Old Stage Lighting MSRPs

blueeyesdesigns

Active Member
Anyone out there have access to stage lighting price lists from the 70s to early 90s and/or a real good memory? I'm getting rid of some old equipment, and our purchasing department is asking for estimated purchase prices. My guess is most of this gear was bought in the mid-70s when our older space was built, but some of it is obviously newer, likely dating to the early 90s when our black-box was built. I've been able to find catalogs online, but nothing listing pricing and of course our records are long gone...

I've got:
Altman cat no. 65, 6" and 8" fresnels
Altman 360Qs in 6x9 and 6x12
Altman 1k6-12
Colortran 213-515 6" Fresnel
Colortran 5/50 Series in a variety of degrees
Strand-Century Fresnelite cat no. 3380
 
I would "estimate" them all at $175-200 ea. Cat no 65 6" at about $100 a pop. At the end of the day, I don't think it really matters how accurate you are. Do they want you to also estimate connectors, safety cables, lamps, and clamps? Adjust for inflation? Case in point - no matter how exact you are in catalog prices, you will most likely be off by a factor of 10-20% due to the way jobs are priced out. They also probably just want to take that number and overcharge the future buyer reduce them by a certain amount to account for depreciation. So I say just wing it. :)
 
I can probably get you list prices from the 70's and 90's but as above, probably not current worth or value to any standard. Accounting comma's and dots that had they their records straight... they paid for them.... how much did they pay for them? Should a problem come up. Nobody pays list price.

(Currently on a job-site and won't be able to check my manuals until later next week.. Remind or PM me later in the week so I don't forget...)

Getting rid of, selling off or donating? The above question is different than current worth or value (which ever). I certainly hope you are not just getting rid of 6" Fresnels, 6x9's and the rest without finding a home for them. A tax deductable home for the fixtures could be a percentage of their list price as depreciated.

A trash can of them you pay for, a recycler a shame as most of these lights many tax deductable 501c3 theater's would love to have in giving donation and play bill advertisements + even good local press PSA's type things.

"My Kindom for another Leko!" Granted it's been over 20 years since I worked a "Store Front Thater" and wished I had another Leko or Fresnel or anything useful, this while glad I wasn't in a space using clip lights. Still the need is out there. Have to find them as the network for donation doesn't really exist.

Last lot of like 30 completely restored back to factory spec or better, with lamps & spares I donated to... I'm told that they are totally LED now. But they were very thankful about the donation in wanting them, and something about another theater building to want to light with them..... For future donations from me (Another dozen or so coming up in the same almost new condition) I was given another theater to donate to by my boss who used to live in this city I'm currently working out of.

Above a note of liability and best practice. Most for instance of the Fresnels I donated were Altman 65(Q) type, but someone had installed a radial EGE Leko Lamps in them. Completely trashed all paint and rusted surfaces. Had to do complete tear down and sand blasting. Than re-paint, re-wire, most lamp sockets were replaced, etc. As a for instance in all the fixtures needed huge work which work and I am liable for.

It's good and proper work done based on over 25 years experience in doing this to museum quality/factory spec+ better work.

As stated before on donations... The problem.

While I can drop off a lot of fixtures I have worked on, or even to the extent I have supervised the working on.... Just dumping a bunch of lights in "as used" condition probably is not proper given expected skill level of those the fixtures are provided to are not able to restore them "as is." The above dance production company using clip lights (over wattaged) had no technical ability to properly restore or re-wire Leko's or Fresnel's provided to them if I were to. They would be a bad choice to donate other than properly restored gear to.

Unless those one might donate to have someone on staff with experience level to properly re-wire and replace and service the lights donated on staff - that person's or theater's liability now for what they get... This makes it harder to donate gear, short of re-wiring etc. yourself in preparation for donation. Your ability and spare parts to fix the gear before donating it.... Dumping off the old gear to someone else is a question asked before in ethics.

An Altman 65Q especially would be a shame to see in a dumpster. A 6x9, was it radial or axial? None the less, save all lenses, shutters and lamp cap assemblies. Essential parts. By the way, the upper pinapple berrels, could build so many more Leko's had I had that part.

Overall, statement in concerns about liability and or if providing potentially bad fixtures to another theater which might not be up to the skill level to safely repair or use them.... If possible, just sit on them in storage. Keep in back of mind and search for how to donate. I sat on some of the fixtures in my last donation for well over a year I found a source to provide to. All good, this until... etc. another source better.
 
Here is a cap of the price list for American Stage Lighting 1977.
ASLpricelist1.PNG

I am still working on uploading the entire catalog.
 
Thanks, all. I work in government-run higher ed and we have to follow all our state's equipment purchasing and disposal procedures. Of which filling out this form is one. I think they just need a number they can write off in the assets column of the ol' balance sheet. For better or for worse, they a) don't care what they're worth now, and b) must either scrap them or sell them at auction (run by someone who has no idea what they're looking at or what it's worth, but I digress...) Sadly, I couldn't donate them if I wanted to.
 

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