I'm afraid here in the UK, 99.9% of the population see the words 'BANG & OLUFSEN' written on something any age, any condition, and think it's worth a fortune.
I've had the phone slammed down on me a few times, and had sarcastic emails back when i've valued a non-working, heavily marked BeoCord 5000 at '£10' and this week was told 'you don't have a clue what you're doing mate' when i valued a pair of CX100's at 'zero pounds' with all four cones having foam rot, all six frets being holed/ripped. and the cases looking like they had been dragged across a gravel car park then thrown off a cliff..
On the other hand, valuing Avants always upsets me. How can the RF versions in particular be worth so little now?!! What an absolute cracker of a television. It's like selling a 2005 Bentley Arnage for the same price as a 2007 Ford Fiesta in my opinion. Bargains now, just like the BeoVision 5.
It also makes me scratch my head when the big Beogram 900RG's make pennies. Quality wood (apart from the legs - rubbish - be careful moving them), a beauitful retro piece of retro furniture - all with a cracking sound system in there.. for less than £50-100 in most cases. A no-brainer for those with some room!
In the UK, i've never once seen any B&O in a thrift shop in all my time. However, i've had plenty of calls from charity shops asking me what they think an item is worth because someone has said 'ooh - that's Bang & Olufsen, so it must be worth a fortune...'
If i'm ever looking for some well cared for vintage or rare B&O, i always end up browsing the scandinavian auction sites. I've got some really rare stuff now, and it's all been from Danish homes..
Lee
BeoWorld - Everything Bang & Olufsen