[dsio]

Hi, I've been reading into getting a tube amplifier for a pair of HD650s I've ordered and had almost settled on a Woo Audio 3, but I've been reading up on tube options, as inevitably everyone seams to start buying more and more as they get deeper into it.  Rather than ordering online I asked around and managed to find an old radio engineer/HAM that had several large crates of tubes from pre WW2 through to the '70s.  I've just gone through the surface of the first box and found the following:
 
 
Brands:
 
AWV RadioTron (Australian Made)
Philips "MiniWatt" (Australian Made)
Sylvania (small number only)
Mullard (UK made)
Mullard (Canadian made)
Tungsol (moderate number only)
Ferranti
 
Tubes:
 
6V6G (loads)
6V6GT (loads, NOS Australian made)
6F6G
6A8G
6ba6
6DQ6A
6G8E
VT-105
6K7
12SA7 (loads)
12AX7 (loads)
12AU7 (loads)
6M5
6SJ7GT
6X5GT (loads)
UBC81
UCH81
6EA6
6AV6
6BE6
 
There is a mix, about 50% new 50% used but in good shape.  I'm wondering, which ones of these are going to be of any use, and which are not worth keeping?  I've got a lot more to go through yet but I honestly have no clue about these model numbers and which specifically are viable alternatives that could be used in a headphone amp like the WA3 or others.  If someone could maybe point out which model numbers are of use as options that can be used immediately, and if there are any that are worth throwing out, I'd greatly appreciate it, as right now they're covering my whole floor.  
 
Also there's a stack of strange numbered rectifiers, some of which are absolute monsters (there are some 100TH/VT218s that are bigger than many spotlight bulbs).  I believe they were from VHF transmitters in decades past, and I'm guessing they're of no use for these purposes, are they safe to get rid of?  Also, some of these are marked with "Mercury" on them, are they any serious health risk?
 



 

 

[Skylab]

The 6V6G/GT tubes can potentially be quite valuable, as quite a few audio amps use them. Even more so, the 12AX7 and 12AU7's. There are a few amps that use the 6SJ7GT, but not as many, and that tube tends not to fetch all that much money anyway. I did not see any others on that list that look useful or interesting, but there might be a few corner cases. Still, "loads" of Mullard 12AX7's, for example, could be worth several thousand dollars, depending on what condition, and how many a load really is.

If there is any bad news, it's that not a single one of those tubes will work in the Woo WA3.

 

[dsio]

The 12AU7s 12AX7s are only a handful Mullards, but predominantly AWV (Amalgamated Wireless Valve) which seams from wikipedia to be an alliance between RCA and AWA that produced valves here in Australia, not sure if that makes them the same as RCA, or if they'd be different as they do have "made in Australia" written all over the packaging.  That'd be about right, not having the exact ones I'm after though
 
The 6V6GTs are almost all AWV as well, not sure how that brand's considered because all the good stuff seams to be from the UK and USA with little to no mention of Australian parts, the Philips "miniwatt" models are all "made in Australia" marked as well, but I'd guess they'd be the same as their overseas counterparts.
 
Condition is a mixed bag, there are many that are used, many new, but all have a pretty thick layer of dust over them from decades in storage.
 
Quote:

The 6V6G/GT tubes can potentially be quite valuable, as quite a few audio amps use them. Even more so, the 12AX7 and 12AU7's. There are a few amps that use the 6SJ7GT, but not as many, and that tube tends not to fetch all that much money anyway. I did not see any others on that list that look useful or interesting, but there might be a few corner cases. Still, "loads" of Mullard 12AX7's, for example, could be worth several thousand dollars, depending on what condition, and how many a load really is.

If there is any bad news, it's that not a single one of those tubes will work in the Woo WA3.

 

 

[Skylab]

Yeah I don't know much about Australian made tubes. Might check eBay to get an idea of what they may be worth.

 

[dsio]

ok, thanks!
 
Quote:

Yeah I don't know much about Australian made tubes. Might check eBay to get an idea of what they may be worth.

 

 

[Uncle Erik]

Yes, there are some potentially valuable and useful tubes there.

Don't worry too much about the dust. What matters is how long (if at all) the tubes were used and how their vacuum seal is holding up. You can use a tube tester to find this out.

One small tip: do not rinse dirty tubes off in water. Water won't hurt them, but it often takes the paint off the sides. Same with using household cleaners like Windex. Instead, buy a cheap synthetic artist's brush for a few dollars and cut the bristles down with scissors to make it stiffer. Use that to brush off the dust and dirt. That cleans them up and usually leaves the paint intact.