I've been following the prices of low-end (<$200) tone modules on eBay for about
three years. For the past 18 months, they have been steadily rising; generally
up about 30% for the same item over several years. For the TX81Z, the average
price has almost doubled from $30-$40 to $60-$80. As we all know, they are
wonderful synths and no one is making any more of them.

But in the past week, I have been winning a lot of eBay tone module auctions
with bids that are about 25% lower than the average price of the past few
months. I picked up an E-Mu Mo'Phatt for $61 and yesterday an identical
Mo'Phatt actually sold for $49! They normally have final bids around $120.

Granted the Mo'Phatt is a weird tone module. But it does have 1024 internal
samples, arpeggio generators, 12dB morphing filters, dual effects DSPs,
real-time controllers, and MIDI control over every possible parameter. So even
if it is a just a box of sound effects (as it is derided to be), it still has
potential according to its specs alone.

I also got a mint-condition Yamaha TG77 for $145. I haven't seen one sell
below $150 for several years.

Are the tone module prices falling? Is this a ripple of the general collapse
of the economy? Or, is it because these auctions are ending in the middle of
the morning when no one is on-line to eBay to bid on them in real time? I time
all my eBay auctions to end at 7:30pm Pacific time. Which is 10:30 East Coast
time. People there are still awake and at their PCs online. The West Coast
people have finished dinner and are sitting down to their PCs for a serious
shopping session.

Should we dump our 'surplus' tone modules now or hang on to them for a few
more years? Do you think that the prices on Yamaha DX units are going to rise
or fall in the next year? And by how much?
As the economy continues to contract will the prices of the high-end modules
like the Yamaha Motif series fall by 40% or more? Or will they stabilize and
possibly rise?

Any thoughts? Anyone need a spare Mo'Phatt?