result of Brexit, the Technician was not interested in all the new requirements associated with the to and from shipping and reduced the customer base.

A real shame and a fair proportion of testimonials given on the Web Site were from UK Based Customers.

I feel confident, I am back on track when the time comes, but a trusted workmanship, is a luxury.