Value of a Harmony Imperial 2??

[holdthepickle]

What is the going value of a Harmony Imperial 2 machine like the one pictured? Same look, same condition. A local guy has one I’m interested in, but I don’t know anything about this brand. Thanks!

[Curt A]

You didn't mention what he is asking, which would make a difference... If he's asking $100, it's a no-brainer, if he's asking $2,000, forget it. It's all relative, since there is no price book.

[Phonotom]

Hi, I have had several of the Imperial's . I have had the red and the blue horns. If the horn is in decent shape and the machine decal is good and everything is correct. I would say 600.00 to 1,000.00. The nicer the horn the better. The horn is what makes up most of the value to me. I saw a horn on ebay that was near mint that brought 600.00. Hope this helps. It would be nice to see close ups to see if everything is correct. The reproducer and tone arm are unique to this model. Tom

[holdthepickle]

You didn't mention what he is asking, which would make a difference... If he's asking $100, it's a no-brainer, if he's asking $2,000, forget it. It's all relative, since there is no price book.

He’s asking $700. I didn’t mention that just because I was sorta looking for market value without a good price/bad price bias. I’ll try to get photos of the actual one he has.

[holdthepickle]

UPDATE: Here are photos of the actual machine. Any more value advice?

[Curt A]

I asked the asking price to determine whether the seller was being realistic or not - no sense wasting your time if he was way out of line.
On the positive side, the horn looks nice with no apparent problems. The machine will need some TLC and the normal maintenance - cleaning the case and servicing the motor. I'm not sure if all Imperial machines had a reproducer that looks like this, but maybe someone else can answer that - no matter what, the reproducer needs rebuilding. Personally, I would offer $600 and see if that works, especially if you are unable to do the maintenance work yourself... Usually, dickering on price is part of the game and that falls in the range that a previous poster mentioned, and less is always better. Also, I am assuming that the machine is in working condition, with a crank and no broken spring.
Good luck...