[GreenKeys] Model 28 in Syracuse NY now says "Offers considered"

[Bill Horne]

On 3/24/2011 10:18 PM, WA5CAB at cs.com wrote:
> And that, Gentlemen, is why 99.9999% of all Teletype machines have or 
> will eventually end up scrapped or in a landfill.  The only group with 
> any interest in them won't give a Farthing for one.

With respect, I disagree. Kidding aside, I think it's reasonable to 
expect that those whom own Teletypes and other teleprinters should 
educate themselves as to the current value of the machines before going 
on a fishing expedition. It may be that this machine is worth several 
hundred dollars, depending on condition, location, and intangibles like 
spring fever, but it also may be worth only tens of dollars or nothing, 
and a $1,000 price is simply unrealistic.

To be fair (and kind), many potential sellers have no idea of what it is 
they own. They inherit something which is, clearly, an extraordinary 
mechanical contrivance that they may never have seen before, and they 
jump to the conclusion that it must be worth a large amount of money 
just because they don't know what it is. That is, of course, like 
thinking that every grandfather clock or mechanical pocket watch merits 
the price of a Patek-Philippe Caliber 89, but it's an understandable 
mistake, and the classic solution of waiting a few weeks for the 
excitement to die down usually solves the problem.

It's inevitable that there are some sellers whom will have an 
unrealistic expectation of their machine's value, and some of them will 
decide to junk or destroy a machine when the market price doesn't meet 
unrealistic expectations. That's life: however much we may despise such 
behavior, it's an owner's right to dispose of a machine as (s)he sees 
fit.  The best we can do is try to educate the owner about the current 
market and the hobbyist nature of most usage, or to suggest museum 
placements in lieu of sale, or just shrug our shoulders and go on to the 
next ad.

My 2¢. YMMV.

Bill, W1AC