[ARC5] Cost of "command" equipment (& eBay)

[Kenneth G. Gordon]

On 30 Sep 2014 at 12:27, Leslie Smith wrote:

> Although these sets were cheap in the past, their exchange value ($5 to
> $15 per unit in the 50's) was cheap compared with their use value, so we
> [hams] undervalued/under-priced them.

Actually, that is not quite the case, Les. We have to take inflation into 
account. For instance, that $5.00 in 1950 was the equivalent of $47.50 in 
2013, and $10.00 in 1950 was the equivalent of $95.51 in 2013. It is even 
worse in 2014.

In point of fact, many items we buy today on eBay are actually cheaper than 
they were in 1950.

For instance, an HRO-60's original cost ranged from $483 to $745 at the 
time: that works out to something like $4084 to $5782 in 2013's dollars.

No wonder I couldn't afford one at the time!

> We still carry the memory of those past-bargains,

See above.

There was a short article in ER mag some time ago comparing prices listed 
in a catalog of the time for complete systems in those early post-WWII years 
and "adjusting" them for today's inflation: the "cheapness" was only apparent 
to us in this day and age.

For instance, as I remember it, the price for a new BC-348 was only about 
1/3 less than for a commerical receiver of the period.

They were bargains, certainly, but not nearly the bargains we see them as 
today.

Ken W7EKB