[ARC5] Re: [Milsurplus] (no subject)

[J. Forster]

I've gone to a number of yard and estate sales over the years. I think you fail to consider the psychology here.

Consider you are the family members of an old and sick ham. Unless a move to a nursing facility is planned and a down sizing forced on the person, it's not really NOT very nice to say to them: "You're old and going to die pretty soon. You'll NEVER be able to go back to your shack and play with those old radios anymore. You are far too sick. What do you want with that old junk anyway. If you want to talk to someone, use the telephone"

How would YOU like to hear that? I know I sure would not. So the stuff is left until the person dies.

Now those left behind are faced with cleaning up the stuff in order to vacate the house or apartment. AND they know nothing about dad's old radios, so they either put it on eBay, or sell it for a pittance to a service that cleans up properties or a ham vulture. I'll bet that most of the gear goes into the dumpster, along with the old lawn chairs, battered furniture, etc. What you see on eBay are the survivors !!!

It's fine to 'plan ahead' when you are young. When you are old and sick, the radios just don't matter anymore.

FWIW,
-John


gl4d21a at juno.com wrote:

> A while back, Dave bemoaned the decline of Ham Radio and lack of future thereof.  Well, I can amplify that a bit.  I just spent some time looking at some of the offerings on that awful auction place, and apparently most hams are not planning ahead, and when they pass on, letting their estates fall into the hands of idiots, morons and fools.  Reading many of the descriptions is just painful.  What the devil is going on here?  Why is so much of the desirable equipment falling into the hands of technically illiterate sellers?  And don't argue that it is a smokescreen.  No one is intelligent enough to pretend to be that stupid.  It has to come naturally.  AAARRRRGGGHHH!!!!!
>
> Rant mode off.
>
> 73,
> George
> W5VPQ
>
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