I`ve noticed, a lot of m90 auctions, are ending early, due,  obviously, to sellers being offered huge ammounts, to end the auction early. What are your thoughts on this? I`m not gonna be a hypocrit, because, i have tried (failed) it myself. Should it be like a normal auction? where people can leave bids, up to a certain ammount? Also, if you were a seller, would you accept a large offer, or, let the auction run?

You are absolutely right. In an ideal world an auction would run as it was intended, you would put your best offer in and you would win or lose. But it does not happen like that; you get people using (supposedly illegal) tools to beat your bid in the last 100th of a second, you have people removing and re-listing the item several times, people bidding and retracting their bid so they can see what everyone else is bidding to and finally you have a--holes that realise they could have got more for the item and not sending it to you; eventually blaming the post and refunding you!

It's damned hard not to join them if you can't beat them! 

By the way, what M90 auctions??? I never see any!

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Vintage-JVC-RC-M90-JW-Boombox-Ghettoblaster-Stereo-Radio-Cassette?item=251189111395&cmd=ViewItem&_trksid=p5197.m7&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D2%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D3790988999630886190

I actually thought this one would end early but it's still alive. Like you gents I think that ending the auction early because of a ridiculous cash offer is exactly the opposite of what an auction does. That is give everyone (especially those with $$) and equal footing in the bidding process.

I'd be ticked of if the closed auction unit went for something sub-par my highest bid ceiling.

Having personally experienced this many times trying to get an M90 on ebay, I  fully agree. I was happy the M90 I bought went through the end of the auction.

Having said that, I do find it is usually useful to check with the seller whether or not they are considering a "buy it now" price. Many reply honestly that they are not because they do not think it is fair. But sometimes they reply with a specific price or they say they will entertain an offer. Then depending on how much one wants the item, I guess it is Ok to make an offer and end the auction- because otherwise you are as a bidder putting yourself at a disadvantage. I must confess that my M70 was purchased like that. The unit was near mint and I had seen many slip by; so when the seller replied with a price I went for it. Sorry!

CASH is KING...

if you have enough to sway the seller,

ive had sellers agree to sell me grails for big bucks only for someone to offer more,

thats ebay.

Sadly all is fair in love and war, if you don't do it then someone else will.  Last second sniping & approaching sellers direct are both very legal.  Snooze, you lose, it's as simple as that.

One thing I've learned is not to simply ask if the seller would entertain a BIN but offer a figure, it doesn't have to be high but a figure will open negotiations and depending on their reply it will at least give you a sense of whether or not they have placed the correct value on the item.  E.g., you see a M90 auction, ask the seller if they'll except £100, they reply and say 'bugger off, I've seen these go for £1k' then you know to leave it but if they say 'I was thinking about a bit more' then offer £150 etc, etc then you're in.

Wise words there Cris... done it myself recently with an iPhone deal, being sold by a friend. She was happy to not have the worry & expense of dealing with a stranger, packing, posting & all the eBay & PayPal fees (apart from the listing fee, of course) & I was very happy with the price.

About the eBay bid sniper apps: I've never used one, but they still only bid up to their user's maximum price. If your bid is higher, you still win.

However, it's annoying if you think you're onto a right bargain, where the price goes crazy in the last 5 seconds...

With this price which only gets higher i  m pretty sad, because i know that i will

never have the chance to buy an m90 unless finding it out in the wild

which is a nice dream by the way!

The way I see it, is to "level the playing feild", as the feild is not level anymore, if you just try to play by the rules. I do what I have to win auctions. As other do the same, no point in feeling sorry for anyone, or worry about the fact that snipping a auction not fair, as others could careless and in most cases are resellers, looking to turn a huge profit margin anyway.

As far as snipping services, "Stay away from Gixen", they turn to scammers. They wait till your account get to top rated, or good amount of feedback, then hijack your account and list fake listings of high value items. In most cases gold and silver bars, below market value, to get around Paypal holds and scam people out of large sums. They try to hijack my account and it back fired on them, as caught it right away, due to notice it in the fees, as they hide the listings in archives, so they go unnotice. Called eBay had the listings deleted and account changed and ask about details. Was able to reverse lookup and track the real person down, not the fake info. Unfortunately is a much larger group and yes confirm "Gixen" has everything to do with the scams, even thur he will lie and claim it not him involve.    

fortunately for me i will never have these worries concerning an m90, why? because i don't have the cash and i don't like m90's anyway, regardless of their rep

What sad is a year ago in it's condition would had top out around $600. It has a noticable dent, plus marks all over it and cassette doesn't work, speaker and grill has discoloration to it. Yet people are actually bidding that high on it? I could see if it been serviced, but it hasn't, so your buying into someone elses problem. Don't blame the seller in anyway. If someone fail to realize that they are bidding on a project, or don't care about condition and just want it's, more power to the seller, so long they are not shill bidding their auctions.

bang on mate the cash cow wins .

Unless you have DM4U disorder then I totally disagree !!!  Nobody in their right mind should or would offer anyone more than something's worth.  OK, if you have an uncontrollable urge to own something then you're totally on your own, go ahead, offer £2k for a 20 year old radio but you're certainly not buying yourself first place in the queue for a bargain, in fact, if anything, you're only dangling a carrot in front of someone to ensure they forget all ethics and morals they thought they had.

So yeah, cash is king if you're insanely rich but a much better approach surely has to be stealth and patience, you'll get there in the end.  It's the 'cash is king' approach that has pushed the prices of a selection of boomboxes beyond the means of most collectors.  Also, this site has to take responsibility in part for the high prices by giving some boxes the pointless title of 'grail'.  get enough people to big something up enough for long enough and it's going become more soughtafter, it's obvious.  We all sit here moaning that M90 prices are beyond us but it's our own fault, we did it for the GF-9000 five years ago, they were changing hands for $1000.  Who remembers the Lasonic wars of 2008? or the DD9 showdown of 2007 and of course the legend that was the pre-dodgy chinese import GF-777 siege of 2005/6, those bad boys were going for £1200.  And for legal reasons I'm not even going to mention the death threats some members received during the great Conion stand-off of 2004.

You see, we might as well be featuring a box on a Madonna video to ensure it's exposure pushes the prices up.  Hence the bargains we find for the slightly lesser boxes we choose not to harp on about...

<goes to put kettle on>

So why are people offering insane money to own them ? Simple, because collecting becomes addictive for some and the reasoning and ethics/morals go out the window. It really is that simple. As a result, cash wins every time, unless as you say, you wait patiently and get very lucky which addiction does not suit.

Couldnt agree more with that !

It is a nice addiction though as stereo mad says.

Imho the point is for us collectors we have to keep it low

for a desirable box or walkman not to end up spending a fortune

on em!

I did get my 777 for a fair 75 euro price and fully working(except the tape decks as always) which is pretty fair if you try to think the age of the boxes !

Agree fully. I get insane pleasure looking at and listening to the collection I have. Never regretted the price paid. The only regrets have always been about the ones that slipped away because I was just a few bucks too stingy

Agreed 100%

Don't take this the wrong way, as I know if I want something bad enough, I been known to buy it to and guilty of this one to. For longterm is not doing anyone any good and my best deal wasn't for $2300 I spend on a Sony 701t 3 years ago, but a NIB m90 for $100 a year ago at a local pawnshop, or the mint Sony wm-10 for $15 bucks. As far as me just like the era and the engineering that when into it, you just don't find today and the various different choices. Plus now more into collecting colorful and unique models and only buy boxed units now, due to want to see the artwork, unless for reselling.

Granted I love 70's, 80's and even some early 90's era electronic's, grow up with this stuff, starting repairing stuff since a kid. Started with repairing tape recorders, then move on to bigger items and all the way to arcade machines. So I collect pretty much mostly 70's, 80's and even 90's era electronics I see that well built or even colorful, or has nice art work on the box, just because it represent a time when engineers had more control and wasn't just about margins and the marketing efforts put into a product.

Hence this price war has to end! This "cash is king" crap is what f##k up the market, as  it going to crash. Those that are truly interested in the hobby, will be less interested due to the outrageous high prices. For the fact most won't be able to afford 20 year old radios that in need service in desperate need of service already and has issues at over 2k plus. You soon won't have to worry about buyers, as their soon will be no buyers left, as you priced yourseft out of the market. Who the f##k  what to brag they spend 2k-3k on a box that needs service and no longer works correctly, just going to get worst as it ages. Even if you can restore it yourseft to a 100%, spare parts are thur the roof, so you have to spend another 2k to get a spare part box, to fix your 2k box, due to broken plastic pieces or missing parts? 

It not about how much money you can burn, it about the hunt for the best deal and time it took to find the item and the reason you wanted it in the first place. If your looking at collecting them as a future investment? Short term, if you can find it at a bargain and can repair it, then buy it. longterm and paying over the top is a bad choice. Reason? Bubble will bust, as hipsters will grow tried and move on to another trend. People that are truly interested will die off and less people will have grow up with boomboxes, or walkmans. Price will be to high for so long it drives most away from the hobby and less will be interested at that point and move to a different hobby.

It sad to see that people are afraid to have their boxes service and bought back to factory specs, due to the ridiculous amount they spend to obtain it in the first place. I have people bring 1k to 15k audio equipment to service with no issues. 

There is no "right" price for a true collectible. I agree that a box that is less than near  mint is not worth the prices they seem to be going for, but if there is a rare item in near mint collectible condition, there is no "right" price- it is whatever the market will bear and whatever a collector is willingt to spend. The prices for some boxes are truly high now, but nothing compared to other collectibles. Try buying an authentic jersey signed by Michael Jordan...for example.

I was thinking a little while ago that we should all boycott ebay and not add any more fuel to the fire by paying the big prices but then I guess that any nice boxes will quite probably end up leaving our shores because someone outside our own country will buy them. When the market evens out there will be even less to pick from! So that won't work.

I have reached the conclusion that if I want something badly enough I will do (almost) what i have to to get it but will try and not let the red mist descend and remember that it is not worth more than, say a Range Rover or a house!

Also, when i post some pictures of my collection the foot notes will all be fairly negative with comments like; it was cheap and it sounds awful. That is what we need to do to keep the prices down!

With this in mind, has anyone got an M90 for sale? I don't like the look of them and they sound pretty terrible but my girlfriend says that it looks better than me so who am i to argue? Will pay up to £100 and you have to deliver it.

Sport memorabilia, goes for good money seen and dealt with cards and other memorabilia going for a 100k plus. Electronics is different as you have to worry about costly repairs and can't be store for long period of time as components age causing issues. Does go back to what someone willing to spend, for whatever the reason may be?

it will be interesting to see how much the grails wil fetch in a year or two !   years ago was the time to be in this hobby when £300 or less would buy you a m90 .   yes we all moan at the prices of boomboxes but thats the way it is , its the same in all/most hobbies .  

Damn it, as far as the less to pick from part.

Second idea is a good one, throw sellers for a loop, but also have to remember to delete this thread.

For $4500 you can have mines, even thur I don't want to really sell it, at that price I would. It comes in the original box, can't say new because I used it, but looks mint, not a single scratch, been fully serviced and recapped, new belts and even throw in a JVC R-15E optional wired remote control. Did I menton it works flawslessly. Sorry but have to go with current market price, as If I wanted to, I could just list it on the bay and maybe get more, seeing current prices, it getting harder not to list it.

amen

that's why i've sold most my collection and started collecting something else

At least if we sell/trade among ourselves we can keep it 'real' and know that if our circumstances change or we want out we will be able to keep it in the family so to speak. There is much to be said for dealing with folk that you trust and getting a working machine for a reasonable price. PS Thanks Chris and Lee.

Retrodos; tempting but I will hold on to this month's mortgage payment! Perhaps I will offer a Fiat Ducato van, 2 sheep and £90? Might throw in the girlfriend because it's boxed.

The very definition of the value of something is what someone is willing to pay for it.

So the value will vary according to the market at the time....this is really basic economics and there is little anyone can do about it.

If people are currently willing to pay vast sums of money then that is the value that the market (which includes us clearly) dictates.  But as we see with any economic system prices can be pushed so high that demand then falls but then this leads to prices falling correspondingly....then the market and prices start to pick up again...classic ups and downs of any market.

Bar flooding the market with a container load of M90's theres nothing anyone can do.

(This is all basic economics...I did economics A level 25 years ago so am supremely well qualified to give an expert opinion...LOL, I can barely remember how to spell the word )

Same here......kept my kabooms.....better than m90 anyway....and moved on to other things

It's a sad truth to this hobby that right now we're riding on a crest of popularity, but the prices will right themselves as we (collectors) move on to other focuses.

My issue with the Ebay procedure is, include a statement saying you'll entertain BO's and once achieved the auction will close. This way those that do bid are aware that at anytime the auction can close without warning. It's simple statement that let's the bidder know he/ she's dealing with visible bids and invisible (PM'd best offers).

@Deetch..finding an M90 in the wild can happen...sometimes right next door...admittedly rare...but anythings possible

index.php?board_oid=193392314111653483&content_oid=258979670055329176

Don't give up...and more importantly, enjoy what you have. These boxes all sound the same after a few glasses of wine

fortunate for me to lav.....had m90's and realized there not that good anyway.......i would much rather the stack i have had than ANY boombox......but then i was just VERY lucky for a change...and m90's are just to bland anyway

I like m90's sure lee always have BUT there bland always said that....and not worth the money they fetch.....for 300 sure......that's why i choze my stack over your m90.....wich you kindly bought for me Lee....wouldn't trade it for a dozen m90's.....and i have always told you the kaboom kicks the m90's ass....you can't deny that lad

We just pray that you'll move to another site

Not while you're around and litfan my friend

im definately a black belt in ebayjitsu even if i dont have the funds to back it up

I'll take those words and adopt them into the queens speach...haha

maybe i'm being a bit too harsh on the m90, there's no question they are one of if not the best box ever made.

but i personally don't like jvc as a brand, i think they lack bling and look too industrial.

i'm not in anyway knocking the build quality or even the sound here, the look just kills it for me.

having said this i would snatch one if i was to be lucky enough to find one for chips

am i sounding contradictive here lol

good topic i live in Canada the m90 comes along once in a while there is one on kijij now for $800 i have had thoughts that i would buy it yet i own one now. i feel the same as one member has said that walking in my room and looking at my collection of radios bring a smile to my face is truly correct. i cant say i have really conciderd selling my m90 though i would profit due to the extreemlly high price's they have been selling for. but for myself, i dont want to expirance the idea that i had something like an m90 and let it go for a few hundred dallars of a profit ! once again thank for the topic i found it intressting and in good humor

Hahahaha !!

Thanks a lot Brutus I must say that when and if i find an M90 out in the wild

or from a friend locally or even if i get one of MrVUs (considering all 3 possibilities)

I will make a quiz like Sal and 7 of my boxes will go to members of S2G !

ofcourse The 1st 7 people who will answer the quiz right will take them !

Now you will wonder what kind of boxes and i m saying again i will give away

some beautiful ones!

This is a promise !

If anyone has doubts on why the M90 sells for insanely high prices, we just have to look at this thread... doubters and all.... the moment one opens a topic on the M90 - the comments just flow in...

I like the looks of many other boxes more than the M90, but the quality and sound is just amazing. thats good enough for me

i couldnt agree more !

M90 is king to me because of "that" LLCoolJ record cover (i'm an old barsteward)

that's why I bought mine for 12 quid

and gave it away for nothing

We all look at M90 threads because like car crashes we like to "rubber neck" - at the prices -  they seem to fetch the highest amounts at auction for good reason BIG and CLASSIC - and the C100f isn't far behind - but the Conion/Clairtone doesn't have the quality - just the US brashness whereas the JVC sports its Japanese sophistication and ultimate "HADOUKEN" above all else

I'd have one again - but never pay more than 300

Mine arrived today. Listening to it, i forgot, how good they actually are. I know, RR, carps on about the dp200, but, that`s a modern portable, with years of JVC know how in it. The m90, is 30 yrs old. It makes me realize, the magnitude of the collection i sold. This one is really nice, but, just a tad behind the one i had.

yea id have an m90 again but not for the ridiculas prices they sell for they just don't sound good enough for that kind of money.....my boxed dp200 only cost £150....having said that i wouldn't pay stupid money for a kaboom eather.....money is just to short these days.....and there are more important things than waisting 2k on a bloody boombox...

the main reason m90's sell for so much is because people by them as an investmant and know they can get there money back.....sombody want's to sell me one for 300 i would be more than happy...just had a discussion about the cinima and tickets are neaely £8 so in the same way i wouldn't pay that.....i think £8 to go to the cinima...no smoking and no popcorn like there used to be is just stupid...i guess i was born during the war lol

Which one, first? . You are right though bro. Got my victor m90, from peppin, for £200, fully working. Those day`s have gone.

The sherman one Lit hehe least when they went to war it was done properly......i have £3k worth of technics for £500 now that's more like it......the speakers are half the size of an m90 and the whole thing is sublime... if i Wasn't so bothered about sound then maybe i could waist 2 k on an m90 or any other boombox.....its like the pioneer 909, used to get them for £70 that's about all there worth as they sound so bad.....£1200 for a 909 lad, i would rather pull the trigger....this hobby is just not fun like it used to be.....and the genuine people who want an m90 have no chance....and if they have any sense they shouldn't bother at these prices

Who needs sense lad? It`s the love of boomboxes. Everyone, that heard my m90, was very impressed with the sound. Mainly because, they were listening to little cheapo things. You can`t get over the fact lad, it sounds nice, is very well made. In 1982?, it must have been a revelation. Sherman one?. Me dad, drove a sherman in`t war tha knows.

I see this is not going to end well? Last thread we needed is another JVC m90 thread? It like me putting another Sony d6c thread?

Nothing wrong with the box in general, is consider gail for a reason. BIG and CLASSIC and great dual motor logic control tapedeck for a boombox with decent sound. Now the issue most have, is ridiculas prices they fetch for lately in the pass year and the hype that surrounding it, is causing the ridiculous prices. Every seller now using "LLCoolJ record cover", where before almost not mention. Theirs nothing we can really do about price, but sit, wait and watch. As what goes up must come down theory go into effect. Electronics is not baseball memorabilia where people pay more for the certification and signature, then the item itseft. Once collectors start losing interest in the hobby due to cost and hipsters move on, prices will tank. The problem is most boxes have gone out of reach for most, all due to hype, so sellers think even egg's are worth 100's and buyers especially the noob's get ripoff and put off the hobby, so no new people join. people by them as an investmant and know they can get there money back.

Reason why the best tapedeck Nakamichi Dragon just a example, don't go for 5k and goes for a more reasonable 1k and under, then the customer spend the money to get it restore. Because most people into HiFi audio, know what they are buying and potential issues a older deck will have and don't fall for the hype. With boomboxes it's all over the place. One year they go for $500-$900 and next for 4k-5k? I have mines, so could careless. Unfortunately most, not saying all, buyers that are buying them up, are not buying for enjoyment anymore. They are buying into the hype and buying them as an investment and figure they can wait and get investment back, plus a huge profit. Reason for sudden price hike, when techs don't bother buying them, then you have it priced to high and will soon see why?

I love boomboxes just as much as anybody here rich.....i was walking around with them before birth.....we as collectors are as much to blame.....if we put the boomboxes on ebay for a realistic bin prices would come down....but people just keep wanting more and more......just pure greed imho......the guy who sold me the technics must have been genuine boxes the lot......he could have easily had 2 k for it.....i just have little empathy for the human race lad just greed

That the problem today, everything driven by greed. We are much to blame unfortunately.