Quote:
Originally Posted by Hagar
Seems a lot of people on this forum are after purchases at prices way below their value.
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Unfortunately they're right - the secondhand value of astronomical gear was always appallingly low - basically insignificant - if you can get something back count yourself lucky because many end up throwing the stuff out.
One of the rotten consequences of the influx of cheap chinese stuff is that the morons seem to think they can pick up top-grade stuff for substantially less than the new price of the chinese rubbish.
The trouble for anyone holding high-end gear is that it won't be high-end for long; technology moves on and the chinese will do it for a fraction of the cost. It's like buying a luxury car - resale value is not a consideration.
For example the fellow with the Quantum 8 Maksutov which I see is still for sale elsewhere (not on IIS). While it certainly is worth a lot more than the chinese crap maks from Orion/Saxon, whether it has any "collectible" value is dubious. And while some might feel its worth what he's asking, it's a bit difficult to justify an 8" f/15 OTA on technical performance alone at a higher price than, say, a Meade 12" RCX - which comes with a modern electronic mount and all the bells and whistles. Ditto the refractor by Barry Adcock, and to some extent the Takahashi gear that pops up from time to time.
"Spent costs" must be ignored and have no bearing on what an item is worth - it's only worth what someone is willing to pay.