I bought this baby brand new for $85 + tax. The homepage of the manufacturer-Campbell Hausfeld (http://www.chpower.com) lists retail as $109.
The moisture trap (I got it from Testors)-$60.
This compressor was designed for typical residential use such as painting walls or inflating tires, but that's good because the buyer doesn't get ripped off just for the satisfaction of buying from an established hobby firm such as Paasche.
Anyway, this device features a tank for storing the compressed air. The compressor kicks in automatically at intervals when it senses that the pressure in the tank has dropped too low, but 90% of the time, when you're airbrushing, all you hear is the hiss of air from the airbrush. No constant rattling of the compressor which is as close as you get to a true silent compressor without paying $600. Also, your flow of air is even, constant and it doesn't pulsate.
A couple of gauges show the pressure inside the tank and the exit pressure (the actual pressure in your airbrush). There is a pressure regulator knob for controlling the flow of air and a safety valve for emergency pressure release if the compressor kicked in and then failed to stop due to some problem.
Moisture that collects in the storage tank is something to be aware of so a good moisture trap is a must. Also, there is a water release valve in the bottom of the tank. Once in a while (once a week maybe) you can use it to drain the water off-if necessary.
