Update Me on the Trade

I 26

Member
Sep 9, 2010
315
Vancouver, Canada
Wow! It's been years since I have been on this website or even looked at my lightbars. Last week, during a trip back to my home city (on the other side of the country now), I went to check on my lightbars in storage. Really got me pumped up for the hobby again. I just feel so out of touch with all of it now. Some questions: How is the market for collectable items/parts? Browsing through the classifieds here, it looks like availability has really dwindled. Secondly, what are values like now? Have they gone up significantly? For reference, here is some of what I own by memory:
- 3 x Twinsonic (range from 10/10 to 4/10).
- FS Firehawk
- Aerodynic with speaker center
- Complete LAPD Aerodynic (nice condition)
- FS Vision with "brain" and controller
- all-light MX7000
- Tomar 950H
- some others that evade my memory

Also, non-vintage wise, who are the big players these days? Back 10-15 years ago it was pretty much Federal Signal, Code 3, and Whelen. Is that still the case?

Much thanks for your answers!
 
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tsquale

Lifetime VIP Donor
Oct 12, 2010
10,511
Minnesota, USA
Welcome back! Unfortunately, a lot of buying and selling has gone from on here to the millions of pop up facebook groups. Values on some items are skyrocketing (aeros and twins come to mind) while others are pretty stagnant. Streethawks are hardly getting $50-75.

Whelen and Fed Sig are still the big players. Feniex has come to market, but I haven't been super impressed by them. I think the real rising star as of the last few years is Soundoff Signal. Code 3 has fallen a bit behind, being slow to adopt new standards (dual/tri color, full control system, etc)
 

gtpts27

Member
Jul 1, 2017
579
Virginia
Wow! It's been years since I have been on this website or even looked at my lightbars. Last week, during a trip back to my home city (on the other side of the country now), I went to check on my lightbars in storage. Really got me pumped up for the hobby again. I just feel so out of touch with all of it now. Some questions: How is the market for collectable items/parts? Browsing through the classifieds here, it looks like availability has really dwindled. Secondly, what are values like now? Have they gone up significantly? For reference, here is some of what I own by memory:
- 3 x Twinsonic (range from 10/10 to 4/10).
- FS Firehawk
- Aerodynic with speaker center
- Complete LAPD Aerodynic (nice condition)
- FS Vision with "brain" and controller
- all-light MX7000
- Tomar 950H
- some others that evade my memory

Also, non-vintage wise, who are the big players these days? Back 10-15 years ago it was pretty much Federal Signal, Code 3, and Whelen. Is that still the case?

Much thanks for your answers!

Tony's points are spot on. Your LAPD Aero's value has likely increased significantly. You'll also likely be pleased with the value of your Twins (especially blue domes) and other Aero. FireHawk depends on color of base (red is most desirable) and if any TCL or DynaRays present. Folks like to have a Vision but they are tough to ship so that keeps values in check. Tomar and Code 3 stuff isn't that hard to come by, with a few exceptions (Tomar 925, Code 3 SD Triple Threat, Code 3 Select-Alert bars), so values aren't crazy there.

Lots of action on Facebook groups but sellers aren't well vetted. I have gotten some great stuff through FB but have also had plenty of disappointing to downright frustrating transactions there, to the point that I have curtailed my activity on FB significantly.
 

I 26

Member
Sep 9, 2010
315
Vancouver, Canada
Thank you both for your responses.

Firehawk is white base with TCLs.

Interesting to hear how values have shifted, not because I am looking to purge anything, but rather because I am interested in expanding what I have.

I have been with this site since the early 2000s, back when I was in high school and buying a used streethawk from the classifieds here was actually a really big deal - unfortunately work took me away from most things for a while, but now that I am older, wiser, and wealthier the sky is really the limit when it comes to putting energy back into this hobby.

Unfortunate to hear that the selling market has shifted from this site - it was always a great resource to buy equipment at fair value. How does one go about locating the Facebook classifieds?
 

tsquale

Lifetime VIP Donor
Oct 12, 2010
10,511
Minnesota, USA
Thank you both for your responses.

Firehawk is white base with TCLs.

Interesting to hear how values have shifted, not because I am looking to purge anything, but rather because I am interested in expanding what I have.

I have been with this site since the early 2000s, back when I was in high school and buying a used streethawk from the classifieds here was actually a really big deal - unfortunately work took me away from most things for a while, but now that I am older, wiser, and wealthier the sky is really the limit when it comes to putting energy back into this hobby.

Unfortunate to hear that the selling market has shifted from this site - it was always a great resource to buy equipment at fair value. How does one go about locating the Facebook classifieds?
Just search fire light / police light buy /sell or similar and that should find several.

Any thing in particular you are looking to add to the collection?
 

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