[ARC5] Managing Yiour Colection, WAS Item 300447369243

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

On Sat, Jul 24, 2010 at 10:35 AM, Don Merz <n3rht at yahoo.com> wrote:
> The only caveat I would add is this: Unless you are moving or retiring or are
> doing something stupid--like paying rent on a storage unit, I would not sell
> right now. The market for hard goods of all kinds just sucks. Collins and the
> popular military gear including command sets will get good money, and the best
> of the best will get good money. But the rest will go begging. BIG items will go
> begging a LONG time.

Even the hallowed Collins prices are dropping like the proverbial
stone. I watched a couple decent 75A-4s on ebay sell in the 400-700
range recently, and a KWM-2 sans supply that was only up to $180 with
a couple hours to go. Haven't gone back to check the final on it, but
I bet it was under $500 whih is well under that they were bringing
just a few years ago. As bad as the market is, I think most folks have
gotten what they were looking for with the more common stuff and as
you say, the best of the best seem to be what's left pulling in
anything near big numbers.

> Shipping costs will kill a lot of deals. Your buyer will automatically subtract
> the shipping cost in his mind from the value of the item. You can "charge them
> shipping" but actually you are the one who ends up paying in the form of a
> reduced price for your item.

I've always done that when buying. Helps keep my bidding more sane, or
at least that's what I tell myself. Unless it's something really
scarce, then I chalk it up to the cost of doing business. More mental
gymnastics.

> So if you don't have to sell now, maybe you should wait and pray for a better
> economy. Will the economy get better in our lifetimes? I dunno...

Even if it does Don, I doubt we'll ever see anything like the prices
seen over the past decade. Driven mainly by nostalgia and a true
interest in radio, where will the demand be coming from 5, 10, 20
years from now? We've moved into the Yaecomwood nostalgia era now,
with more folks looking for the FT-101s and TS-820s they couldn't
afford as kids. The herd just gets thinner from there.

I also think part of what is driving the flood of gear lately are the
folks who jumped on the bandwagon in the last ten years for fear of
missing out. As time goes by, many are finding they weren't terribly
interested in the stuff to start with.

> Bottom line, if you must sell right now, control your price expectations--think
> "hamfest prices". If you can get what you paid for it, you have done well.

That seems to be the place more and more to find good stuff again. The
stuff that shows up at NEAR-Fest is amazing, along with the reasonable
prices. Same thing at Selby last year. I think a lot of folks are sick
of ebay nickel-and-dime-ing them to death, the constant changes, then
having to deal with the shipping hassles and not being able to leave
negative feedback for deadbeat buyers. The little bit less they might
end up taking at a hamfest is far outweighed by the time and money
saved through ebay fees, shipping materials, and so on.

Sure wish I'd seen that big transmitter you just sold sooner, Don. I'd
have grabbed that up in a New York second!

~ Todd,  KA1KAQ/4