[Boatanchors] INFLATION

[Todd Bigelow - PS]

Carl Huether wrote:
<snip>

>  And its not even real; fiberglass
> bodies, custom frames, billet everything and the like are enough to make me
> puke.
>
> My boatanchor attitude is similar. I have never owned one defined as a
> perfect restoration and I dont intend to waste my energy trying now.
> My goal is to restore electrically and even add some "improvements" to make
> actually USING them enjoyable.
> Will my R390A's ever get a  panels or cabinets....not while I own them. All
> my other gear gets the same treatment.
>
> BUT, if some big bucks type wants to offer me 10 large for my SX88 then I
> would certainly be highly tempted. Any one else would also since it is not a
> spectacular radio. In fact, and this will certainly slam some cheeks
> together, Hallicrafters never built a spectacular radio.
> Why some of the junk they built gets such high prices on EBay escapes me.
> But the same can be said about old Fords.

Exactly, Carl - too many trailer queens out there already. Cars were made to be
drivien and radios were meant to be used. How anyone can get enjoyment from
looking at a dormant piece of equipment that is only alive when running is
totally beyond me. To each his own.

My use of Barrett Jackson was more analogous with the 'ePay is IT' attitude some
seem to have. I suppose if your only goal is to get one and money is no object,
then sure. The likelihood of finding any rare item, vehicle or radio, is pretty
slim. But if you don't even look beyond the most obvious, convenient avenues,
then it's non-existant. A needle in a haystack may be hard to find, but if you
never go anywhere near hay....

As far as restoring a piece of gear, any work I do along those lines is always
done to make the item useful, as you say. I don't mind doing mods as long as it
doesn't require drilling, blasting, or a Sawzall. I can't paint worth a damn, so
the cleaner the item is the better for me. If it has a few scratches, chips, or
other character marks, so be it. It's all part of the history. I'm going to use
these things afterall, not place them on a shelf with a plastic bag over them
for worship. I like radios, not large paperweights.

As far as the Hallicrafters rigs, I like some of them just fine. But again, as
you mentioned - spectacular? Nah. IMHO, the SX-115 is a better radio than the
SX-88, but even then it doesn't have 160. It should be, it's a decade more
advanced. Spectacular radios are few and far between, certainly not all the
Collins models are such simply by the name on them. The R-390 comes to mind and
a few others, but not most of the ones generally associated with the definition.
What I like the most about my radios (like the SX-28A) is that they are FUN and
I enjoy using them. Looking at them only makes me wish I had more time to spin
the knobs and wear out some of the tubes.

What it all comes down to in the end is this: life is short. If you've got it,
spend it. Enjoy it, or the things you desire, while you can. "You cant take it
with you" doesn't apply simply to dying, the old folks homes aren't gonna let
you drag it all in there either. You can send them to a museum and hope that it
lasts longer than the one Leo Meyerson set up in Nebraska a few years back
(wonder how those people who donated gear like seeing it on epay?) or you can
leave it to someone and hope they'll do the right thing by it. Best thing to me
is to smoke 'em if ya got 'em. The world has enough doorstops. And if you can
afford to pay whatever you want or whatever it takes, all the better for you.

de Todd/'Boomer'  KA1KAQ

BTW, I am not trying to imply that Leo solicited gear from people for his museum
project and then put it on epay. I doubt he had any control over it and probably
as much input. The museum is auctioning the gear, so once again - beware!
They're willing to accept your donation, just don't think it will mean as much
to them as the money it could bring in.