Trends in value of vintage / used audio equipment?

My original GAS Ampzilla must take the crown with its decadel VU meters! 

To be on the level (cheap pun), I used to have a lil' LED box that would read VU & power at the amp output...and became obvious what mattered in 'play'....

Education is where it happens....])

Under the presumption that technology improves the performance of the newest gear over anything from the past, and because most buyers put a premium on buying something new (meaning instantaneous depreciation after purchase), all gear lose value quite quickly.  However, some gain favor with enough buyers that the price slide comes to a halt and can even reverse.  While it is extremely rare that this reversal can be so extreme that the vintage price exceeds the original price.  Western Electric gear is an example.  Their amps and speaker components can sell for many times the original price with inflation factored in.  Even parts are expensive.  The input transformers in my amp now sell for $10k a pair, and the output transformers sell for about that much too.  Their wire used to hook up telephone switch boards can now command up to $10k for an 8” diameter spool.

No one has to tell me, I already know I'm a low percentile kind of guy. But I collect Carver amps, and I have noticed an increase in prices. I think the increase is ahead of inflation. In the past I was (happily) surprised at the value of Kenwood KD 500 and 550 TT's (I have 2 in the TT stable). As new equipment prices climb out of the reach of common folk, the market for "Vintage" will grow.

I bought a decent Marantz 2285B years ago for under $400 on Ebay, probably 20 years ago, and the asking for these nowadays is getting close to $2K.

Similarly, I purchased a basket case 2235B for around $200K, put a bit of sweat equity into it and now it’s worth about 3 times what I paid for it.

I purchased a classic 1060 from someone who didn’t want it for $200, I need to clean it up a bit, and I’ll probably just replace the main filter caps, I wont’ sell this one since it’s such a sweet little Amp with the classic Marantz sound.

I have a Yamaha IR on my workbench right now that I need to do something about, but unfortunately, the front panel has some wear on it that will make this more a labor of love than something that will increase in value.

Marantz was the Cadillac of receivers in the 70’s for good reason. They also looked great, something that is severely missed in most of today’s gear.

Bottom line is that certain brands from the 60’s and 70’s have continued to go up in price because of reputation and looks, and others may be better technically, and probably overpriced for what you get, but they’re going up at roughly the same rate as the stock market.