What’s It Worth? Estate Sale: AR-3’s and JBL Custom Cabinet w LE 10/LE 30/LX3

[Terminate]

Hello all,

So here are some vintage speakers I acquired from an estate sale and, in short, I am just trying to figure out what they are worth……ballpark. Just looking to get an idea of a fair price for my time/effort/investment but also a price that is fair and reasonable for the buyer……so everyone is happy. Any and all comments and insight would be welcomed. Thank you kindly in advance for your time. Much appreciated.


AR-3

Quick inspection and low volume testing showed the following:

Unit 1 (pics 1 thru 5): Driver foam is intact and driver is working and producing sound, midrange not producing any sound, hirange is producing sound intermittently when turning control unit of back of cabinet. Control unit feels rough like it is grinding when turning control knobs and produces crackling sounds when turned. Cabinet itself is in decent vintange condtion.

Second unit (pics 6 thru 10): Liquid of some sort (maybe a drink) leaked down the front grill at some point and stained it. Driver foam is clearly wasted. Driver does produce some sound but does not sound good……may be something more than just foam wrong with this driver. Midrange is working and producing sounds, hirange no output. Now what looks like brown rust on the midrange is not but rather seems some kind of material related to a repair at some time....I think. Control unit feels rough like it is grinding when turning control knobs and produces crackling sounds when turned. Cabinet itself is in good structural condition but fair cosmetic condition due to the liquid surface damage to the wood exterior.

Pure speculation here but maybe all midrange and hirange will work correctly with properly functioning control unit......maybe? That’s the gamble though right?

Cabinet dimensions / capacity: 11.5” X 14” X 25” / 2.32 cubic feet

Note: It appears both units have been serviced at some point by ACO AudioRama, Santa Monica Blvd, Hollywood California; no idea of their reputation or the quality of their work. Furthermore I believe they are long since out of business so I can’t look up any reviews.

So via my research these can go from $300 on up to $2500 and frankly I’m a bit overwhelmed and don’t know what price would be reasonable and fair to sell them for.

JBL

Quick inspection and low volume testing demonstrated the speakers work great and sound great and look clean. The only thing that is less than perfect is the LX3 crossover’s each crackle ever so slightly at a couple spots over the full turn of the dial but that is it. And one LX3 is missing a knob cover.

Components:

JBL LE30 (consecutive serial numbers 3164 & 3165)

JBL LE10 (consecutive serial numbers 3162 & 3162)

LX3 (consecutive serial numbers 3166 & 3167 – One missing knob cover)

Cabinets:

Dimensions: 22” X 22” X 12” (3.36 cubic feet)

The cabinets appear to me to be custom made or home made. They seem to be very well constructed with internal padding and tight fitting all around.

 

[swechsler]

I'd say you have one AR3a (speaker on the left) and one AR3 (speaker on the right). That will probably be a tough sale as a pair.

Regarding the JBLs, since the cabinets are custom and not particularly special, they will likely be worth more parted out. eBay completed sales would be your best bet to determine value, these parts are common enough that there should be a few of each.

 

[r_brumett61]

They both appear to be AR 3s. What ever dripped on the left one has really eaten the surround(might be repairable) as for lack of sound from the mids/tweeters it usually is/are the pots but could be a capacitor. As for price even in that condition $500 up!

 

[Lazarus Long]

Having a different woofer in one hurts the value.. They are a project! Probably worth around $500. Put em on eBay and see what happens. You have to get the mids and tweeters working though. Get a can of deoxit and treat the pots..

 

[JH Magnecord]

They're BOTH 3's: the "fried egg" tweeter was never in a 3a. However, the woofer of the second one is a later replacement which didn't have the cloth surround of pre-1969.

 

[Terminate]

Cool. Thanks for chiming in everyone....I appreciate you taking the time. Good comments/suggestions.

So I'm leaning towards starting at'round $700 for AR3's all things considered. I'm not greedy....nor do I want to sell myself short....... and am just looking for a fair price keeping in mind the condition/risk/potential for the buyer. Could maybe get bit more but I don't wanna be "that guy" sitting on $1500 asking price for 9 months all the while keeping in mind the buyer is taking some risk so there needs to be a reasonable up side for buyer. Good karma.

Deoxit.......nice......perfect referral for a noob like me. Thx.

Just noticing via the label on the backside that label says "AR-3x" so "fried egg" tweeter appears original eh?

Thanks again all and any other comments welcomed.

 

[Dswankey]

Hello all,

So here are some vintage speakers I acquired from an estate sale and, in short, I am just trying to figure out what they are worth……ballpark. Just looking to get an idea of a fair price for my time/effort/investment but also a price that is fair and reasonable for the buyer

AR-3

So via my research these can go from $300 on up to $2500 and frankly I’m a bit overwhelmed and don’t know what price would be reasonable and fair to sell them for.

I see that the 2 threads you have started here at AK in either of your threads you don't mention what market you'll be trying to sell them in, for example local CL? or the auction site?. I can't speak for your local CL but what you could hope to get there will drastically vary on the auction site.

As another poster pointed out they look mismatched (the woofers), maybe it's the light in the picture but the coloration of the cabinets to my eyes looks mismatched also

So I'm leaning towards starting at'round $700 for AR3's all things considered.

All things considered I think starting ar'around $700 is a bit steep if selling locally, if selling on the auction site maybe? but then you have to factor in shipping, which is no small feat and would be expensive to boot for the potential buyer

 

[Terminate]

I see that the 2 threads you have started here at AK in either of your threads you don't mention what market you'll be trying to sell them in, for example local CL? or the auction site?. I can't speak for your local CL but what you could hope to get there will drastically vary on the auction site.

As another poster pointed out they look mismatched (the woofers), maybe it's the light in the picture but the coloration of the cabinets to my eyes looks mismatched also



All things considered I think starting ar'around $700 is a bit steep if selling locally, if selling on the auction site maybe? but then you have to factor in shipping, which is no small feat and would be expensive to boot for the potential buyer

Fair points, I'm new to audiokarma and was just trying to err on the side of caution in that I didn't want to break any rules. Still navigating the site and was not sure if that would be acceptable in "dollars and sense" forum or if I'd get a slap on the wrist and pointed to a "for sale" forum or something......if there is one. Some other site I visited in the past, unrelated to stereo equipment, did just that to me......and fair enough, those were the rules on that site.....unbeknownst to me. I'm not seeing a "for sale" forum on audiokarma though so just speculaton. In short, start with Craigslist locally in Orange County, SoCal fully understanding not ideal for best price. If that proves too difficult to get a reasonable price out of them I might try doing the ebay thing as others have suggested. Been toying with the idea for a while but just haven't pulled the ebay trigger. Maybe this is an appropriate item and would certainly open up a far larger potential market.

Can you clarify specifically what "auction site" you referred to or were you just speaking generally......an auction site. Thx.

You are correct, one woofer is not original in one speaker. Everything else appears original to my novice eye though I believe. Obviously that'll impact the market value.

Thx.

 

[Dswankey]

You're not braking any rules, you're asking in the correct place too.

The auction site is a reference to ebay, getting back to markets there is the ability to sell here on AK however you would have to become a subscriber, I believe the annual fee is $25 then you can sell via Bartertown which a good number of folks do.

See link below

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/in...tplace-or-other-selling-buying-venues.447877/

Not trying to dissuade you however CL can be a PIA with a lot of low ball offers, fishy payment offers, weird people showing up at your residence, etc. ebay could be the ticket and does open a larger market and potentially higher selling prices however if your new to it you might try "local pick up only" I say this because shipping a pair of heavy speakers requires really good sturdy packaging so that if you wind up shipping them, to let's say Florida, they arrive from that long journey without a scratch, dinged up corners or rattling internals. One little issue and the buyer can request a refund from ebay, which they will get so not only do you not get the money, you would be responsible for dealing with the shipping service (FedEx Ground, UPS etc) to have them send them all the way back to Cali and hope they don't arrive even more damaged.

I'm not trying to be a buzzkill, I shipped a heavy item several years ago, didn't pack it as well as I thought, item was mangled upon arrival to the buyer. I had to refund in full and the kick in the butt was they barely made an effort to repackage it correctly and based on the pictures the buyer was nice enough to send showing original damage the item arrived in even worse shape.

 

[turnitdown]

Those LE10s in that cabinet size with the right port (I see they're sealed) would be magic. I modeled them in L80T cabinets and they play LOW and have all the mid range too. I have the L80t cabinets and the LE10s. Can not WAIT until I can get to that project. If the lansalloy is stiff, get with Rick Cobb for the correct foam surrounds. I'm a JBL fan boy, but the LE series of drivers are sublime.

 

[Terminate]

You're not braking any rules, you're asking in the correct place too.

The auction site is a reference to ebay, getting back to markets there is the ability to sell here on AK however you would have to become a subscriber, I believe the annual fee is $25 then you can sell via Bartertown which a good number of folks do.

See link below

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/in...tplace-or-other-selling-buying-venues.447877/

Not trying to dissuade you however CL can be a PIA with a lot of low ball offers, fishy payment offers, weird people showing up at your residence, etc. ebay could be the ticket and does open a larger market and potentially higher selling prices however if your new to it you might try "local pick up only" I say this because shipping a pair of heavy speakers requires really good sturdy packaging so that if you wind up shipping them, to let's say Florida, they arrive from that long journey without a scratch, dinged up corners or rattling internals. One little issue and the buyer can request a refund from ebay, which they will get so not only do you not get the money, you would be responsible for dealing with the shipping service (FedEx Ground, UPS etc) to have them send them all the way back to Cali and hope they don't arrive even more damaged.

I'm not trying to be a buzzkill, I shipped a heavy item several years ago, didn't pack it as well as I thought, item was mangled upon arrival to the buyer. I had to refund in full and the kick in the butt was they barely made an effort to repackage it correctly and based on the pictures the buyer was nice enough to send showing original damage the item arrived in even worse shape.

Good info re Bartertown. Thank you.

Yeah, your comments sum up the dilemma pretty well. I've had reasonable success with craigslist locally with other items, not stereo related, so I'll give these items a shot on craigslist too. No doubt ill get a bunch of low ballers but I'm not in a hurry and can sit on it for a while and wait for a reasonable offer.....if one comes. Will be a little less $ but may be worth the convenience. If not reasonable luck will likely try ebay......with all it's potential headaches and benefits. But I do really like your suggestion of ebay local pickup only. That's a great idea that didn't occur to me. Thx. Hopefully get these items a home with someone that'll appreciate them and get a fair price for my efforts. win win.

 

[Terminate]

Those LE10s in that cabinet size with the right port (I see they're sealed) would be magic. I modeled them in L80T cabinets and they play LOW and have all the mid range too. I have the L80t cabinets and the LE10s. Can not WAIT until I can get to that project. If the lansalloy is stiff, get with Rick Cobb for the correct foam surrounds. I'm a JBL fan boy, but the LE series of drivers are sublime.

I was wondering about that actually. So if i were to cut a port......what would you suggest with respect to size and placement? Something similar to the L80t cabinets you enjoy? Then again, may just leave that for the new owner......maybe.

Also, i can not find ANYTHING about the LE 10 drivers with respect to value......or little else for that matter. Found other sub models: LE 10a / LE 10h but nothing else. Any insight would be appreciated. (Found a few ebay references / completed sales on the LX3 and LE 30......but nada on drivers)

Thx for chiming in.

 

[turnitdown]

One vent, three inches in diameter and 6.83 inches long in that cabinet will give you an F3 of about 36. Not bad for a ten.

If you're going to pass them on, though, why bother?

 

[Snow]

I cant say for sure what the AR3's are worth locally since I don't know your market but what I would do is part them out on Ebay I think the cabinets would cost more to repair then what you could get for them if repaired and you would need to re do the crossovers and source another woofer so they are matching to get top dollar. I have bought 2 pair of original AR3's locally and the most expensive pair was $24.95 and honestly they really don't sound that good in my opinion so not keepers either.

I would be hard pressed to pay more than $100.00 for them if I seen them locally in the same condition and most people would pass at free I think because they are not going to restore them nor resell for a profit and would not have these in their house as is. I hope you get the $700.00 you want but I think it will be a while.


Regards Snow

 

[Terminate]

I cant say for sure what the AR3's are worth locally since I don't know your market but what I would do is part them out on Ebay I think the cabinets would cost more to repair then what you could get for them if repaired and you would need to re do the crossovers and source another woofer so they are matching to get top dollar. I have bought 2 pair of original AR3's locally and the most expensive pair was $24.95 and honestly they really don't sound that good in my opinion so not keepers either.

I would be hard pressed to pay more than $100.00 for them if I seen them locally in the same condition and most people would pass at free I think because they are not going to restore them nor resell for a profit and would not have these in their house as is. I hope you get the $700.00 you want but I think it will be a while.


Regards Snow

Yeah, i hear ya. Seems like prices are all over the place these speakers being what they are; performance potential/mystique/etc. Watched and searched out closed sales on ebay and didn't see any go for less than three or four hundred or so minimum.......completely untested and in worse shape than mine. Then there is your story of $25. Parting them out and/or ebay would likely get me best price out of them but if I take a bit of a hit price wise for my convenience by selling local pickup only/as is/for parts or refurbish.......I can live with that......especially if they go to a good home. Otherwise gotta do a bunch of work on them, spend a bunch of my time, perhaps create an ebay account........or some other myriad of options. So hey, will try local on CL and see what happens. I'll just have to let the market tell me what they are worth ultimately; start at say $700 and drop the price regularly til someone finds it suits their needs. Nothing reasonable comes in and price starts getting too low then I'll consider putting more time and effort into them to maximize earning potential.

I appreciate everyones comments. AudioKarma!

 

[Snow]

Yeah, i hear ya. Seems like prices are all over the place these speakers being what they are; performance potential/mystique/etc. Watched and searched out closed sales on ebay and didn't see any go for less than three or four hundred or so minimum.......completely untested and in worse shape than mine. Then there is your story of $25. Parting them out and/or ebay would likely get me best price out of them but if I take a bit of a hit price wise for my convenience by selling local pickup only/as is/for parts or refurbish.......I can live with that......especially if they go to a good home. Otherwise gotta do a bunch of work on them, spend a bunch of my time, perhaps create an ebay account........or some other myriad of options. So hey, will try local on CL and see what happens. I'll just have to let the market tell me what they are worth ultimately; start at say $700 and drop the price regularly til someone finds it suits their needs. Nothing reasonable comes in and price starts getting too low then I'll consider putting more time and effort into them to maximize earning potential.

I appreciate everyones comments. AudioKarma!

Glad you did not take my comments as saying they were worth only $100.00 in your market area, it is huge and you may well be able to find someone who has to have them for $700.00 just noticed you are in South CA speakers here even nice ones rarely sell for more then $100,00 even though some do sell higher it is not often.

And yes start them as high as you want because you cant go up if your asking is too low.

Regards Snow

 

[slowpat]

The value of the JBLs are in the bullet tweeters, maybe $300 a pair or slightly more (you can find eBay completed listings on tweeters.)

Those woofers are not worth much. One guy had it for less than $100, and it took a couple of weeks to sell. I have refoamed the same woofers, and my advice is don't do it. Just sell them as is. When I was trying to remove the old Lansalloy surround, the old paper cone was so brittle, portion of it chipped off, and the job did not come out clean. And there's no JBL size surround for them, so per gordonw, I used the surround for mini Advent woofers, and that was perfect.

 

[swechsler]

Those aren't bullet tweeters, they're LE30s, they're rarer than the 2402 bullets, and a pair closed on eBay earlier this month for $500. I agree the woofers aren't worth much, but they're still worth the effort to sell (I'd do them as a pair). The crossovers are worth a couple hundred as well.

 

[slowpat]

Those aren't bullet tweeters, they're LE30s, they're rarer than the 2402 bullets, and a pair closed on eBay earlier this month for $500. I agree the woofers aren't worth much, but they're still worth the effort to sell (I'd do them as a pair). The crossovers are worth a couple hundred as well.

My bad...didn’t look carefully as the baffle cut out was round instead of exposing the LE30 face fully. I should know better because I have just restored a pair of Minigon, but the drivers in mine were corroded and aged.

 

[centsless]

Your AR3's have been screwed with. One has the original alnico woofer with cloth surround (best driver you have) but a 3a mid..... while the other 3 has an original mid but chances are it is toast....and has a later ceramic woofer that was on the 3a. You can put speaker leads to the terminal block to see if you get sound on that original mid because if it works....it has value. Cabs are poor as well as grills. Hard to imagine what is done inside of them. Seven hundred bucks is way too high.