kiltie
Member
I've got a line on a pair of AN6530 goggles at a local antiques dealer. For the condition, the price seems to line up with most of what is actually selling on ebay; the usual cracking, etc..., but the lenses are in good shape, minimal oxidation, and no separation at the padding from the hardware.
What I'm wondering, though, is:
Is this the kind of thing I should consider trying to restore, over time, especially regarding the pads?
After looking around a bit, I find that replacement pads run up into the $100 range; two thirds of what the goggles run to start with. I'd be sitting on a $250 set of goggles when all was said and done. Still considerably less than a minty pair of originals, but a bill over a decent repro.
I know that typically, restorations can have an adverse effect on the collectibility of many things, but I haven't seen any AN6530s being offered up as being restored, so I don't have a sounding board.
I had been leaning heavily towards picking up a set of the reproductions, but this gear just gets more scarce every day and prices go up, up, and up. Plus, you cant beat owning a bit of history, but I prefer my bits of history to be in practical, useful condition ( winky smiley ).
Finally, with ebay being my only real gauge ( not counting the more extravagant offerings, i.e. NOS boxed goggles at Flying Tiger, or wherever...), am I correct in believing that $150 is what I'm going to have to pay for even a nominally serviceable set of these?
Thanks for whatever y'all have got for me.
What I'm wondering, though, is:
Is this the kind of thing I should consider trying to restore, over time, especially regarding the pads?
After looking around a bit, I find that replacement pads run up into the $100 range; two thirds of what the goggles run to start with. I'd be sitting on a $250 set of goggles when all was said and done. Still considerably less than a minty pair of originals, but a bill over a decent repro.
I know that typically, restorations can have an adverse effect on the collectibility of many things, but I haven't seen any AN6530s being offered up as being restored, so I don't have a sounding board.
I had been leaning heavily towards picking up a set of the reproductions, but this gear just gets more scarce every day and prices go up, up, and up. Plus, you cant beat owning a bit of history, but I prefer my bits of history to be in practical, useful condition ( winky smiley ).
Finally, with ebay being my only real gauge ( not counting the more extravagant offerings, i.e. NOS boxed goggles at Flying Tiger, or wherever...), am I correct in believing that $150 is what I'm going to have to pay for even a nominally serviceable set of these?
Thanks for whatever y'all have got for me.