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Need help valuing high-end power cables.

I’m looking for help in valuing a lot of 5 Synergistic Research power cables. 
Here’s the backstory. I am doing this to help a ~75-year old friend, who has been operating an electronics repair shop for 40+ years. We live in a rural area in the mountains of North Carolina, and this fine man is struggling to keep his doors open. He is a wealth of knowledge, a true community asset, and I cannot imagine my small town without him or his shop.

These cables were given to him by a “good long-time customer” who himself is a retired audio engineer from a VERY high-end stereo company, which I think it best not to name. He told my friend the shop owner that he never used them, and to me their condition looks to be excellent. A few of them are labeled “Demonstration - Not for Sale.”

My friend has had these laying around his shop for about a year, and I have drooled over them; but know they are out of my system’s league, my price range, and all my vintage gear has the power cables built-in anyway.  He doesn’t have the Internet savvy, or the patience frankly, to sell these online. I am going to try to sell them for him, as a favor, because I know he could use the money, and I hope he can continue in his business for a long, long time.  

Here’s the help I’m requesting. I’ve done some research, and I really have no idea how to price this lot of five cables. I don’t want to sell them individually, I just want to do a single sale.  If anyone can suggest a fair private-sale price range, and/or offer any advice for how to market/package/sell these I would be very grateful.  The goal is a quick sale, thus the buyer gets a good and fair deal. 

So, here is the lot. All five cables look to be in Mint or Near-Mint condition.  Each comes with its own power supply.  All five cables are Synergistic Research brand. 
1. One Tesla S.E. Hologram D (a monster)
2. Two Tesla Series Tesla T3
3. Two Tesla Series Tesla T2

If someone from this forum were to want to buy them, I would list them on this site, and not circumvent Audiogon’s business model. Thank you to the board for your input and help.  I have learned a lot from this crew over the past year.

FYI my two systems:
Matching Sansui AU/TU 5900 integrated and tuner, Dual CS-5000 TT w/Ortofon cart, Raspberry Pi 4 Volumio w/DAC hat, Paradigm SE-1 speakers, cables are quality but basic.

Matching Kenwood KA/KT 3500 integrated and tuner, Dual CS-5000 TT W/Grado cart, Paradigm Reference Studio 40 speakers, cables are quality but basic.

Regards.


gemoody
rodman99999
6,206 posts
 
     The best of your lot (the Hologram), was listed on US Audiomart, at $650 and took 57 days to sell (last year).

      A Tesla T3, for $375, sold there in two days (this month).

      A Tesla T2, for $260, took 146 (2015).

      Good luck getting more*, though: much depends on the lengths (not mentioned) in your possession.

                                *especially: in one lot

       Regarding lengths: longer costs more, but: less people (typically) need the extra length.

       Synergistic used active shielding, beginning before 2000, with their MPCs and extra wiring, but: have since moved on to shielding technologies that don't require any of that.    Long and short: NO, nothing extra special about the Teslas, though as I said, they are still great (at least: better than average) cables.    Particularly, at what they can be had for, used.

         Don't mean to rain on your parade, but: facts are facts.
facten
2,907 posts
 
@gemoody

I concur with rodman999 and contact the guys at usedcable.com to get a quote for the 5 cables . Also, I’d contact TMR Audio for a quote (you can fill out a request for quote directly on their website listing each cable separately). You should get responses within a day or 2. If nothing else it will give you a basis for what you would get for a real quick sale to a reseller, as well as, provide to you a basis for what a private sale would be by marking up the quotes you get by 50% or so which is effectively what the resellers will do

If you sell directly Audiogon and USAudioMart are platforms I’d suggest

Good luck
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
Yeah all things considered $2k would be doing well.  

One thing it might help you to know, there is a big advantage in all the Active Shielding cables in that the MPC can be significantly improved with hard-wired cap and diode upgrades by Michael Spallone. I did this with my CTS and the improvement was tremendous value for not a lot of money. Not many are even aware of this so you never know, it might be a selling point for the right buyer.  

Otherwise selling to a dealer like the cable co might be a good way to go. I have a hard time believing they will give as good a price to buy outright as if you were buying something, but they will have the advantage of getting a solid number, fast. 
rodman99999
6,206 posts
 
       +1, regarding the upgrades that Michael Spallone does, if a prospective buyer could be sold on that point and then willing to contact Michael.

        That COULD make selling on the 'GoN easier; as he has a LOT of positive feedback and testimonial, on these pages.

        ie: https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/modding-synergistic-research-mpc-to-galileo-status

        and: https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/modding-synergistic-research-mpc-to-galileo-status-2/post?hig...

         He used to advertise on US Audiomart, but: the ad's been deleted.

          Pics: https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649063652-synergistic_research_ms_mpc_modified/images/584904/

           Here's what a Spallone-modded MPC/Tesla T3 (8' though) brought, on Audiocircle, in 2015:

            https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=133766.0

             Haven't seen him in here, since this past March.

             I talked to the guys at The Cable Company (Used Cable's parent) about trading my Tesla Apexes in on a CTS pair, when they first came out.

                                Based on my experience: you'll get offered bupkis!

              BUT: like I said, depending on how fast or desperately you want to sell...

dekay's avatar
dekay
5,695 posts
 
"Sold individually over a period of time those 5 might bring $10k."

"Yeah all things considered $2k would be doing well."

LOL
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