The 30-year rule, whereby yesterday's everyday objects become today's desirable collectables, is a subject that I've discussed in these pages in the past [HFN Jul '19]. The current interest in old hi-fi fits the basic premise of this idea perfectly - the time-scales are spot on and the market is vibrant at the moment. Of course, to the long-term enthusiast this is all a bit of a nuisance. Having to compete financially for components that people were once grateful to be able to give away is galling. Yet the old state of affairs was not conducive to the preservation of vintage equipment. If you were into old valve amplifiers in the '80s and the one you were using stopped working you didn't restore it, you just threw it out and found another. They were so plentiful that there was little point in doing anything else.
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