[Elecraft] LOW RESALE VALUE OF LOW SERIAL NUMBERS

[Steve Sacco NN4X]

My thinking was (and remains): "Lower serial number = older = more 
hours of use = less desirable".  Putting aside, for the moment, 
ultra-low serial numbers.


ICOM just changed the PA in the IC-756ProIII, because the previous 
transistors have been discontinued.  If I owned an earlier ProIII, 
I'd be concerned about  that; specifically, whether replacements 
would be available if it ever needed replacement.  Perhaps the new PA 
units are backwards-compatible with the older ProIII's.  I do not know.

Yes, I'm well aware that occasionally, lower SN's are sometimes more 
sought-after.  For example, I seem to recall that the 30,000 series 
S-lines were considered more desirable, for some reason or other.

Also, I note that you skipped over my comment about the possibility 
of future, enhancing hardware rev's.  That would certainly affect resale.

Who knows what the future holds?


73,

Steve NN4X
EL98jh



At 05:31 PM 12/3/2007, you wrote:
>Date: Mon, 03 Dec 2007 15:56:48 -0600
>From: K9ZTV <k9ztv at socket.net>
>Subject: Re: [Elecraft] LOW RESALE VALUE OF LOW SERIAL NUMBERS
>To: Steve Sacco NN4X <nn4x at embarqmail.com>
>Cc: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
>Message-ID: <47547BA0.1060905 at socket.net>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
>Again, firmware upgradable radios are, and will be (by definition) equal
>in functionality regardless of serial number.
>
>Contrary to the idea that high serial numbers are superior to lower
>ones, many Collins collectors actually prefer lower-numbered
>Winged-emblem gear over the higher-numbered Round-emblem gear for
>several reasons, not the least of which is that their manufacturing
>occurred when Art Collins actually owned the company himself and wiring
>was done by conscientious Iowa housewives with high work-ethics and
>strong attention to detail.  The highest serial-numbered KWM-2As were
>manufactured by Rockwell-Collins and not even in the United States
>(Canada and Japan).  Thus "desirability" is a nebulous concept which
>often has little to do with what  is "the latest and greatest."
>
>Lower-numbered K3s will have the distinction (if you can call it that)
>of having been fretted over by purchasers, beta-testers, AND company
>owners during the formative months of the rig's production.  Should its
>present owners no longer own the company at some point, the above
>Collins scenario might well come into play.
>
>Newer is not necessarily better, younger is not necessarily wiser, but
>upgradable IS certainly an equalizer.
>
>
>K9ZTV

  _.    _.   ...._   _.._   nn4x at embarqmail.com