Are eBay prices going crazy or am I just a cheapskate?

[TelePlay]

Is it just me or is there a lot of high priced post 1980 junk showing up in the collectible telephone section of eBay and the really good pre-1980 stuff that I'd be interested in buying starting at prices in the stratosphere?

Or am I just cheap having gotten through the withdrawl period and entering the recovery phase of phonitus?   

[bingster]

It's not just you.  It's struck me, as well, that prices are getting outrageous.  There are still bargains to be had, of course, but it seems many sellers are convinced that common phones are going to fund their retirements. 

[DavePEI]

It's not just you.  It's struck me, as well, that prices are getting outrageous.  There are still bargains to be had, of course, but it seems many sellers are convinced that common phones are going to fund their retirements.  

I think I am going to put that Stradivarius 500 set I have on eBay.. Well, he didn't sign it, but I just KNOW he made it because of the mellow ring   BIN 1.2 mil! <G> Just in time, too - I officially retire the last day of June!

[Owain]

On an investment basis, a few Gfeller Trub phones would have done better than many Bank shares in the last few years.

[twocvbloke]

Nope, it's the prices going crazy, over here in the UK, I've seen some pretty scrappy looking GPO phones listed like they were made with solid gold parts, and they're just not worth what people are asking...

My green 746, when I got it, it wasn't exactly in the best shape, and had been used as a kid's play phone, at the time I felt I paid too much for it, at £25, but I got lucky, it was undamaged, the dial's perfect, the handset cable's perfect, the transmitter & receiver were crisp & clear (though I replaced the transmitter with an electronic 21A), it's an early sloped-cradle model, and it was just in great condition internally, it just needed cleaning up, a new line cable and converting to PSTN, so for £25, it wasn't a bad purchase...

But, I have seen worse phones than that on ebay of various models and styles, most going unsold, I guess people just have no sense of value, to most, everything that is old to them must be worth loads of money, when in reality, it's not the case..