Source Confirmed
Seller-confirmed
- Seller-described MTI compact vertical tube furnace and feeder; visible crated furnace cabinet, control hardware, cabling, and documentation.
Analysis snapshotSnapshot decision:BUY
MTI OTF-1200X Compact Vertical Tube Furnace and Feeder — Auction Analysis
A seller-described MTI compact vertical tube furnace and feeder supports a $170 downside-capped hammer ceiling, but the exact suffix, tube, vacuum hardware, feeder identity, and functional state remain unverified.
Stale-data warning
Analysis snapshot · Open at observation — observed September 27, 2026. This is an immutable observation, not a live feed. The auction is scheduled to close October 2, 2026. Price, status, close time, and terms may have changed. Check the source auction before bidding.
Decision at a glance
RecommendationBUY
- Maximum hammer bid
- $170
The auction bid ceiling supported by this analysis, if one is defensible; see costs below for buyer-premium treatment.
Why this decision
BUY: the $170 ceiling is below the approved $175 cost-overrun downside cap and the $25 observed bid is not valuation input.
See costs and maximum bid for the displayed assumptions and buyer-premium treatment.
- Snapshot observed bid
- $25
- Bidders
- Not captured
- Blind-model resale
- $2,500
Snapshot provenance and timing · observed Sep 27, 2026, 6:17 AM UTC · scheduled close October 2, 2026
GSA Auctions sale 1-1-QSC-I-26-330, lot 016 · Blue Ash, Ohio 45242
Snapshot observed Sep 27, 2026, 6:17 AM UTC
Scheduled close October 2, 2026
Analysis prepared Sep 27, 2026, 6:17 AM UTC
Published September 27, 2026 · page updated September 27, 2026
Prepared and published by Oleksii Udod for LotCaliper.
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These are individually prepared, time-stamped analyses with recorded scheduled closes. Verify the official auction before acting.
Auction snapshot
This page preserves the September 27, 2026 GSA pre-close observation for item 378201, sale 1-1-QSC-I-26-330, lot 016. The recorded current bid is 25; bidder count is unknown.
A recognizable furnace family and seller-stated feeder do not establish a complete, working tube-furnace system.
Review and correction history
Independent review completed. 3 corrections recorded.
View review and correction details
Independent review completed
Status: Approved · Reviewed September 27, 2026
Completed source-first review approved the BUY and ceiling after checking all eight required areas.
How independent review worksCorrection · September 27, 2026
Affected field: Market-evidence disclosure and comparable records
Original: Aggregate-only disclosure with one synthetic related-model asking/context count and no public comparable records.
Corrected: Record-level disclosure of six retained records preserving one used-in-valuation ask, one realized-sale context record, manufacturer and sold-auction context, and two exclusions.
The publication adapter discarded the approved retained records and replaced them with a synthetic aggregate representation.
Valuation unchanged · Maximum hammer unchanged · Decision unchanged
- LotCaliper approved analysis specification: Approved same-family asking record and higher-specification realized-sale context record.
Correction · September 27, 2026
Affected field: Binding bid constraint
Original: Profit floor labeled as the binding constraint.
Corrected: Downside robustness cap of USD 175 is binding; the public hammer remains USD 170.
The canonical schema represented only profit and ROI floors, so migration could not preserve the approved downside-robustness cap.
Valuation unchanged · Maximum hammer unchanged · Decision unchanged
- LotCaliper approved analysis specification: Approved downside stress test and bid-ceiling arithmetic.
Correction · September 27, 2026
Affected field: Modeled result at recorded bid
Original: Canonical modeled-result fields were null and the page displayed No bid recorded.
Corrected: USD 900 modeled profit and 7,347 basis points (73.47%) modeled ROI at the USD 25 observed bid.
The publication adapter preserved the observed bid but did not populate the derived canonical modeled-result fields.
Valuation unchanged · Maximum hammer unchanged · Decision unchanged
- GSA Auctions and LotCaliper canonical economics: Observed bid and approved cost-stack arithmetic.
How evidence is classified
Seller facts, photo-derived observations, manufacturer context, unknowns, and LotCaliper assumptions remain explicitly separated.
Photo Derived
Photo-derived
- Supplied auction photographs support physical observations only, not advanced functional performance.
Not Established
Not established
- Exact suffix, voltage, tube diameter, quartz tube, vacuum flanges/gauge/valves, feeder model/completeness, and functional state are not established.
Manufacturer Context
Independent context
- Same-family asking evidence, a higher-specification realized sale, and current manufacturer pricing support a market but not an exact-variant realized valuation.
Lotcaliper Assumption
LotCaliper assumptions
- USD 2500 conservative resale and USD 170 maximum hammer before any unknown premium.
- USD 400 freight, USD 500 testing/repair, USD 300 uncertainty, and 15% selling-fee reserves.
Equipment identity
Laboratory · quantity 1
MTI OTF-1200X compact vertical tube furnace family with seller-stated feeder
Identity confidence: Medium High
Identity evidence
Seller-described MTI compact vertical tube furnace and feeder; visible crated furnace cabinet, control hardware, cabling, and documentation.
GSA Auctions · Image · observed Sep 27, 2026, 6:17 AM UTC
Configuration
Resale-critical options, accessories, configuration, and workflow components
Not established · no source evidence establishes presence or absence
Configuration evidence
Exact suffix, voltage, tube diameter, quartz tube, vacuum flanges/gauge/valves, feeder model/completeness, and functional state are not established.
GSA Auctions · Image · observed Sep 27, 2026, 6:17 AM UTC
Condition
As-is / repair risk
Seller states used condition and warns that parts may be missing and repairs may be required; no power-on, heating, controller, feeder, vacuum, or calibration evidence is supplied.
Evidence confidence: Low Medium
Condition evidence
Seller states used condition and warns that parts may be missing and repairs may be required; no power-on, heating, controller, feeder, vacuum, or calibration evidence is supplied.
GSA Auctions · Text · observed Sep 27, 2026, 6:17 AM UTC
Market evidence
Market evidence strength
Medium
Public auditability
Full
Evidence recency
Mixed
Same-family asking evidence, a higher-specification realized sale, and current manufacturer pricing support a market but not an exact-variant realized valuation.
| Model match | Evidence type | Treatment | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Related Model | Asking | Context Only | 1 |
| Related Model | Asking | Used In Valuation | 1 |
| Related Model | Realized | Context Only | 1 |
| Related Model | Insufficient Evidence | Context Only | 1 |
| Related Model | Asking | Excluded | 2 |
| Source | Evidence | Observed | Price | Relevance and treatment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MTI OTF-1200X-S-VT current manufacturer listing Other | Asking Related Model | September 27, 2026 | $4,695 | Current new-equipment compact vertical family reference; the subject lot suffix and complete configuration are not established. Context Only |
| eBay MTI OTF-1200X open tube furnace Marketplace | Asking Related Model | September 27, 2026 | $3,980 | Same-family used asking record with limited or no testing and unresolved configuration comparability. Used In Valuation |
| eBay MTI OTF-1200X-III sold record Marketplace | Realized Related Model | September 27, 2026 | $4,603.26 | Sold higher-specification three-zone unit described as tested working; materially stronger than the subject configuration and condition evidence. Context Only |
| FabExchange MTI OTF-1200X auction record Auction | Insufficient Evidence Related Model | September 27, 2026 | Not published | Exact-family sold-auction record with no retained transaction price and no verified subject-lot suffix match. Context Only |
| Craigslist MTI split tube furnace listing Marketplace | Asking Related Model | September 27, 2026 | $653 | Private local asking record for a materially different same-family configuration. Excluded — Private local ask, materially different configuration, and no realized transaction evidence. |
| MTI PF-C feeder current manufacturer listing Other | Asking Related Model | September 27, 2026 | $3,895 | Current new feeder reference; the seller-stated feeder model and completeness are not established. Excluded — Exact feeder identity, compatibility, and completeness are unresolved for the subject lot. |
Sensitivity and robustness
Survives
The published decision survives the selected downside check under the stated bounded assumptions.
Approved downside-tested case
- Max hammer
- $170
- Gross resale model
- $2,000–$2,500
BUY: the $170 ceiling is below the approved $175 cost-overrun downside cap and the $25 observed bid is not valuation input.
Costs and maximum bid
| Transaction / operating cost | Amount | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Selling Fees | $375 | LotCaliper assumption: 15% of modeled gross resale. |
| Shipping | $400 | LotCaliper pickup, packing, rigging, and inbound-logistics reserve; not a carrier or GSA quote. |
| Testing Repair Reserve | $500 | LotCaliper functional-test and diagnostic reserve. |
| Risk Buffer | $300 | Approved reserve for buyer-managed removal, configuration, testing, repair, and resale uncertainty. |
- Buyer premium
- Not modeled
- Return requirements
- $500 minimum profit · 30% minimum ROI
- Computed bid constraints
Profit floor: $425
ROI floor: $435
Downside robustness cap: $175
Binding: Downside robustness cap
- Snapshot blind/as-is max hammer
- $170
- Modeled result at recorded bid
- $900 profit · 73.47% modeled ROI
This is a reseller ceiling, not a prediction of the auction's closing price. Any buyer premium or other unquoted acquisition charge must be deducted before bidding.
Configuration, condition, and conservative bid ceiling
BUY: the $170 ceiling is below the approved $175 cost-overrun downside cap and the $25 observed bid is not valuation input.
Same-family asking evidence, a higher-specification realized sale, and current manufacturer pricing support a market but not an exact-variant realized valuation.
- Exact suffix, voltage, tube diameter, quartz tube, vacuum flanges/gauge/valves, feeder model/completeness, and functional state are not established.
- Reduce the hammer ceiling for any buyer premium or additional acquisition charge.
Recommendation and rationale
Snapshot decision
BUYBUY: the $170 ceiling is below the approved $175 cost-overrun downside cap and the $25 observed bid is not valuation input.
Confidence
- Identity
- Medium High
- Configuration
- Medium Low
- Condition
- Low Medium
- Market Support
- Medium
- Costs
- Medium Low
Why these confidence levels were assigned
- Identity rationale
- Seller-described MTI compact vertical tube furnace and feeder; visible crated furnace cabinet, control hardware, cabling, and documentation.
- Material unknowns: Bounded
- Configuration rationale
- Exact suffix, voltage, tube diameter, quartz tube, vacuum flanges/gauge/valves, feeder model/completeness, and functional state are not established.
- Material unknowns: Bounded
- Condition rationale
- Seller states used condition and warns that parts may be missing and repairs may be required; no power-on, heating, controller, feeder, vacuum, or calibration evidence is supplied.
- Material unknowns: Bounded
- Market Support rationale
- Same-family asking evidence, a higher-specification realized sale, and current manufacturer pricing support a market but not an exact-variant realized valuation.
- Material unknowns: Bounded
- Costs rationale
- Cost reserves are explicit but buyer-specific and unquoted.
- Material unknowns: Bounded
Market support assesses how well the available evidence supports the resale assumption. Exact third-party marketplace records may be omitted when source-use rights are unclear. Each dimension uses the published methodology rubric; a confidence label measures the strength and boundedness of its evidence, not the likelihood of a profitable outcome.
Risks and unknowns
High · Missing Components
Exact suffix, voltage, tube diameter, quartz tube, vacuum flanges/gauge/valves, feeder model/completeness, and functional state are not established.
No resale upside is assigned to unconfirmed components.
High · Functionality Unverified
Advanced functional performance is not established.
Seller states used condition and warns that parts may be missing and repairs may be required; no power-on, heating, controller, feeder, vacuum, or calibration evidence is supplied.
Sources
View cited public sources
- GSA Auctions API / Data.gov
Official public provenance for auction facts; no unverified direct item URL is invented.
- GSA Auctions item 378201
Official immutable auction-observation provenance.
- MTI OTF-1200X-S-VT
Compact-vertical family configuration context; linked and paraphrased.