Tascam 246

  • Thread starter Thread starter famous beagle
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looks like one went for $400 recently, but that still seems really high. I would have guessed $200 tops for any 4-track cassette but ... I've been noticing the cost of certain tape decks (mostly open reel) going up lately. I think the demand is increasing and we may see a day when it's no longer 'our little secret'. if you go to the 'other' forum, nearly every day there's some thread about 'I just got a tape deck, and I have some questions'.

I've been trying to buy up the stuff that I like lately ... there are still a lot of sleepers out there.
 
Dreamin'.

I think the market for a good 246 is somewhere between $100 and $200 depending on physical and functional condition. I don't think $250 is unreasonable for one that is clean and 100% functional, but I'd rather pay $100. :D

I consider the 246 to be the king of 4-track cassette Portastudios.
 
Ok, that's what I was thinkin'. But I was really surprised to see that one go for $400!
 
famous beagle said:
There's one on the bay right now, but this can't be what these things are really going for, can it?

Tascam 246 Portastudio, Vintage 80s Pro 4 Track Cassette Recorder, with DBX | eBay

It looks as though it's in great shape and all, but this guy's dreaming, right?

If not, I guess I can kiss my 246 dream goodbye for a long time.
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I've seen this guy advertise the same items for many weeks / months for overblown prices. I feel circa $300 is about right for a truly minty 246, less for average condition and, if it's new old stock / boxed then a bit more maybe... I'm not totally, jaw to the floor surprised one went for $400 but would have to be super minty, no? Plus there's always someone who just has to have it. :D
 
This seller gets my “Most annoying eBay seller in the world” award for many months now. I’ve been meaning to post here about this guy, 9guitar, for a while, but I wanted to compile a top-10 list of sellers to avoid first. His prices are often 10 times the reasonable market value. He is delusional or is on a one-man crusade to bring prices up. He rarely sells anything and when he does I’m even more surprised at the stupidity of the buyers.

Remember this seller, 9guitar, and remember his flowerpot background (sometimes I wonder what he's growing in them and if he's smoking it). :D When you see them run away fast!

It would be one thing if he was a knowledgeable former tcch or something that fully restores his items and offers a return policy. But all he has that other sellers do not have are pretty flowerpots in the background. People are funny creatures, very gullible and easily taken in. He appears to know what he’s doing as a salesman, but his items are no better quality or better risk than anyone else’s. He states the following or similar in his listings:

“ALL ITEMS ARE TESTED TO OUR ABILITY PRIOR TO LISTING.”

And

“PLEASE KEEP IN MIND MOST UNITS ARE COMPLICATED AND NOT ALL FUNCTIONS ARE TESTED. ALSO, MOST ARE OLDER UNITS AND MAY NEED THEIR POTS AND BUTTONS SPRAYED OR CLEANED.”

Well, Mr. 9guitar, you sure as hell better know you items inside and out, completely restore them and know how to charge these outrages prices!

Every time I see one of his listings come up in a search I get indigestion. He must be independently wealthy and this is a sick hobby because as Daniel already mentioned his listing sit there for months and some have 2000+ hits on the counter. He just kind of showed up one day with these insane prices and unfortunately he’s had an impact on what other sellers have begun asking for similar items.

PLEASE! No matter how much you think you need something do not deal with this guy! The best that can happen is that the word gets out and he goes away. I’ve dropped him a note a couple times that his prices are outrageous. He doesn’t respond. Perhaps if more of us said something to him he might get a clue, but I have a feeling he knows, and is determined to raise the going prices for this stuff over the long run.
 
Yeah...same seller who'd been trying to find a sucker to buy the RS-20B for $775 for MONTHS now. He finally lowered the price to a still rediculuous $697.50. Don't get me wrong...I love my RS-20B but $700? C'mon!
 
Wow ... yeah I just checked out some of his other auctions. $475 for a 424 MKIII --- I got mine in basically mint condition for $125.

He's also asking $175 for a broken Porta One.

Unbelievable.
 
388 082.webp
I posted a little while back about the 246 I bought in mint,maybe unused condtion in box with a few extras for $100
Sure, I think the seller could of asked for a lot more,but I dont really think he knew what he was sitting on.It might of been just some old tape deck to him.Id say in pristine condition like mine,maybe $300.Thats if someone REALLY wants one.
Im glad I stumbled across mine on the online classifieds.And it was only about a 40min drive.Great deal!
 
Yep. If I really wanted a 246, that would be an offering I could see paying $300..condition A+, in original box +extras.

Nice.
 
famous beagle said:
...this can't be what these things are really going for, can it?

....
Click to expand...
link:
Tascam 246 Portastudio, Vintage 80s Pro 4 Track Cassette Recorder, with DBX | eBay

Also, check that annoying seller's feedback and items were sold and for how much of paper they were sold for:
eBay Feedback Profile for 9guitar

as we speak, that "greenish paper" or a "amount" in your account may mean no schmuck any day any moment ...:p :wtf:
grab a thing or two that matter to you while it lasts :drunk:
...besides , life is short.

***************
cjacek said:
there's always someone who just has to have it. :D
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YES! :guitar:
Just other day , found a junky Garrard turntable for FREE, because it's a dead trash "item" :D .... after wasting couple days got it looking like new and running, but the rubber belt was gone-gone, so needed it NOW! - found one "on-line" , paid 20 bloody bucks for it .... huh :spank:
 
Dr ZEE said:
Also, check that annoying seller's feedback and items were sold and for how much of paper they were sold for:
Click to expand...

I honestly can not believe it. Seriously ... I'm wondering if that feedback is somehow rigged or something. He sold a 246 for $600? He sold a Tascam m-216 mixer for $795? I got mine for $150!

Something seems fishy. How can he sell so many items for such ridiculous prices?
 
famous beagle said:
I honestly can not believe it....?
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heh heh
maybe it's because you're in Dallas, TX and not in NY,NY

NY,NY washes through billions of easy and thus valueless bucks daily. Find "Wall St." on the map, Sir. .... :facepalm:

Seriously, I don't know what to think. Things aren't they way they used to be around , it's getting weirder and weirder out there, ...or everywhere?.
:drunk:
 
man, I didn't realize the '9guitar' guy was THAT guy ... I keep seeing his auctions everywhere. He often has a rare item that's the only one on eBay at any given moment. Of course that's because his prices are so inflated. I just realized I was watching one of his items on my eBay list! I guess since he's asking $1050 for a Urei 545 that they really should go for $200! I think I'll go ahead and wait ...

I can't believe someone paid over $500 for a Biamp MR-140 reverb. I've bought two of these units within the last few years, one for around $50 and one for $80 (seemed high at the time).

The real issue is not that he is asking absurd prices, it's that people are paying them !
 
lonewhitefly said:
The real issue is not that he is asking absurd prices, it's that people are paying them !
Click to expand...

Exactly! And as we get more and more removed from the time when these things were being sold new people will get more and more stupid about the prices they pay. I believe it was after 9guitar sold a Tascam M-216 for some absurdly high price that I was so appalled I waited for feedback to be left so I could PM the buyer and ask him what the hell was he doing! And that buying so much as a guitar pick from this dolt is going to have the effect of raising prices for these models across the board. a good condition Tascam M-216 should fetch between $300.00 to $350.00. The buyer bought his from 9guitar for more than twice that plus an unreasonably high shipping cost. He's got a nice mixer, but he could have bought two of them for that money, or one mixer and a pony (a small pony, but still...).

I’m already seeing other sellers listing for ridiculously high prices since this 9guitar guy has been on eBay. A lot of sellers don’t know what they have so of course they look around to see what others are selling something for. They see this guy’s stuff and think, “Oh so that’s what they go for.” NOT!!!

Last time I bought a perfect condition dbx 150X I paid about $25.00 plus shipping and they normally go for no more than $50.00 on a good day and that’s during a full moon. 9guitar's current asking price for a used dbx 150X? $225.00… yes that’s right two hundred twenty-five f-ing dollars! LOL!

:wtf:

First rule of eBay buying: ALWAYS GOOGLE THE SELLER’S NAME!!!
Because that will bring you to forums like this that will let you know what an F-ing idiot you are if you buy the guy’s items. You won’t get this kind of real-world analysis from eBay feedback. :p
 
I am brand new here. I have had many different format recorders. From an Audio-technia 4 track monster frame unit to a full blown 32 track ADAT set up. I am now retired and I use my beloved old standby, my workhorse... my Tascam 246. Just for capturing song ideas and tracking different recording tricks and methods. The 246 is in my humble opinion the finest 4 track porta-studio ever created. It's is built like a tank, never quits if you take the proper care of it and delievers the "goods" session after session. Being a true 4 buss 6 input mixer seperates it from a lot of other machines. I am a definite "old school" analog recordist. Done the full digital thing and now I'm back to my roots and loving it.
 
I bought my 246 off e-bay for 165.00 in mint condition. The guy that had it was the original owner. If someone is looking for a great 4 track machine then be patient and you'll find one eventually. If you find a mint condition one that just needs belts or idler tires, then go for it because that is not a difficult fix and once repaired you'd have a vitual new 246.
 
I know when I sold my original 246 I regreted it from that day on. On of those "wish I could take that back" kind of things. Now that I have a pristine 246 again I am thrilled to be able to go back in time and revel in that sea of warm analog small format sound. :):)
 
does anyone know where I might find a Teac CRC 60 tape? The cassette with the little "reel to reel" apperance to it can be found?
 
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