misterdoggy wrote:I'm wondering why when I look on the Italian web (I speak Italian) why I see no La Marzocco's for sale at all and if you look for something like a La Cimbali you see tons of things.

Also La Vibiemme you see plenty in other European countries but not in Italy. La Marzocco seems to be either too expensive for these markets or more highly regarded in the USA.

Don't get me wrong, It looks like La Marzocco is TOP of the food chain, just wondering why I can't find anything in Italia.

I spend my summers 20 minutes from Florence in Viareggio, and wondered if people re-sold them, but don't find anything what so ever about used items coming up for sale in Europe.

LM is a very small company compared to Cimbali / Faema. Reasons you may not have seen the machines in a specific area may not be related at all to cup quality. So and so may be a well-regarded distrubutor in a certain area, folks may be comfortable with one machine and might be askeered of the other (no sh** - heard exactly that argument this last weekend at SCAA). And reasons you don't see LMs for sale a lot may have everything to do with cup quality. For example, I like what mine produces so much that there's no way short of complete financial Armageddon that I'm getting rid of mine. I side with Chris Tacy on this one.

-Greg

Most people (for good reason) buy a commercial machine from a company that they trust (rather that buying it based upon how "good" the machine is).
Service, responsiveness, skill, access to parts, etc are of paramount value to most businesses making this decision.

Wow that little GS is in really original condition, it even still has the small decals in the steam valve knobs and the small steel cover over the back of the group neck. Judging from the outside it would be a safe bet that the internals haven't been touched since it left the factory 20 years ago.

Actually the current spec would be the same as a current spec EE linea. If one were so inclined to upgrade the machine I would try and go for a very subtle upgrade with a GS3 hybrid brew boiler, it may just squeeze in, it would depend on the solenoid coil fitting or not. Whip out the old thermostat, in with a PID and you would have stellar performance with killer original looks. And all upgrades are non-permanent so you can always take it right back to 100% original.

I'd go for a refurb back to original but if the end user wanted better performance (close to if not equal to a GS3) it could be done without too much fuss. Now I come to think about it maybe even drop in a new paddle group.

I regret not bidding now

Paul