[Hallicrafters] Re: Investing nonsense

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

On 11/27/06, kiyoinc at attglobal.net <kiyoinc at attglobal.net> wrote:

>  I follow "collecting" and radio stuff has yet to
> become valuable.

Oh? Tell that to the folks who have paid $22-$27K in the recent past
for a Collins KW-1, $6-$9K for a 30K, or $7-$10K for a Halli SX-88.

> Take a look at the "Antiques Roadshow" for some shockers, "Properly
> advertised, this wooden chicken would sell, easily, for $5,000."  or
> "That rag doll was one of only 50,000 made at that time, $18,000."  Dumb
> looking furniture, ceramic pigs, art that makes you shake your head.
>
> That's nuts.

Wanna bet that the folks paying big bucks for this other dumb
collectible stuff would shake their heads and say "That's nuts, paying
$5000 for an old microwave oven-looking thing"? Because I can assure
you from experience, to people who have no knowledge of or interest in
radio, that's exactly what our treasures are: old appliances, broken
toasters, ugly gray dishwashers or black refrigerators.

> I own a Collins 75S-1 serial number 55, works, looks good, a pivot piece
> in the evolution of professional-grade, MILITARY-STYLE communications
> equipment

Actually, it was a consumer product that was used for Military
service. Not that Art's crew wasn't considering the possibilities to
start with. But if you research the earliest information, manuals,
etc, it's clearly an amateur product from the start. The styling seems
to have been copied more by Heathkit, Yaesu and others moreso than by
the military. But it's certainly a pivotal point in size, weight, and
functionality.

> Mull over two things.
>
> 1) There is no market for 99% of the stuff sold as valuable antiques.
> It's not like anyone NEEDs a ceramic pig.  It's only valuable because of
> scarcity, age, and someone put it in a book with a high price tag on it.

Same thing applies to old ham radio gear. It's not like anyone NEEDS a
Globe King, but they still bring a good price. Scarcity, age, and
someone listed one on ebay with a high reserve or buy it now price.

> 2) These primo radios actually work, S-line, Drake, Signal/One,
> Hammarlund, and so on.  Top of the line ICOM's and Yeasus are Ten
> Thousand Dollars.  My 75S-1 serial number 55 hears as well and if you
> want one, you have to buy it from someone who owns one.  There's no
> factory banging these out.

And there's no shortage of them, either. Besides the overseas market,
I think a lot of demand was created by newbies who felt left behind
and had to get *something* by Collins or Drake to be part of the
scene. A lot of that has died down as buyers have become educated,
fulfilled their quota, or left the market. But radios made in the many
thousands still survive in pretty good numbers for the overall
interest in them today. A renewed interest in real radio created the
demand, the internet and ebay helped fill it more rapidly than ever
before. Stuff is still surfacing.

> High isn't $5,000 for an SX-115.  That's barely tapping inflation.  I
> remember the SX-115 was about $650 when new.

I've always marveled at what a deal a nice R-390A is for $500 or so.
What kind of new radio does that buy you in today's world? A 2m
Yaecomwood CB? I don't recall the original price the gov't paid for
the R-390A, but I think it was around $2K. That's over $14K in today's
dollars.

If you figure the price of the SX-115 at $650 in 1964, it converts to
just over $3923 in 2005 dollars. The KW-1 sold for $3850 in 1952,
which is equal to $27,385 and change. Not so much a direct
translation, but more of what you could expect to pay for such a thing
if it was being manufactured today. When viewed in that light, today's
"high prices" aren't so high. They're just tough to swallow for those
of us who used to haul this stuff away for free or next to nothing
back in the 70s-80s. And everyone thought we were crazy.

> High is prices like the price of my Fantastic 4 #1 comic book.  That was
> originally 10 ¢.  It's more now.

Yes, but does it work any better than the pig?

~ Todd,  KA1KAQ