[ARC5] Re: [Milsurplus] Fair Radio

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

On Mon, Jul 21, 2008 at 9:30 AM, David Stinson <arc5 at ix.netcom.com> wrote:
> I've dreamed over Fair Radio catalogs since I was a little boy.
> I guess seeing their "cover" items on their website match pricing with
> Neb.S.S. was a shock to the system.
> Fair has always seemed kinda like Mecca to me;
> I don't live anywhere close, but I just gotta make
> the trip there once in my life ;-).

They still have a lot of what I'd call 'reasonably-priced' gear listed
in their catalog online. $9 IERC tube shields, I think they priced
those for the R-390A newbie collectors who feel they 'gotta have those
to be one of the guys'.

Grinnell got himself a questionable rep years before his SS of Neb
prices, yet like radio-mart - folks still go back for more.

I've wondered for a while if some of the prices listed at Fair and
other surplus dealers aren't perhaps meant to keep a few impressive
items available as a draw. While it's true that prices have gone up
and there seem to be more people looking with lower inventories of
most items available, it can't be easy to replenish the stocks once
something is gone. The whole 'demilling' debacle of the 90s took a lot
of good gear out of circulation forever, and we'll never see the '$5
ARC-5 receivers NIB' days of yore again either (unless it's surplus
MREs).

It's nice to see the onesies-twosies squirreled away, though. Sure
would be a neat place to visit.

~ Todd,  KA1KAQ