It's a PDG Series 2 frameset, which is the low end of the imported "Series" Paramounts. The Series 7 and Series 5 Paramounts were made in Japan by National/Panasonic, while theSeries 3 and Series 2 were made in Taiwan initially, and later mainland China. The $163 BIN for the frameset isn't a ripoff, but it's not a bargain, either.