All vintage equipment is not created equal, and most of it should definitely sell at a significant discount from original retail, although when you factor in inflation it is possible that in absolute dollars some vintage equipment could be selling for more than its original price, and still represent a rational purchase.
I have a healthy number of turntables, including a couple modern tables and several "vintage" tables. I just acquired a Thorens 126 MK III, in good condition but not modified, and in terms of sound it is the equal of any other turntable I own, including a couple new ones that cost four to five times as much. In fact, in some ways it is BETTER than any new table I own, in that it raises the tonearm at the end of the record and stops the platter from spinning. And it maintains dead-on perfect speed. There really aren't any new turntables out there that offer the same combination of quality and convenience.
When you get to speakers and amplifiers, the attraction of vintage equipment falls off rapidly, at least for me. I have a couple vintage amps and preamps, and they don't measure up to the new equipment or recent-vintage used equipment I own at all, either in terms of sound or convenience. But vintage equipment often offers good, if not stellar, performance at a reasonable price. And as the audio business seems to be more and more determined to abandon enthusiasts of less-than-unlimited means, vintage and used equipment may represent the only viable introductory path to the hobby available to many people.
So, I would not so much say "Buyer Beware" as "Buyer be thoughtful and diligent."
I have a healthy number of turntables, including a couple modern tables and several "vintage" tables. I just acquired a Thorens 126 MK III, in good condition but not modified, and in terms of sound it is the equal of any other turntable I own, including a couple new ones that cost four to five times as much. In fact, in some ways it is BETTER than any new table I own, in that it raises the tonearm at the end of the record and stops the platter from spinning. And it maintains dead-on perfect speed. There really aren't any new turntables out there that offer the same combination of quality and convenience.
When you get to speakers and amplifiers, the attraction of vintage equipment falls off rapidly, at least for me. I have a couple vintage amps and preamps, and they don't measure up to the new equipment or recent-vintage used equipment I own at all, either in terms of sound or convenience. But vintage equipment often offers good, if not stellar, performance at a reasonable price. And as the audio business seems to be more and more determined to abandon enthusiasts of less-than-unlimited means, vintage and used equipment may represent the only viable introductory path to the hobby available to many people.
So, I would not so much say "Buyer Beware" as "Buyer be thoughtful and diligent."