Retsy Series 1 · Card 0247 · 80-TEC

Smiley Curve Equalizer

Twelve sliders. One perfect sound.

A rack stereo equalizer with twelve glowing sliders that everyone set into a smiley-face curve and never touched again.

Card no.: 0247 of 1,280
Set: 80s Tech & Gadgets · 80-TEC
Year: 1986
Type: Stereo graphic equalizer
Found at: Stereo shop listening room
Cost back then: $119

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Nostalgia7/10

Hype6/10

Weirdness6/10

Trade value5/10

The story · 1986

The story of Smiley Curve Equalizer

Nobody knew what the Smiley Curve actually did, but setting the sliders into a big grin felt right. The light meters bounced green, yellow and red, and older brothers sat in the dark just watching them dance. Serious audio buffs made a frown curve on purpose and claimed it sounded better, though nobody could hear a difference.

Fun fact

Pushing every slider to the top made the dog leave the room, which became the official house definition of too loud.

Six finishes

187 copies of Smiley Curve Equalizer exist

Smiley Curve Equalizer comes in six finishes: 100 Base, 50 Holo, 25 Laser and 10 Gold copies, plus one Super Laser and one Misprint that exist exactly once. Every copy is minted to the wallet that rips it, with its own serial number.

Smiley Curve Equalizer, Retsy card 0247 in the Base finish — **Base**100 copies · Common

Smiley Curve Equalizer, Retsy card 0247 in the Holo finish — **Holo**50 copies · Uncommon

Smiley Curve Equalizer, Retsy card 0247 in the Laser finish — **Laser**25 copies · Rare

Smiley Curve Equalizer, Retsy card 0247 in the Gold finish — **Gold**10 copies · Very rare

Smiley Curve Equalizer, Retsy card 0247 in the Super Laser finish — **Super Laser**1 copy · 1 of 1

Smiley Curve Equalizer, Retsy card 0247 in the Misprint finish — **Misprint**1 copy · 1 of 1

80-TEC

More from 80s Tech & Gadgets

Smiley Curve Equalizer is one of 32 cards in the 80s Tech & Gadgets set. Here are the other 31.