what's it worth?

I have an old, metal tubed white 60mm, 700mm FL Tasco from the 50's or 60's
with the alt-az wooden tripod. No model # that I can see and the tube has
some scratches and dings, but is in fair shape. The objective is great with
no scratches and it has the original 0.965 diagonal. What's this worth from
a collector's standpoint? Just trying to get a ballpark idea. Thanks.

On 2008-07-29, Clay Able wrote:
I have an old, metal tubed white 60mm, 700mm FL Tasco from the 50's or 60's
with the alt-az wooden tripod. No model # that I can see and the tube has
some scratches and dings, but is in fair shape. The objective is great with
no scratches and it has the original 0.965 diagonal. What's this worth from
a collector's standpoint? Just trying to get a ballpark idea. Thanks.

I hate to say it, but in all probability very little. It sounds
very much like a low end sold-in-a-department-store (or worse,
toyshop) kind of scope. If you can pick up a brand new equivalent
under $100 then a slightly battered 40 or 50 year old scope isn't
going to be worth much at all - $20-30 if you are lucky.

As you hint at, things are different if it has vintage or collector
interest, but for a scope such as this I think that quite unlikely.
That kind of market tends to be after better-quality higher-end
stuff. The stuff that amateurs lusted after 50 years ago but was
much too expensive to afford at the time tends to be the stuff with
the most interest.

If you don't want to use it yourself, either because you have better
equipment or simply no interest in astronomy then I suggest I give
it to a kid you know - they will probably get at least _some_ use
out of it and it may spark a lifetime interest.

--
Andrew Smallshaw

On 2008-07-30, Andrew Smallshaw wrote:

If you don't want to use it yourself, either because you have better
equipment or simply no interest in astronomy then I suggest I give
it to a kid you know

Sorry, I suggest _you_ give it to a kid you know. I doubt we know
the same people... ;-)

--
Andrew Smallshaw

"Clay Able" wrote
...
I have an old, metal tubed white 60mm, 700mm FL Tasco.....

A friend came up with a good use of old Tasco refractors: she suggests
mounting several of different sizes vertically on a piece of wood, pulling
the objectives off, and using them as rain gages at star parties. "Was
Stellafane a 40mm, 60mm, or 80mm Tasco washout last year?" I also told one
friend that, out of respect for all of the astro knowledge he had provided
for free over the years, I would leave a 60mm Tasco on his gravestone as an
"offering"! He said that he really wanted me to leave my Obsession 20 - in
which case he would "come back" on clear moonless nights.



Bottom line: Asking a telescope collector what a 60mm Tasco is worth is like
asking an auto collector what an East German Trabant
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trabant) is worth (after you pay to get rid of
the PCB oil filled coil of course).



With all of that said, I have had a few fun evenings observing with a 60mm
Tasco when nothing else was available. I'm sure that your scope is worth a
few bucks.



George N

"Clay Able" wrote in message
...
I have an old, metal tubed white 60mm, 700mm FL Tasco from the 50's or 60's
with the alt-az wooden tripod. No model # that I can see and the tube has
some scratches and dings, but is in fair shape. The objective is great
with no scratches and it has the original 0.965 diagonal. What's this
worth from a collector's standpoint? Just trying to get a ballpark idea.
Thanks.

A quick scan of the archives at astromart.com suggests $50-$100.

Ed T