SHOULD I BUY? tons of tubes -- reply asap!

[xtian]

OMG. Check out this treasure chest:

http://chico.craigslist.org/msg/2143666946.html

This is 30 minutes from my house. Gold mine or toxic waste?

Also, how much for an adequate tube tester on eBay?

[Bruciep07]

Lots like this come up on ebay all the time, I have never been able to convince myself to take the chance. Personally, I would only be after "common" tubes, 12ax/au/ay7's, EL84/34, 6L6, 6V6, rectifiers, etc... Don't definitively see many of them from the pictures shown. Seems like most of the "Lots" you see for sale, they leave out the list of whats included on purpose and only give you vague descriptions of what tubes are included. When I see someone who has been "collecting" tubes like this but tries to come off in the add like they don't know what they have, it tells me that these are the leftovers from their pickings, the good tubes are in their collection and the leftovers go up for sale to try to recoup some of the money they originally put out... On the other hand, there could be gold at the bottom of the boxes

[Structo]

Yeah, you never know, might be worth a look.

I don't see a lot of 9 pinners, many times old 12ax7's and the like will have a lot of life left in them.

The power tubes are another story.
One box appears to have several 6V6 looking tubes but without the numbers it's anybody's guess.

If it isn't too far of a drive I would go take a look.

Figure good vintage preamp tubes are worth $15-50 it doesn't take many to add up to $200.
On the other hand, if they are all oddball TV tubes then you have to figure out what to do with them.

[Phil_S]

Egad, no. He's got a 3V4 and a 1U5, a sure sign he had no idea what he was buying. Most are without boxes, so assume they are used or used up. For it to be worth $200 to me, I'd have to find at 40 good and good for guitar tubes in that lot. I don't think there are that many. I am guessing you won't find a pair of Mullard EL34's or Telefunken ECC83's. That's the only other way to get to $200 in a hurry. I can see a couple of 6SN7GT. $5 each is what I could muster for those.

If it's not too far, you might take a drive to see what's there.

[Chad]

Hell a 30 min. drive I would take just to check em' out. Face to face you can usually wheel and deal better. I'd take the trip.Guess you never know. Chad

[David Root]

Let us know what transpires. From those pix I agree with Chad.