Vacuum Tubes - Chinese knock offs being sold as NOS?


Hello Audiogon,

So I was searching the ePay website for vacuum tube.  I came across 7 ... YES 7  adds for Mullard 12AT7 NOS CV4024 ECC81 M8162 - UK Military NEW UNOPENED GUARANTEED.

Evidence of foul play:

-  There are vendors all over the world (USA, Taiwan, Great Britain)

- The pictures listed in the all of the adds looks to be from the same source and are all white boxes (military style).

- The date codes on many of the tubes in the picture are the same 83-14.

- The picture of the big box the individual tube boxes come in looks to be the same picture in all of the adds, not to mention the cardboard of the outer box looks brand new.

- For the tubes shown removed from the box most are shown wrapped in thin packaging paper.  Strange that this paper is not yellowed at all as it would for 40+ year old tubes

- These tubes are RARE and expensive when for sale.  Funny to see no less than 7 adds for full boxes of "military tubes" at the same time.  To find a box full of 100s of these tubes would be the find of the century, and I am supposed to believe that 7 such boxes where found at places all over the world?

- I think the military style boxes were selected for the counterfeit as they are easier to fake than original factory boxes.

I have contacted a few sellers (not to buy but to ask why they are lying in their adds), I do not expect to hear back.

I initially was duped (did not purchase, but saved the initial add to my watch list until I saw the other adds pop up so frequently).  Hoping this helps spread awareness of this scam.

Thanks,

Dave

 

drawding

Petgo is most likely spot on.

The market was flooded with these starting around 2002/2003 with pics of huge master cases (both in individual white boxes and boxless).

I purchased 2 pairs from the UK (white boxes -w- black print/tubes wrapped in thin paper/black plastic wafer shaped pin protectors on the bottom).

Sound was awfully thin/bright driving 2A3's in my Bottlehead amps, but some liked them in different applications.

I gave them to others to try, but think that one pair was returned.

Mine were dated 1983 or 1984 (forget which) and the etched code was for the Mitchum (sp?) plant.

 

DeKay

Thanks for the feedback everyone and also the history lesson.   My take away is that they are legit NOS tubes from the mid 80's, but not necessarily the end all in sound quality.

Can anyone offer any comparisons between them and current manufacture Russian and Chinese tubes?

Thanks,

Dave