What makes certain 6SN7 and 6SL7 worth more?

[ALBATROS1234]

I like to use these tubes in builds as well as 6SJ7s . When I am buying tubes the prices vary wildly. But I find it odd the same tube that tests NOS might be $12.99 or $129.99.  I am kinda joking but not really. I get stuff from trusted sellers and even sometimes they will have virtually identical tubes for majorly different prices. Is there like some special year or few years or plate design. I have some of the micanol base jobs that I got a matched pair which test nos that I got for $35 but i sometimes see what looks identical sell for 3xs that .I am not going to site all the examples I have seen i just wonder is there some magical year or something that makes one tube worth much more than another of the same type and approximate era that much better to warrant crazy price differences?

[shooter]

is there some magical

marketing

[HotBluePlates]

... virtually identical tubes for majorly different prices. ... something that makes one tube worth much more than another of the same type and approximate era that much better to warrant crazy price differences?

Possible Reasons:

• Buyer Perception
• Seller Perception
• Test Results

It's not often #3 though that would be an objective reason to charge more.

More often, a buyer read somewhere there was a "special version" of some tube and decided to pay more.  Or maybe they've tried a bunch of variants of some tube type and developed a preference for one variant (and have found a price they're willing to pay).

On the seller side, the pricing could be arbitrary, or based on a price some other seller charged.  Could be as simple as "Sovtek sells their new 6SL7 for $___, so no way am I selling a nice American 6SL7 for less than $___."

[66Strat]

I think it's a matter of supply and demand. The production of 6S_7 tubes in the US ceased, or virtually ceased, in the mid fifties with the advent of 12A_7 tubes, close to 70 years ago. Many of the most sought after variants were produced for the military prior to 1945. A quick perusal of Brent Jessee's 6SN7 inventory showed many of the most sought after 6SN7 tubes to be out of stock.

http://www.audiotubes.com/6sn7.htm

[ALBATROS1234]

Lol but what I don't get is you see a pair of 6SN7 or 6SL7 that test NOS for say $35 and scroll down and the same tubes someone wants $120 . Both tubes claim to be tested NOS etc . I just dont see how anyone except a rich guy with limited knowledge would pay that much for basically equal tubes. I just got a matched pair (electrically) of 6SL7s one is a sylvania VT-229 and a equally nice Westinghouse reliatron for $40 .theres a guy on etsy.com named lowtechelec out of Virginia who all of the tubes I have gotten from him test like they should and are all they are advertised to be plus he has decent prices.

[HotBluePlates]

Lol but what I don't get is you see a pair of 6SN7 or 6SL7 that test NOS for say $35 and scroll down and the same tubes someone wants $120 . ...

Anyone can ask any price they want, on anything.  Until someone else agrees the item is worth the price, and money/item change hands, the item is not "worth" the asking price.

Beyond that, you'd have to link to the specific tube.  Some folks get very involved in the minutia of each variant of a tube type produced by each manufacturer, and have strong (informed? arbitrary?) opinions about the relative merits of those variants.  So that small segment of folks might offer something for an inflated price, or pay someone else's inflated price.

It is Supply & Demand, but maybe very few people have very high demand for something others have zero-demand for, because those other people don't agree it's "special."

Cue Beanie Babies story...