[Amps] Tubes, made in the USA, in the olden days; Films?

[Bill, W6WRT]

ORIGINAL MESSAGE:

On Mon, 30 Aug 2010 07:20:07 -0700, Patrick Barthelow
<apolloeme at live.com> wrote:

>I look back to the good old days, when I used to complain as a kid,  I paid  $2.50 or so,  retail for a 12AX7, after checking it in the tube tester at the Longs Drug Store.    Cosidering what went into making that precison aligned; Two Plates, two grids, two filaments, or cathodes,  all those exotic, pure,  and dissiilar metals, spot welds,   8-10 thru-glass pins, vacuum sealed, getterized,  and a couple or three businesses; manufacturer to retail,  that made a profit on that $2.50 retail tube.  I am amazed.

REPLY:

My feelings exactly and that's what prompted me to ask the question in
the first place. To me, a 12AX7 would be much harder to build than an
8877. 

As others have pointed out, volume has a lot to do with it, but
still.......

73, Bill W6WRT