Seems like he loves the amp! He posted a lot of videos - good advertisement for you. Maybe it is indeed worthwhile to let a few of your amps to go for peanuts so potential customers can realize how good they are.
There is a phenomenon on eBay that I would call "positive price feedback". An item that attracts a lot of attention (like your amp did) may first time sell moderately, but the outcome will condition those who did not win to bid more next time. So, second time over it will sell for more, third time even more, and so on. From a buyer's standpoint, early birds get the bargain, but for a seller, keeping the excitement pays handsomely. You have to strike the balance though. If you put up another amplifier right after the previous one is sold, the buyers may think you have a lot of inventory, and wait for a bargain instead of buying right away. Let them know that you make your amps for the love of art, and only if you feel inspired, so that your product will never be plentiful. The same marketing pitch used by people like Kondo or Sakuma.
There is a phenomenon on eBay that I would call "positive price feedback". An item that attracts a lot of attention (like your amp did) may first time sell moderately, but the outcome will condition those who did not win to bid more next time. So, second time over it will sell for more, third time even more, and so on. From a buyer's standpoint, early birds get the bargain, but for a seller, keeping the excitement pays handsomely. You have to strike the balance though. If you put up another amplifier right after the previous one is sold, the buyers may think you have a lot of inventory, and wait for a bargain instead of buying right away. Let them know that you make your amps for the love of art, and only if you feel inspired, so that your product will never be plentiful. The same marketing pitch used by people like Kondo or Sakuma.
Yes, and it is exactly what I am thinking, except I am not going to sell my amps on eBay forever. I need to figure out what kind of amps to offer.
I have not sold complete amps on Ebay, and if I should choose to do so the word "prototype" will be displayed along with a clear and concise explanation of the word.
A production amplifier implies that it has been tested by a product safety company like UL and found to be idiot proof. A vacuum tube amplifier would not likely pass UL certification unless it was completely enclosed and doubly insulated.
A prototype is essentially a collection of parts arranged so that it makes good sound. The buyer assumes all risk should he or she choose to go poking around inside it with the power turned on.
In today's age of frivolous lawsuits by people hoping to cash in on their own stupidity this is required, and still may not protect you in all cases.
Hi Wavebourn,
I am struggling in last few years with the same issue. Ebay is good and bad at the same time. Fees are a killer. Hard to now what the audiophiles want. They are all over the place with desire and knowledge. A lot of them are into solid state and all of them want to buy cheap when comes to tube amps/preamps.
I ended up building custom. I am trying to get away from custom because many times ( because of trial of new things and error) I end up building it for free or loosing money.
I live in CT and I am very familiar with the audio club over here. Majority of the club members have low sensitivity speakers and require at least 50W power amps. There is low demand on low power amps.
Anyway, I wish you good luck and hope to see your amps out there in a while. I will love to try one too.
Cheers,
Radu
I am struggling in last few years with the same issue. Ebay is good and bad at the same time. Fees are a killer. Hard to now what the audiophiles want. They are all over the place with desire and knowledge. A lot of them are into solid state and all of them want to buy cheap when comes to tube amps/preamps.
I ended up building custom. I am trying to get away from custom because many times ( because of trial of new things and error) I end up building it for free or loosing money.
I live in CT and I am very familiar with the audio club over here. Majority of the club members have low sensitivity speakers and require at least 50W power amps. There is low demand on low power amps.
Anyway, I wish you good luck and hope to see your amps out there in a while. I will love to try one too.
Cheers,
Radu
i agree absolutely......i never offer my amps for sale, people drop by the house and have a listen, i size up the person, if i see that tubes is not for him, i even discourage the person.....like when he has toddlers running loose around the house.....i have heard stories of little children getting limbs burned, i can not have those in my conscience....
to me tubes are just a hobby, never a way of making a living, no real money in there...u ever i sell my amps, it is just to roll over my meager resources....
UL certification is practically insurmountable to an artisan builder - a lot of money is involved, and expense is only justified by large scale production. Either every single component of an amp is UL- certified, or the whole thing must go through full certification process. Re. first option, tubes, sockets, resistors, capacitors, etc. are never UL, they are at best only RU.
Ah, now I can understand, sorry. However "idiot proof" equipment does not exist, an idiot always will find the way to make it wrong... Murphy lives...
No wonder chainsaw instruction for USA especially stresses that it can not be started when the chain touches the hardwood floor!
Also, the majority of registered injures in USA are from soft furniture.
Hmmm... For those who makes living may be such devices would be better to manufacture, it even has 1 5-star review! 🙂
And no need to certify, since it does nothing. 🙂
https://www.amazon.de/Black-Forest-Audio-Harmonizer-Netzreiniger/dp/B005LF31S2
And no need to certify, since it does nothing. 🙂
https://www.amazon.de/Black-Forest-Audio-Harmonizer-Netzreiniger/dp/B005LF31S2
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" 100€ ,,,, "
TUBE SONIC BUBBLERS!!!!
The super-critically heated fluid (found only in selected pyramids) acts like a heat pump to cool your expensive tubes, absorbing micro-phonic vibrations in the process, vaporizing all interference effortlessly. Squeaky harmonics, noise and hysteresis are vaporized away. Your worries are gone, like bubbles in Champagne. Mesmerizing, soothing, cheerful visual effects bring miraculous fluidity to all sonic qualities in your system. This is the most important sound enhancement you will EVER add to your system. Quantities limited, so get them while supplies last. Soon to be invaluable collectors items, sonic and visual treasures passed down for generations.
TUBE SONIC BUBBLERS!!!!
The super-critically heated fluid (found only in selected pyramids) acts like a heat pump to cool your expensive tubes, absorbing micro-phonic vibrations in the process, vaporizing all interference effortlessly. Squeaky harmonics, noise and hysteresis are vaporized away. Your worries are gone, like bubbles in Champagne. Mesmerizing, soothing, cheerful visual effects bring miraculous fluidity to all sonic qualities in your system. This is the most important sound enhancement you will EVER add to your system. Quantities limited, so get them while supplies last. Soon to be invaluable collectors items, sonic and visual treasures passed down for generations.
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Genius!!!
You got to do like $699 for two or something or else the high end blokes won't buy em.
Basically you need to put them out of normal peoples price range, this is actually what attracts them.
You got to do like $699 for two or something or else the high end blokes won't buy em.
Basically you need to put them out of normal peoples price range, this is actually what attracts them.
If you want to earn $ 1 million in audio production, then invest 10 million. 1 million dollars from the invested 10 million will turn out by itself.
I hear a little gurgling about 30 minutes after I power up, is this normal? To connect them should I be using pure gold wire rolled by the feet of 42 vestal virgins or is the silver/gold alloy wire marinated in 150 yr old port insulated with 400yr old damask that I currently use ok? 😉
$699 huh. It will be tough competing with WalMart for bubble lights on price:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Set-of-7-Multi-Color-Retro-Christmas-Bubble-Lights-Green-Wire/23889501
So some customization (and enlarging) to fit T-9 and T-12 type tubes will be needed, and patenting of course. Especially in China. (some payoffs maybe?)
The history of Xmas bubble lights is somewhat amusing. Patented by Carl Otis in 1935 and licensed to NOMA Electric, he was making a fortune on them. Then in 1947, Raylite (2nd biggest Xmas bulb manufacturer) copied the design and began selling similar, very popular, lights. After legal battles, Raylite offered to pay Otis the same royalties as NOMA, but Otis persisted in court. Greed, greed.... The court eventually voided his patents and both NOMA and Raylite ceased paying any further royalties to Otis.
https://oldchristmastreelights.com/bubble_lights1.htm
The old NOMA lights DO look better than the present (most likely Chinese) WalMart bulbs. And they didn't arrive non-functional (ie, series strings, check reviews).
NOMA Pic courtesy of: Oldchristmastreelights.com/bubble_lights1
One can get bubble lights with sparkling metallic pixie dust mixed in the bubble fluid now too.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Set-of-7-Multi-Color-Retro-Christmas-Bubble-Lights-Green-Wire/23889501
So some customization (and enlarging) to fit T-9 and T-12 type tubes will be needed, and patenting of course. Especially in China. (some payoffs maybe?)
The history of Xmas bubble lights is somewhat amusing. Patented by Carl Otis in 1935 and licensed to NOMA Electric, he was making a fortune on them. Then in 1947, Raylite (2nd biggest Xmas bulb manufacturer) copied the design and began selling similar, very popular, lights. After legal battles, Raylite offered to pay Otis the same royalties as NOMA, but Otis persisted in court. Greed, greed.... The court eventually voided his patents and both NOMA and Raylite ceased paying any further royalties to Otis.
https://oldchristmastreelights.com/bubble_lights1.htm
The old NOMA lights DO look better than the present (most likely Chinese) WalMart bulbs. And they didn't arrive non-functional (ie, series strings, check reviews).
NOMA Pic courtesy of: Oldchristmastreelights.com/bubble_lights1
One can get bubble lights with sparkling metallic pixie dust mixed in the bubble fluid now too.
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