General Forum

Re: B&O prices through the years

elephant — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 13:15:16 GMT

Medogsfat:

Peter :

My father always used to compare prices with Mars bars. When I was small, a mars bar cost 4d (old pence for the youngsters amongst us!) Nicely wrapped it was as well though the size was slightly smaller than some later incarnations of the standard bar!

If only past governments had abandoned the gold standard & based our currency on the Mars Bars standard all those years ago.................

Chris.

yeah but ... the thought of being paid in half eaten Mars bars would depress me

Re: B&O prices through the years

tournedos — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 08:26:18 GMT

j0hnbarker:

The soldiers have appreciated massively Mika!

I thought the soldiers were regular Kay Whatshername artefacts instead of anything B&O specific, let alone B&O products?

Re: B&O prices through the years

Medogsfat — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 07:35:31 GMT

Peter :

My father always used to compare prices with Mars bars. When I was small, a mars bar cost 4d (old pence for the youngsters amongst us!) Nicely wrapped it was as well though the size was slightly smaller than some later incarnations of the standard bar!

If only past governments had abandoned the gold standard & based our currency on the Mars Bars standard all those years ago.................

Chris.

Re: B&O prices through the years

j0hnbarker — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 14:00:43 GMT

The soldiers have appreciated massively Mika!

Re: B&O prices through the years

tournedos — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 13:50:08 GMT

I recently bought me a Cona and just received it. It is pretty much immaculate, so much that I suppose it would've received a £250ish price tag if any of the companies with AV in their name had gotten it first

Which got me thinking that it isn't actually too far from the original 1990 price (£159) converted to current money (ending up around £300). I'm sure there are many (now) rarities that have actually appreciated in value, but can you think of other "common" products that have held their value particularly well?

I was thinking about the panel Beolabs, but apparently no, at least from list prices. The Cona seems to have been surprisingly affordable when new, though.

Re: B&O prices through the years

superdario — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 11:47:27 GMT

Cleviebaby:

Peter :

The price of a fully specced 5000 system with speakers, Beogram and Beocord reel to reel would be £7909.12. Makes you think!!

Which I think puts the current cost of a fully restored 5000 system from Frede into true perspective and presents it as something of a real bargain, particularly as many aspects of the system will have been improved from the original specs!

agree, for me it's an investment in a true classic hifi icon, comparable with a classic car... ;-)

Re: B&O prices through the years

superdario — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 11:43:05 GMT

macjonny1:

superdario:

the beolab 5000 (1967) is definitly worth to be restored. i've send mine to frede... he has analyzed the amplifier and he has made his suggestions and an offer for restoring/repair. soon i'll get my personal webpage for following the restoring process online. after 3 month i'll get the masterpiece perfectly restored back. ;-)

macjonny: did you know when your beolab is finished?

I ordered min at the end of Feb and he is still working on it. I am ordering the complete BL5000 set minus the Beogram and Beocord. I didn't have a unit so he is supplying one so that probably takes longer. In addition I have ordered the speakers as well, in fact have ordered two Beovox 5000s, four Beovox 2500s, and a Beovox 3000 as a center speaker. The ultimate BL5000 setup! I'm happy to wait as Frede seems to be a true artist.

agree, the sound of your future system must be amazing... ;-) 4 cubes? nice!!! your room will be filled with pure sound... but what sources you'll use for your setup? a good turntable will be the best i.m.o. or lossless digital files connected with a good dac.

my current system:

- beolab 5000 (restored by classic audio, coming soon...)

- beogram 4002 (mmc 20 cl retipped by van den hul)

- beovox cubes (restored by myself with tips from frede)

- beovox 2400 (restored by myself with a cap kit from dillen)

- i'm looking for some beovox 3000

- airport express, macbook pro, iphone remote

cheers

Re: B&O prices through the years

Mr10Percent — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 08:23:31 GMT

I have often argued on this forum the price of B&O in the 'Good Ol days' is/was similar to commensurate products today using UK RPI coefficients. Example:-

BeoCentre 9500 in 1993 = £1850, in todays money, £2800

BeoCentre 2 in 2006 = £2850, in todays money, £3060

BeoSys 8000 in 1981 = £1700, in todays money, £5400

BeoSys 5500 in 1986 = £1840, in todays money, £4000

Beovox MS150 in 1982 = £750, in todays money, £2100

BeoLab 5000 in 1991 = £1050, in todays money, £1672

BV AV9000 in 1990 = £6700, in todays money, £11300

BV Avant 32DVD in 2002 = £5250, in todays money, £6400

BV 7-40 in 2006 = £8400, in todays money, £9000

MCL5500 in 1986 = £189, in todays money, £410

Beolink 7000 in 1992 = £615, in todays money, £950

Make of it what you will.

10%

Re: B&O prices through the years

Cleviebaby — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 06:49:36 GMT

Peter :

The price of a fully specced 5000 system with speakers, Beogram and Beocord reel to reel would be £7909.12. Makes you think!!

Which I think puts the current cost of a fully restored 5000 system from Frede into true perspective and presents it as something of a real bargain, particularly as many aspects of the system will have been improved from the original specs!

I remember my first B&O purchase in 1971 - a Beogram 1001 - which I think was £39.19.11 in old money. I was paid £2 a week as an articled pupil (a form of slavery in the professions!), so in real terms about 38% of my annual income! Things have moved on a bit. thankfully.

Cleve

Re: B&O prices through the years

wirralsimon — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 03:39:10 GMT

My first Mars Bar cost a sixpence in old money (about 2.5 p) and they are currently around 40p.

I think the old B&O survives partly as Lee says because it mas a major investment when it was first bought so tends to find it's way into boxrooms and lofts rather than the skip when it is finished with (unlike most 70's and 80's electronics) and because much of it is the best value audio and video that you will find anywhere at the prices many items sell for.

Simon

Re: B&O prices through the years

elephant — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 02:34:24 GMT

I always find this stuff fascinating too

I tried using the referenced websites to recreate Peter's 900M quotation but the closest I could get was the £80 pounds in 1968 being the following in 2010:

£1,040.00	using the retail price index
£1,040.00	using the GDP deflator
£2,030.00	using the average earnings
£2,380.00	using the per capita GDP
£2,650.00	using the share of GDP

I always thing that a percentage of average earnings makes the best comparator.

And I fondly remember paying 1d (I think, maybe it was thru'pence(? spelling)) for a glass of tizer at the local sweetshop in 1965, acting like I was me dad at his local :-)

In the past I have used Coke, Time magazine, and the Big Mac as a means of determining foreign exchange rates ... gotta love American Imperialism

Re: B&O prices through the years

9 LEE — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 14:09:21 GMT

Very interesting to see what people paid back then. You see the £65.2.6 or whatever and without thinking, think of it as 'sixty five quid' in todays money plus a smidge more for inflation. Little do you realise that you could buy a decent house for £5,000 and a nice new car for about a thousand pounds!

I now see why so much of the older stuff still survives - i suppose it's a combination of it being made so well and owners being reluctant to throw it in a skip after they paid a kings ransom for it when new!!

Thanks for that Peter

Re: B&O prices through the years

macjonny1 — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 13:40:07 GMT

superdario:

the beolab 5000 (1967) is definitly worth to be restored. i've send mine to frede... he has analyzed the amplifier and he has made his suggestions and an offer for restoring/repair. soon i'll get my personal webpage for following the restoring process online. after 3 month i'll get the masterpiece perfectly restored back. ;-)

macjonny: did you know when your beolab is finished?

I ordered min at the end of Feb and he is still working on it. I am ordering the complete BL5000 set minus the Beogram and Beocord. I didn't have a unit so he is supplying one so that probably takes longer. In addition I have ordered the speakers as well, in fact have ordered two Beovox 5000s, four Beovox 2500s, and a Beovox 3000 as a center speaker. The ultimate BL5000 setup! I'm happy to wait as Frede seems to be a true artist.

Re: B&O prices through the years

Peter — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 13:21:48 GMT

89p did seem a bit pricey - it should be nearer 29p in inflationary terms! Not had a Mars bar for some time though!! I don't think that investing in old hi-fi makes much money! The new equipment clearly makes money for the re-sellers but pre Beolink 1000 is almost worthless. Only the very best items are worth having - 8000, 4400 and Beolab 5000 systems really.

Re: B&O prices through the years

superdario — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 13:20:04 GMT

the beolab 5000 (1967) is definitly worth to be restored. i've send mine to frede... he has analyzed the amplifier and he has made his suggestions and an offer for restoring/repair. soon i'll get my personal webpage for following the restoring process online. after 3 month i'll get the masterpiece perfectly restored back. ;-)

macjonny: did you know when your beolab is finished?

peter: thanks for your tip to get my beolab restored by frede.