Classic Samplers: Price Vs Value?

Clint wrote:Sadly, price and value are two completely different concepts.

A lot of people here have no understanding of basic economics.

This quote came from another thread, and was rightfully challenged. It was not meant as an insult, but simply represents my subjective opinion based on many years here listening to peoples views. Thinking mainly of the classics here, SP's, MPC60/3000, ASR's, S900/950's, Emax's, Studio 440's and so on. Of course, I could be wrong in your opinion, which is fine. So I thought it would be interesting to see what people think about this pillar of economics.

In the context of classic samplers, or more generally if you prefer, what is your understanding of price versus value? Not from Google or Wikipedia, but as YOU understand it at this point in time...

the PRICE of an S950 is reasonable considering the VALUE it adds to your production


just being cheeky,

That is actually a very good answer, on both points.

i've always seen price as subjective, meaning it can vary depending on how much the person who owns the item values it, or how "valued" they see the item.

Ill try and example it

Now we all know a sweat stained, plain white t shirt once warn by the lead singer of Metallica at a concert in France, from a PRICE point, is worth the cost of a used t shirt, you can say its blessed, whatever, its a T shirt. they cost chips.

The value though, is dependent on A - what people think its WORTH and B - how much VALUE it holds to that person. Some ie hard fan might pay $2000 for it, but to the every day joe, its just a dirty shirt.

that's how i see it anyway.

I think when we're taling about classic gear, it'll most likely stay at a "reasonable" price point.

In my other thread where i talked about hard times as a seller, i wasn't talking about classic gear. I recently sold a broken S950 for 300 swiss francs.

A Mark II Rhodes piano recently sold for 2550 swiss francs.

I sold my 2000XL for 700 swiss francs.

etc.

I think the classics will always sell at a good price.

Very touchy subject here...

Some of this "Classic" gear is just getting damn outrageous. But I can see how some people can fall in love with the simplicity of certain tools.

Perfect example is the TR-808. That 808 sound is a staple of music almost to a point of being it's own instrument. Almost like how most rock has a guitar lead. But have you ever USED one? It's not exactly the most intuitive device in the world but when used with slightly more modern tech... Hot damn, some fire can come out of that beast.

Music gear in general can't keep up with Moore's law, so ideas on how to improve new tech is being pushed to the back burner due to development cost, etc. (the REN is a perfect example)

I understand how simplicity can create a gear lust for vintage tech. What I don't get is how paying an exuberant amount of cash for a Studio 440 or even Emax's and SP will be of value to the user.

An S950, I can see value in if you just must have a sampler for cheap, but pay $1500 to 2000 for a Studio 440, is just some rap nerd gear lust type -ish.

I picked up a eps16 plus sampler for $125 not to long ago.

When you start talking prices of vintage collectible gear, you have to consider more than the value to a musician of it's functionality as a musical instrument, you have to consider it's rarity, it's history and impact on particular musical genres, what it means emotionally to each particular buyer, the impact it's status has on it's level of collectability, impact on the market of buy/sell speculators/dealers, etc.

Once you get something that reaches the legendary status of an SP1200, TR-808, TR-909, TB-303, Studio440, Arp 2600, CS-80, etc., you are paying for more than just what it does, you are also paying for what it has done, and paying because there are not enough for the number of people who want to own one.

Price is the objective factor of something while value is the subjective factor. So while the price of a classic sampler remains the same for everyone, the value depends on how you feel about classic samplers and what they can do for you.

This is why collectors will pay so much for objects they never plan to actually use for the function the object was created for. The value itself comes from owning that piece as part of a larger group of similar objects. Scarcity of older gear in working condition drives up the price because there are many groups that consider that to add value to the object. And obviously artists consider working gear valuable because broken gear doesn't usually output the sounds the gear is known for.

Unless, of course, the gear is broken in some special, interesting way that outputs sounds no other gear can. But that's pretty subjective, no?