[Hallicrafters] 5U4 Rectifier Tube

[roy.morgan at nist.gov]

> >>> There is currently on eBay an auction 9731847290 for a pair of NOS 
> >>> Genalex 5U4 rectifier tubes.  The current bid price ... $327.  Can
> >>> anyone give me a rational explanation why these tubes should go for that
> >>> much money?  I understand about the audiophooles and all of that, but,
> >>> seriously, why should they be worth that much money to anyone?

5U5 price astonished folks,

I think that "audiophooles and all of that" is not the thing in this auction. 
Note that in the description, the seller says: 

"I also have 6 NOS Gold Lion B759/12AX7/ECC83, ... in my other auctions, selling
off collection. ... "

This fellow seems to have been a tube collector. He and possible buyers for the
5U4's are likely not tube USERS.  I think these things make the offered tubes
valuable to at least a few folks:

- They are really new in the box, and even the boxes apppear to be in pristine
condition.
- They have test date sheets
- The were made by one of the most respected tube manufacturers of all time.
- There is a pair of them, which may make their value more than twice the value
of one tube.


The tubes of the General Electric Company of England are not at all like the
"equivalent" products of the GE company of the US.  (One poster told earlier of
bad results with GE tubes in tv sets.)  They made the legendary KT-88 and
others in that family.

There was once a short story in Playboy magazine about a stamp collector who
patiently worked on the owner of a rare stamp and finally bought it at a huge
price.  The story had a title of "The Magenta Fiji Island Two-Cent" or some
such.  When the seller delivered the tiny treasure into the hands of the new
owner, the new owner explained that he had the only other known example of this
stamp, and then proceded to set the thing on fire, saying "I always wanted to
own the only one."  No doubt the annals of art, stamp collecting and the like
have similar stories, some true.

There may be about one bazillion normal 5U4's around from the days of tube TV
sets (I have a quarter bushel of them here) but I'd guess very few of the GEC
equivalants, new in the box, are available.

No, I do not plan to bid on them.

Roy,
K1LKY

Roy Morgan
7130 Panorama Dr.
Derwood MD 20855