I'm a great grand-nephew of a deceased audio industry executive and
after the recent death of my grandfather, a retired investment banker
and a close personal friend of this audio industry executive, we
discovered some new-in-the-box Marantz electronics and a new pair of
KLH-9 electrostatic speakers that have never been unboxed in his attic
at his compound in the Catskills.

The sales receipts indicate he purchased this equipment in the 1960's in
New York City and we are at a loss to understand why he never unboxed it
and set it up, unless it had something to do with a divorce he was going
through at the time.

Here's what we found in my grandfather's attic:

1 Marantz 7 tube preamp - The box has never been opened.

2 Marantz 9 power amps - The boxes have never been opened

1 Marantz Model 10 (not a 10B) tuner - the box has never been opened

2 Marantz wooden cases - one for the preamp and one for the tuner, both
in unopened boxes.

1 pair of KLH-9 electrostatic speakers - The boxes have never been opened

1 Thorens TD-124 Turntable with an Ortofon tone arm and an Ortofon SPU
phono cartridge still in it's original box, and an Ortofon step-up
transformer for the cartridge. The Ortofon tone arm has never been
mounted on the Thorens turntable so we believe the Ortofon SPU cartridge
has never been used.

All the boxes are in mint condition, no scuffs or water marks, and all
the original printing is clear and legible. The original packing tape,
although dry and brittle, is still sealing the boxes. However, the
boxes are rather dusty.

Sotheby's has rather eagerly offered to take this off our hands, and,
they did seem to think that we would most likely sell this equipment to
an Asian buyer.

We'd rather sell this as a complete system to a serious collector in the
US. However, we will break up the system for the following
non-negotiable prices and will ship to you at your expense using the
carrier of your choice:

Marantz 7 preamp: $ 25,000

Marantz 9 power amps: $ 45,000/pair

Marantz 10 tuner: $ 20,000

KLH-9 speakers: $ 30,000/pair

Thorens turntable,
Ortofon arm & SPU
phono cartridge &
Transformer: $ 10,000

The cabinets for the preamp and tuner are included with each unit.

We'd prefer to sell this system as a package. So, for someone who
wishes to purchase everything, we will sell everything for only $125,000
AND we will have it delivered to you via a Brinks security vehicle with
guards anywhere within a 12 hour drive of New York City.

We will require a reference from the president of your bank before we
schedule the delivery trip. And we will ask Sotheby's to run a
background check on you so we know you are a serious customer.

We will require payment via a certified check from your bank upon your
acceptance of the system. We will also need the name of the nearest
airport to your location that can accommodate a 4 engine Lockheed
JetStar private jet.

You will have the right to open the boxes and ensure you are getting
what you are paying for and that everything is cosmetically unblemished
other than normal ageing and oxidation. The attic this equipment has
been stored in is both heated and air conditioned and the home was
continuously occupied by the servants when the owner was not present.

However, since the boxes have never been opened, we can neither
guarantee nor warrant the electrical condition of this equipment.

We also require that an officer from your bank be present during this
transaction. Our attorneys will accompany us as we will need to present
you a formal bill-of-sale for estate settlement purposes, and we will
require you to have a notary present so the bill-of-sale can be notarized.

Please respond to this board and not to me if you have the financial
means and are interested in acquiring this one-of-a-kind historic system.

These prices are not negotiable.

If we do not sell this equipment here in the US we will let Sotheby's
take it to Asia and auction it there because we will net the same or
more if we choose this route. We'd just like to see this system stay
here in the US if possible, but we are also capitalists and Sotheby's
has assured us this pricing is most realistic, particularly in Asia.

Also, please refrain from e-mails complaining about the pricing:
Sotheby's is quite confident given the strength of the yuan and the fact
the boxes have never been opened they can easily exceed these prices if
this system in auctioned in Asia.

Stereophile, a music lover, not the magazine