My tube collection!

[Steve Conner]

I'm having a clearout of "junk" and I realised my collection of tubes has got quite big! See attached picture.

Anyone got any idea how much any of these are worth? Bear in mind they are all "used but test good" and there are no original boxes.

One of the GEC KT66s is faulty with a red spot on the plate. The other tests fine.

Two of the GEC KT88s test good and match reasonably. The third one tests lower.

The Mullard EL34s are all double halo getter types.

The skinny bottle EL34s are probably quite worn out and I don't know the brand.

The Telefunken 12AX7s are practically worn out but they still work and sound wicked.

[dai h.]

exactly how much I'm not sure, but original GECKT66, KT88, Mullard EL34s are worth money (NOS or good used condition). KT88s would be the most valuable. Mullard EL34--the welded plates which might have an etched code like "XF2" worth more than the ones with crimped "XF4" codes I think. The skinny ones are E.German RFT manufactured but seen under various other brands such as Siemens, Telefunken, etc. Have a reputation for not being real mechanically solid but considered typically to have a very good tone for Marshalls. Not worth as much as the Mullards but worth more than current production. Appears there are a couple of made in Japan Matsushita EL34s (the ones marked 6CA7 with a number/letter code above the marking). Not considered as good as Mullards but "pretty good". Used but good 12AX7s from Telefunken, Mullard are worth something too. No idea about the other smaller ones without more detail. Guess some Russian 6550 and EL84s in there as well.

[Rob Mercure]

Scope Boy - you ain't got shit <grin>! While your "desireable" tubes collections is probably equal to mine (hmmm, well, I I've got more new in box guys but no GECs) you just don't have the attic full of "useable" "TV" type tubes - the dual power triodes for Vert Out or the numerous triode/pentodes or the various H out BPTs - not to mention having a storage building full of damper diodes and HV rectrumfryers. Obviously you're not indulging your inner packrat. But the good thing is that the HiFi nuts have discovered damper diodes so I actually might be able to be a dollar or two for these. Unfortunately I just don't have enough time to build sufficient amps to spend down the other good but not boringly common tubes. Mebbe I'll send you a care package at Yule.

Rob

[Steve Conner]

Hi Rob,

I tossed all the undesirable ones out! :P If I indulged my inner packrat it would just fill my apartment with junk, in fact it already has. I have a big heap of synths and pro-audio gear in various states of repair that badly needs dealt with.

I have some single tubes there that don't match anything, if anyone wants to trade.

[bob p]

Indulging the inner packrat, Rob? If old TV tubes ever became worth a dime, lots of the members here would become millionaires.

I recently went through BOXES and BOXES of old tubes that I had ferreted away, and sorted them. I could only get as far as sorting them into boxes based on their first number before I had to give up. I couldn't imagine spreading all of them out for a group photo.

[bob p]

Steve, if that Telefunken 12AX7 works, then I'd sell it. There are HiFi people out there who will pay INSANE amounts of money for that tube just because it works, no matter how badly it tests. You could probably get US$100 for it without any difficulty.

[dai h.]

I would be careful throwing some tubes away. Some of the odd ones are used for hi-fi such as the 6EM7 (and similar ones) or the 6AH4 (unpopular used to be usually cheap tube which rose in value here since someone started using some fully differential constant current configured IIRC) for example.

[bob p]

6AH4 (unpopular used to be usually cheap tube which rose in value here since someone started using some fully differential constant current configured IIRC) for example.

Dai, could you expand on this a little? I had trouble following what you were describing as the new application. thanks.

[dai h.]

it's the guy from this page:

http://home.highway.ne.jp/teddy/tubes/tubes.htm

project amp page:

http://home.highway.ne.jp/teddy/tubes/6ah4pp.htm

schematic:

http://home.highway.ne.jp/teddy/tubes/6ah4circ.htm

I think he popularized the use of the tube since the price has gone up.

[bob p]

Great!!! I'm multilingual -- I can read the schematic!!!

[bob p]

Hey all you packrats -- Please look at my oddbal tube thread!