Current Marketplace for Vacuum Tubes?

Mapman, your comment about E-Bay re: fair market value is in keeping with my thoughts. Your advice regarding testing the waters is well taken.

Back four years or so on Audiogon, one could trust certain sellers to provide high quality tubes, and while those sellers' tubes generally were at premium prices, one knew what one was getting for the money. It made buying tubes on Audiogon "safer" than buying on E-Bay, IMO. 

Thanks.

Yes no doubt tubes are unique to sell in that the difference between a great tube worth a lot and an average or poor one worth not much in terms of noise and wear, performance etc. can be hard to discern and bank on in advance, so trust is more important than ever IMHO. Money back satisfaction guarantees are probably of value to achieve best possible sale price.

I currently only trust tubes from ARC for my ARC pre-amp enough to justify paying a higher price than I might elsewhere. Especially when it comes to noise levels for use in prime slot in the phono section. That’s one of six tubes. The other 5 slots are way more forgiving. So no doubt "certifiable" high performance tubes in good condition when needed can carry a premium but most are more commodity items still to many.

"I currently only trust tubes from ARC for my ARC pre-amp enough to justify paying a higher price than I might elsewhere. Especially when it comes to noise levels for use in prime slot in the phono section."

You might consider Andy Bouwman at Vintage Tube Services for low noise phone section tubes. 

Hang on to those tubes!  Tubes will be here forever. Quickly obsoleting the more affordable transistor amplifiers and gear. Only six figure solid state can compete.  Brand new tubes are being made, so you don't have to worry about NOS tube supplies running out(unless you prefer them). Personally, I like VTL(Vacuum Tube Logic) gear. Rock on!

Listed tubes on US Audio Mart, AudioAsylum, and a few on E-Bay.