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

Tue Sep 30 14:56:53 EDT 2014

Bravo Don!   The chronicler of recent history, and Amateur Radio 
philosopher..... =D>

73,
Perry   w8au

At 10:22 AM 9/30/2014, Don Merz via ARC5 wrote:
>eBay has been a transformational force that is impossible to 
>overstate.  You can start with the perceived pluses or you can start 
>with whatever negatives you see. Either way, you end up at the same 
>point--eBay has had an impact that is probably too big to measure.
>
>The early adopters had the best of it. eBay fees, PayPal fees and 
>shipping were all much lower in cost than they are today. Whether 
>you were buying or selling, you benefited. Now in 2014, the cost 
>picture looks a bit different. Today we see stuff being sold cheaply 
>at hamfests because the combined expense of fees and shipping drove 
>the seller away from eBay.
>
>eBay also taught us what the real definition of "rare" was. By 
>watching eBay, we now KNOW what is "rare". Conversely, we also know 
>where supply far exceeds demand. Example: eBay inadvertently put 
>several big name "test equipment" distributors out of business when 
>it became clear from the sheer volume of eBay listings that the 
>number of Tek 400-series and 7000-series scopes available was in the 
>tens of thousands while the number of buyers was numbered in dozens.
>
>Love it or hate it, eBay has surely changed everything.
>
>73 de N3RHT
>
>
>
>
>
>________________________________
>  From: "hwhall at compuserve.com" <hwhall at compuserve.com>
>To: arc5 at mailman.qth.net
>Sent: Monday, September 29, 2014 10:35 PM
>Subject: Re: [ARC5] Cost of "command" equipment (& eBay) - [ changed topic]
>
>
>
>A very thoughtful way of looking at their value versus their price.
>
>
>Wayne
>WB4OGM
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Leslie Smith <vk2bcu at operamail.com>
>To: ARC-5 List <arc5 at mailman.qth.net>
>Sent: Mon, Sep 29, 2014 8:27 pm
>Subject: [ARC5] Cost of "command" equipment (& eBay) - [ changed topic]
>
>
>
>
>[ David Stinson]
> >  Ebay has been the greatest boon to serious collectors, ever.
> >  I now own items I never dreamed of even *seeing* in my lifetime.
> >
> > GL OM DE Dave AB5S
>
>[Todd]
> > As to J Mcvey's earlier post preferring to spend money on a K3, KX3 or
> > whatever - good for you! That's what makes the hobby so appealing for so
> > many folks with different interests.
> >
> > ~ Todd,  KA1KAQ/4
>
>Items that cost a few hundred dollars may still represent value to
>some-one who is "builder/experimenter".
>
>Suppose I wanted to build an 80 or 40m receiver from scratch.  It's a
>big job - especially the metal-work.
>If I buy a BC-453/R23 for $100 dollars, that represents 5 - 15 hours
>equivalent value of my time.
>I'd not get the circuit drawn in that time, and if I did I'd end up with
>a solid state design not far from the R-23 design.
>On the other hand, If I take a non-working R-23 KNOW I can have it
>working in about 4 hours and I have an excellent "back-end" for a
>converter - either crystal controlled or tunable.
>I've done this, and the stability and selectivity of a converter +R-23
>combination is better than I could design myself.
>A front end for a Q-5er IS within my capability, so I get a very "neat"
>working set instead of a wild dream about a non-existent radio.
>
>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.
>We still carry the memory of those past-bargains, and now mis-judge
>their value.
>If I put a value on my time consider the working value of these sets the
>prices seen on eBay is realistic.
>A "bargain" vs "rip-off" depends on your starting point and estimate
>about the relative value of time vs item.
>
>That's my $0.02 cents worth.
>
>Les
>
>It reminds me about the Irishman who asked a friend, "What's the best
>way to get to Belfast?"
>Friend:  "If I was going to Belfast, I wouldn't start from here?"
>
>--
>http://www.fastmail.fm - Faster than the air-speed velocity of an
>                           unladen european swallow
>
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