While browsing some ancient sp-808-related threads around the internet, I had the idea to compile a list of gear prices now vs. then.

For instance, it appears that the sp-808 retailed at around $1600-1800 USD. These days, sp-808's seem to get yoinked for roughly $60-150, though there appears to be increased interest in them relative to 6 months ago, when I got mine (uncontested if I remember correctly) for $60-ish.

And perhaps the list shouldn't be limited to samplers. Dunno, thoughts?


Roland SP-808(1998) Then = $1695 Now = ~$80-200

do it up! Id like to know because i did a little research on my 808 before i bought it and it was said to be a steal for 200 bucks and i got mine for 100 bucks. The thing can compete with some of the newer machines that are going for 500 bucks. We live in the age where new equals better. Id love to just have a sp 808, and mpc 2000xl and a akai s20 and an old ass synth.

I've thought about getting an sp 808 for a few years now but I always end up reading something about them that changes my mind but I can't remember. I remember that going for a lot like 12-13 years ago, now they are inexpensive.

The SP-808 was a highend sampler at its time. It was Roland's flagship design, then came the 808 eMix which was the result of user feedback from the first model. Then the MC-909 became the flagship and finally the MV, which appears to be the last of Roland's flagship samplers.

I remember the 909 being around $1600 and the MV8000 at $2300.

I got my mv for 500 bucks about a few months ago.

I paid $1,000 for my 808 (floor model) back when they first hit the market.

Can you guys think of a better way to calculate current value/cost other than "somewhere between $x and $y"?

Maybe just find a couple "good examples" (good condition, etc) with a healthy amount of bids and take the mean of those two (or three or four)???


P.S. Wow this is not as easy as it would seem. Finding og retail prices is an adventure...

I usually go by ebay and vintage synth explorer. You can see that MPC 2000xl's, on average, go for 500 bucks, 303's go for about 200 bucks (weird) and so forth and so on. Its a good way to get an average idea of what people value these machines at right now. Vintage synth explorer has a little price on the side which tells you how much it cost when it was released, when it was released, and how much you could get it for now. I usually check those 2 things out before i bid.

My MPC2000xl was 2Grand! Now I got my OP-1 for 800 its crazy !!!

Vintage Synth says SP-808 est. value = $1000-1500

and TR-808 est. value = $400-900

so I don't believe them.