Here we go again with the "angry" bull shit. Why is speaking the TRUTH nowadays (or simply sharing one's just as valid as anyone else's opinion) always associated with being "angry" today?
Only thing missing here is the "did we forget to take our medications Wagner" smart remark that thankfully appears to have (finally!) fallen from pop culture favor. I thank you for leaving that one out!
Are you (as in"anyone") in this for the love of the music that JBL can make? The beauty and collectability of JBL industrial design? Or the intersection of both? (all rhetorical to serve the point)
We're parsing words now with something that is very obvious to me. Part of collecting old JBL transducers is that a lot of times, what make one example "MINT" (real expensive) and one example NOT mint (expensive, but not quite so painful) is going to be a missing cosmetic bit, be it a a label or whatever. This reality can and will have a tremendous impact on the selling price (but little to nothing to do with "value" when the transducer is viewed, and used, as a music making device.)
Same as a bad lacquer finish on a fine old brass finished, yet beautifully playing lacquer finished trumpet
has NOTHING to do with sound or functionality but everything to do with MONEY and how much the more fastidious collectors are willing to pay for an example
Once a driver's in the box, you ain't even going see this part of the deal anyway, right? So why drop all of this sort of money on what amounts to the label in a T-shirt anyway? Unless something else is at play here and now we speak to and take a look at motive(s)
As for serializing, I was speaking of applying the original number(s) found on the foilcal being replaced; sorry I didn't connect the dots for you.
I was speaking to replacing damaged foilcals, not missing ones (or any other sort of misrepresentation)
A BLANK foilcal could be interpreted as just as much a counterfeit as no foilcal at all now couldn't it?
Just like those fake red plugs.
And for what it's worth, ANY of his foilcals, numbered or not ARE counterfeits (a misrepresentation of the truth), so I fail to "see" your point. How does one know what was really on a LOT of JBL drivers if it's just plain missing altogether? Hum?
And before you respond that leaving them blank is just exactly the opposite, the SELLER even suggests that you could/can have it done by a jeweler if you'd like, so it's not as if he's discouraging the practice (or doesn't know/is ignorant of what his primary market is all about; pumping up the value of cosmetically flawed collectible JBL pieces)
Notice he doesn't make anything for any of the more common, contemporary (and plentiful on the used market) JBL stuff
The whole thing is a deception to some extent and again, THAT'S YOUR BUSINESS/CONSCIENCE, but my point was, is and has always been about his PRICE GOUGING
I admitted that under very specific and special circumstances I might consider using one of the repro badges myself; I hate to admit it but I have accidentally damaged a foilcal or two being careless during attempts to affect various repairs (I stupidly ruined two 130A badges by simply not putting a soft cloth on my lazy Susan)
And in those cases I would KNOW the correct serial number to use to pull off the illusion
To a certain degree, I am happy that they available, same as repros of old stickers for dressing up vintage cars' engine compartments....................it's the FACT that I KNOW that the MAJORITY of them are being used to make something that's it's NOT into something that it's CLAIMED to be
The typical music lover, enjoying his Father's ancient JBLs isn't even aware of "red seals", nor does he give a shit let alone being on the hunt or in the market to spend $10 bucks a pop for a pair
Calls the whole thing into question for the uninitiated/ non-aficionado/expert
Manipulated cosmetic appearance can easily mislead anyone into confusing a "road hard and put up wet" example with a a time capsule virtually new example and except for personal use and satisfaction, that practice (we call it a "warm over" in the car trade) is a deception.
No different than the coin dealers who use ultrasonic to up a coin's grade in my mind; the average guy is not going to catch it, but he will wind up paying for it unfortunately
Just look at his "sold" numbers for those red plugs for example. There is no way in hell that that the "in it for the music" only members of the JBL community (who routinely replace worn out and bad diaphragms) were that concerned with having those things in place that they were willing to spend $20 bucks PLUS $3.95 in postage just to have them. Especially with the serious builder(s) contingent of the hobby. I just ain't buyin' it.
And the fact that the "sign guy" IS a "gouger" taking advantage of this aspect of Human nature
I really didn't intend for something this simple (obvious) to go on for this long, but I guess some people just don't get it
Plus I have a problem with the fact that whether JBL "cares" or not (and you now what pal, they do despite what you may think), these are all licensed trademarks and images so he's "F'ing them over too (as well as the guys who have the REAL shit (time capsule examples and true NOS) for sale and can't get what an original (and rare) is truly worth thanks to the fakes (I'm sorry, "enhanced") does indeed tick me off
But not "angry", just disappointed at how so many people can and are willing to play the scum bag used car salesman role
All the pretty little stickers and red plugs don't do a damn thing to help with improving what was already the best, especially if it was ever abused, misused or damaged (OR started out in life as something else entirely)
And THAT'S my point
Just think about it
Thomas