[ARC5] High prices?

Jon Leming [email protected]
Wed, 04 Feb 2004 06:13:50 -0500 

Hi, all,
I am new to the collection of these warbird radios, I am a radio collector 
and decided to collect some after my dad gave me a bc-450a that he has had 
for years. All I want ids a nice set of the three standard command sets and 
the rack - and then possible a few transmitters.  I am trying to get a good 
bc-453a to work as originally intended, with cables and the bc-450a control. 
  I as you know, am having a rough time just getting 3 or 4 pl-152a 
connectors and a couple of good mc tuning shafts. The proces are high and I 
keep getting the same old outbid on e-bay. I am amazed also at what is 
available if you have the big money. Is there anyone I can contact who can 
help me with the performance and electronic work on my bc-453a?   It is 
working on the dynamotor, I am getting a few ident stations at the local 
airports, but - I am getting alot of noise and interference also.


>From: "Chris Gill" <[email protected]>
>To: "Taigh Ramey" <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>
>Subject: Re: [ARC5] High prices?
>Date: Wed, 4 Feb 2004 16:33:18 +1000
>
>Hi All,
>I must agree with Taigh on the eBay thing, I collect too but am in no way 
>in
>the league of the majority on this list nor certainly those other 
>collectors
>mentioned including Taigh. I usually end up with the "modified" set's as
>they are all I can afford and then set about rebuilding to as close to
>original as possible, likewise I can't let something go to the scrap yard 
>or
>tip regardless of how much it has been hacked as it may provide some parts
>to restore another set.
>eBay provides many of us with the opportunity to get some item's that just
>don't surface otherwise, sure I get outbid in 99% of the cases as I have to
>take the freight cost's into consideration, but every now and then I get
>lucky. The other benefit is that some people see that a particular item is
>selling for a good price and decide to sell theirs rather than leave it in
>the attic to be disposed by their relatives which often means the tip as
>happened to a fair amount of equipment of a person I knew.
>Thank the god's of the radio world that people like ART13 and all the 
>others
>including members of this list exist and can save some of this wonderful
>radio history.
>73's
>de Chris. VK4YCG.
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Taigh Ramey" <[email protected]>
>To: <[email protected]>
>Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2004 12:53 PM
>Subject: [ARC5] High prices?
>
>
>Hello,
>
>I have had correspondence with ART13 over the years especially when I was
>buying radio gear for Paul Allen's collection of Warbirds called Flying
>Heritage. He is a very nice gentleman who is a serious collector. He and I
>have gone head to head on many auctions. Radioarchivest, is another one who
>has been talked about here, who is a serious collector that is selling off
>some of his gear. He is one of the most meticulous collectors that I have
>ever met. He has been collecting old radios for a very long time and he 
>only
>acquires the finest examples. He not only knows the value but he sets the
>value and he consistently gets it. I have seen people take pot shots at him
>and I fail to see why. I know that when someone pays a lot of money for 
>some
>nice gear on eBay it seems to ruffle some feathers. I have had people send
>me hate mail just because I outbid them. eBay will give you the most up to
>the second information about what a radio or any other item is worth. One
>needs to realize that it takes at least two bidders to reach those high
>dollar figures. These same folks may be bidding the same high amount on all
>of their other auctions but they are winning at the lower figure because of
>the lack of competition.
>
>When I was buying for Paul Allen and Flying Heritage, Money was no object. 
>I
>needed to find new in the box gear for the aircraft in restoration to fit
>the following self imposed requirements: Find the best example available
>Find the best example by required contract date Find the best example by
>required contract date in new old stock condition Find a spare
>
>When I started putting the word out about my contract specific needs I was
>laughed at and I was told that it would be impossible to do in this day and
>age. Well, I was able to find almost every piece of gear by appropriate
>contract date and most of them were still in the box. I am convinced that
>with time I could easily reach 100%. I was happy to pay what ever it took 
>to
>get the new in the box gear as I had no idea if and when I would ever see
>one again.
>
>High auction results will invariable bring more of the same components out
>of the woodwork as someone will gladly sell their example for that same
>amount of money. Most of the time, I have found, if someone sees an item
>sell for high dollars, then they just clutch their own radio closer to 
>their
>chest which makes finding another one even harder. Whenever I would come
>across rare gear that I didn't need right away I would buy it for either
>future use or trade stock.
>
>I am simply amazed that I can still outfit almost any WWII aircraft with
>radios that are still in the box even after 60 years. I am even more amazed
>that I can get picky about the dates of manufacture. It makes me feel great
>that I can take a stripped out old bomber or fighter and I can restore the
>exact radios that were in them when they were made. Most people who are
>restoring old aircraft today don't seem to care about the radios let alone
>the correct ones, but they will some day! One day, and I think that day is
>approaching a lot faster than anyone wants to admit, it will be impossible
>to find this gear. This is when people will be bidding hundreds for the ham
>modified radios that we are throwing away today (maybe you are throwing 
>them
>out but I can't stand to throw that stuff away...it's just wrong!). I think
>that we are fortunate to have eBay as it has been a great source of radio
>and other equipment that I wouldn't have found otherwise. Enough babbling.
>Taigh
>
>
>
>Taigh Ramey
>
>
>
>VINTAGE AIRCRAFT
>
>7432 C.E. Dixon Street
>
>Stockton, California 95206
>
>209 982 0273 Hangar
>
>209 982 4832 Fax
>
>www.twinbeech.com
>
>KEEP 'EM FLYING...FOR HISTORY
>
>
>
>
>
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