my fist time posting after years of prowling these (and other) forums for copious amounts of information and advice so, my apologies if this is a faux pas to ask. however, for the people like me who are interested in making a plunge into finally buying vintage recording equipment, rather than spending countless hours researching, it would be wonderful to know what constitutes a "great deal" such as this. op, would you be willing to share your cost for this beautiful mono ampex, now that the craigslist posting is removed?