Value of VANDERSTEEN Model 2 loudspeakers

I have 2 of these in my garage that I realize that I just am not going to have room for them. I have never played them and really don't know how much they are worth. I looked online and saw that they were 1200 new in the 1970's.

Nothing else really available online.

What do you all think they would be worth today?

 

Not much, I would guess. My former manager had a pair and he took them to Goodwill during the remodel and bought a nice pair of B&W bookshelf speakers (around $1200) . His wife was leading the charge.

 

Mine are priceless.....
I know, not everyone agrees with that, but I really do like mine. I haven't heard anything I like better for less than several thousand dollars (not that I have heard a lot).
But they do sell occasionally on ebay. They are big and hard to ship and have low WAF. Older ones often sucumb to surround rot, but mine are still holding up fine, so it may be a climate thing. They are hard to inspect because of the way the socks are attached.
I would just watch ebay and see what they are going for.

Terry

 

What TerryS wrote. I guess I would add that if you're talking about an original Model 2 (not a more recent 2ce or 2ce signature, for example) then they probably aren't worth much. I'd say you'd be lucky to get $200 for the pair, and since they're so large and heavy you'll likely have to rely on a local sale versus someone wanting to pay to ship them.

 

Agree. If you can get a couple hundred, local sale, I would take that.

 

Good advice.

 

How old are the ones you have? If they are "Model 2" and not 2Ce, they're pretty ancient.

In 2000, Stereophile reviewed the current version, and they mention the regular 2Ce (not Signature) being $1295 at the time, so I'd say that estimation for back in the day is not exactly reliable.

http://www.stereophile.com/content/vandersteen-2ce-signature-loudspeaker-specifications

If you got a couple hundred, I'd consider myself very lucky - especially if you're not involved with taking them anywhere.

 

2Ce has had consistent praise, and is going to be the desirable model. I am kinda stuck with my 1Bs in the same way. I probably couldn’t give them away because the 1C is easily had.

 

The 2Ce Signature is probably not that expensive these days, since there's been a "Mark II" of it for several years now. The only thing I'd ever consider giving them up for is the Model 5, and that's easier said than done.

Having owned the 1C, though, I can tell you that you'll absolutely hear a difference if you go up to a full-range Vandersteen.

 

I would really like to, and, considering the age of my gear it is in the cards. I know it will be an amp/speaker upgrade though. I want to give some other brands a chance. I just realized there is a Tannoy dealer within a short drive.

I have a smallish/odd room too, and don’t want to overwhelm the space. I have about 10 ft from each speaker to the sweet spot, and slightly more than 1.5 feet from the back wall and right side wall. Not enough to do what I have justice.

 

Thanks.

I thought I would get around a thousand so maybe I will keep them and try them with my Fisher 400 and my turntable. I can move them in and out of the garage when I am not using them.

How would they sound with a Fisher 400? Is that powerful enough?

Steve H would probably know.

 

I had 2Cis (not 2ces) years ago and thought they were awesome with my at then time Adcom electronics, but as everyone else has said the speakers plus their bases weight a ton and probably aren't worth shipping.

 

Try it, see If you like it. I had a funky pair of Vandersteen 3's, gave them to a friend. They seemed capable of "singing" with less than a "monster" amp. Mostly used a B & K 140 with it, didn't really like the sound all that much. But, like I said, a funky pair. The previous owner probably tweaked them out of tolerance. But if it sounds good then it is good. I happen to love the sound of the Scott 299b, all twenty watts. Of course, 20 watts of tube power "sounds" like 60 watts of transistor power.

Your mileage might vary.