Grado RS-1 EBAY Auction

[KenB]

There is insane bidding on EBAY over a set of Grado RS-1's. Last time I checked, someone had bid $705! I checked and, even if these Grado's are new, as advertised, there will be NO WARRANTY. There is no disclosure concerning where this set originated or how the current seller got hold of them. It appears that most of the seller's other items are in the automotive equipment category! Hmmm...

Anyway, if there is any defect in the RS-1's, rare as that might be, the buyer has no recourse back to the manufacturer. I asked the Seller about this and he claimed to be uninformed about the warranty. He did suggest that he would "listen" to the headphones before sending them out. Yikes!

I find that Grado RS-1's can be purchased all day long on the internet for $695, which seems to be the standard published retail price from authorized resellers -- with warranty. I also understand that Head-Fi members may even receive a discount from certain vendors who support this forum. Why someone would buy a set for a higher price from an unknown source, with no guarantee at all, is unimaginable.

Ken

 

[seeberg]

Because they are insane and are addicted to eBay, perhaps? I've seen SR60's go for up to $75, and I've seen decade old ones go for at least $60. It's like selling a Ferrari. You buy the hottest one, like a 250GT, 360 Spyder, or F50, and its value will go up as long as its in good shape. Even Grados with worn out pads fetch a high return, even though users have to realize that they will be paying between $3-30 for replacement pads, depending on taste.

I actually considered selling my SR125's with a reserve of $100, but after listening to them with 414 VWAP pads, I think I've changed my mind. I do still need to sell my old POS bose system though.

,
Abe

 

[Salt Peanuts]

I think I know which pair you're talking about. Aside from the fact that things do tend to go bit higher than they should on eBay from my experience, I think the main reason for the high bids are because these RS-1's are ones from very early production cycles. If you look at the pic, the headband is brown and not black, which IIRC was the color when they initially started making RS-1's way back when. Also, the wooden box is pretty nice.

 

[seeberg]

Could be, of course now it wouldn't be good if it were one of those 'un-lacquered' RS-1's I've heard about, that weren't finished properly and in turn don't sound right. Personally, the only Grado related stuff I'd ever buy on eBay is maybe an SR40 if I couldn't get one on the forums.

,
Abe

 

[Emily]

Ken,

Yeah, I have been watching eBay lately, too, and I've seen the RS1's you're talking about. It IS insane.

I haven't been watching eBay for very long, but from what I've seen, the people bidding there (usually the ones ending up winning) are nimrods. They're paying nicely above (U.S.) retail, most of the time, & like you said, without warranty, without completely knowing everything about its origins or condition, with the risks inherent in shipping, and with shipping cost on top!

Unless they are foreign bidders (who perhaps aren't familiar with the USD value of the item(s), or, can't get it for cheaper--or at all--where they live) -(or whose dollar is currently valued higher than ours: i.e., the Euro)...I can't account for it. Other than stupidity. (I know that is harsh; that's just my honest opinion.) Or, bidder/gambling frenzy...whatever it is. But it's nuts.

Basically, that is why I cracked and just bought my SR225s recently from my local (auth. dealer) retailer. They served me well, I get the full warranty, they offered a very decent price, considering (considering regular retail, my state tax and what I've seen on the likes of eBay)- and I really liked the idea of keeping it in my community.
Like I said, I spent numerous hours with them, auditioning, and they were very accomodating and helpful to me throughout.

So I feel good about the way I purchased.

 

[seeberg]

Oooo, a lady...? Raise the roof!

I've got something interesting at ebay here.
I get the feeling the guy selling these (he's sold ALOT of them) is pulling something, because I have ER4 tips and the Koss Plugs and have used them together, and they sound like crap! And the quote on his page that someone returned the ER4's due to the Koss sounding better sounds fishy to me...

,
Abe

 

[jpr703]

I recently saw an eBay auction for a brand new pair of RS-1s in a wooden box that "have never touched human ears." Knowing that Grado hasn't shipped RS-1s in a wooden box for years and wanting to ensure that they were actually new, I sent an email to the seller to ask how he was able to get a brand new pair in a wooden box. I figured maybe he had bought them and never used them, or something like that.

The reply I got back. "Magic."

Needless to say, I didn't bid. I made a few calls to some authorized dealers and wound up getting just as good a deal (maybe even better) than a lot of people get on eBay.

 

[ken_loo]

the new ones don't come with a wooden grado storage box though

 

[DanT]

EDIT: I just recheck the auction the one with $705 USD has the wooden box no longer available and rare collectible may demand a higher price for some collector


Original:
Maybe it has to do with the fact that grado explicitly forbid any US seller to sell internationally

the highest bidder from UK. a quick search on google.( I click on the first google result )

RS-1 goes from £560-£630 Pound which according to xe.com is around $1060USD to $1200USD which is 40% to 70% higher than the $700USD bid.


EDIT:Ok I just saw an ebay auction for UK at £425 (800USD)which is still higher than 700USD but more reasonable so you can tone down my comment above but it still valid outside US grado are expensive and sometime ebay is the only option.

 

[Necros]

I paid £350 GBP for my second hand RS-1's in mint condition. That's blooming cheap, they usually go for £400-£450.

£350 is $660 US.

Cheapest new from a internet dealer is about £620, that's $1170. But I'm sure they were available for £550.

 

[morphie]

I bought me RS-1s from eBay, theyre in perfect cosmetic and working conditions, and I got them for 525USD shipped to France, which is a good deal to me as they have less than 100 hours on them. The seller showed me invoice and theyre only a couple of months old.

 

[Vka]

"I recently saw an eBay auction for a brand new pair of RS-1s in a wooden box that "have never touched human ears.""

My friend emailed the seller 4 days before auction ended concerning the exact date they got the RS-1 w/ wooden box, and whether they could tell him if the letters were silver/gold or if the band were brown or black. All he got was they were new old stock. They totally avoid the latter question despite him re-emailing at least 2 more times to them but got no reply email. As a result, my friend did not bid as he felt they were pretty rude. Good luck to the winner....

 

[Dimitris]

Sometimes bids on ebay are weird. Many people have many accounts so that they can bid on their items and raise the prices. Maybe this auction was one of them.

 

[KenB]

After I managed to become the high bidder (@ $525), I emailed this seller asking about the warranty, figuring it was just an omission in the ad. The answer I got back was a cryptic, "I don't know how Grado handles warranties." Uh oh! My B. S. antenna was aroused. I went to www.gradolabs.com and, smack on the home page, in a nice big box is their warranty disclaimer for any product sold via online auction and NOT through one of their authorized dealer/resellers. The guy couldn't possibly have been ignorant about it, which then made his response nothing short of deceptive. That screamed at me to drop out of the bidding. I'm just glad I was eventually outbid by some other nimnal (will I ever graduate out of that group?).

Ken

 

[Yikes]

The first rule of purchasing anything is to educate yourself before making your final decision. With Ebay there are so many potential bidders that often there are bidders that don’t bother to learn about what they are bidding on.

I was watching an auction for a used Rotel RQ-970 phono stage. The RQ-970 retails for $200, and can be had new for $160 - $180 at most Rotel dealers. In no way could the Rotel be considered collectable. The high bidder paid $230 plus shipping.

The people who overbid are idiots. They are too lazy to do a little research. They get what they deserve.

I just wish the same people would bid on my items more often.