[Hallicrafters] Re: Investing nonsense

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

On 11/29/06, kiyoinc at attglobal.net <kiyoinc at attglobal.net> wrote:

> youse guys, Bob Sullivan and the others, the prices of your treasures
> should go even higher.

They might, based on availability. I doubt we'll see most things
continue to climb like we did a few years ago. Aside from much of the
need being filled, the interest just isn't there like it is for other
items like cars, furniture, and so on that appeal to the masses moreso
than old ham gear.

> They can say that and they would be wrong.  Those people are all around
> me here, dumb yup-boomers, I call them. Their stainless steel appliances
> and granite counter tops are tomorrow's Avocado refrigerators and orange
> shag carpets.  They have no taste, not even in their mouths.

Actually, stainless steel and granite are both quite durable as well
as being attractive in the same 'industrial' way that communications
gear is to some of us. 'Taste' is subjective and, like so many other
things, a matter of opinion. Personally, I avoid the trendy colors and
stick with tried and true chrome/stainless steel and black. It worked
for the Art Deco area, and the utility is tough to beat. It doesn't
look 'pretty', it just looks good.

> They buy what others tell them to buy, whether it's a ceramic pig or a
> Fada Catalin radio.  Neither interests me.

This could easily be said about the Collins fad too. I've seen many
times when people bought a Collins rig because it said 'Collins', not
because it was a superior product. I've been using the stuff for
decades because it *works* and seldom breaks. Many more own it because
they heard it was worth something. Run your 75S-1 in a competitive
auction against a Catalin radio. I bet the Catalin brings a lot more,
even though it's a cheap AA5 receiver inside.

>  After the 75S-1, radio's look different.

True. They changed the number on the escutcheon and added a knob or
two. The copies went from using the KWM-2 look to more of a stereo
gear look.

> Not in my lifetime but in the next 50 or so years, these will be
> priceless.  I think the 100 year point will tell the tale.

I think the demand will have waned long before then. Other than
specific pieces, they'll be like so many sets of flatware, old dishes,
toasters, and anything else that isn't rare or interesting enough to
be noticed.

> I said, "MILITARY-STYLE communications equipment"

Yes you did. And I said  "The styling seems to have been copied more
by Heathkit, Yaesu and others moreso than by the military. "  As far
as military-style goes (is there such a thing as an intended result?),
the older A-Line gear bears more of a resemblance. Just add green or
battleship gray paint.

> Every S-Line was all frequency ready from the get-go.  My SX-101A is a
> ham band receiver.  My SX-100 is a consumer product.

Not so. The S-Line receivers came through set up for the ham bands
only. You could swap out crystals, or add extras to the later models
with the added crystal deck. But on the 75S-1, as soon as you swap out
one crystal in favor of another, you've lost frequency coverage. You
had to go with the 51J or 51S-1 for all frequency coverage. Of course,
Collins did make military models known as the R-390 family of
receivers. But they didn't become available to the general public
until the late 60s.

> Anyway, valuation.  A KWM-1 rode on Francis Gary Powers U-2, crystaled
> for "spy frequencies".  The U.S. Military, the State Department, and the
> CIA all used Collins S-Lines, KWM-2s during Vietnam and the Cold War.

Yep, very adaptable. Very well-built. Very agile compared to other
gear available at the time. Hallicrafters and Hammarlund both had
civilian designs adapted to military use long before that, in WWII.
SX-28s, Super Pros, even RCA AR-88s. And National HROs. The venerable
ART-13 is actually taken from a pre-war Collins aircraft transmitter.
Can't recall the model, maybe 17L?

> No shortage = the prices have yet to peak.

Or more likely, prices have peaked and demand is dropping. It's not
like the audience is unlimited, or even large.

> I wish I had been there but during the 70's and 80's, I was too busy
> writing software for computers.   I missed a chance to buy low.  I hope
> the rest of you loaded up.

Well, it can be a double-edged sword. If you hauled this stuff home
years ago when no one wanted it and it was going to the trash, a
jealous few will judge you by today's monetary standard and call you
sick, a hoarder, and so on. Fortunately, it doesn't make the old gear
any less enjoyable to use.

> Fantastic Four #1 is what it is.  A semester at college, a down payment
> on a car, 2 or 3 months rent, an ICOM Pro III,  not bad for 10¢ in 1961.

And so is the ceramic pig, or porcelain doll, or Coca~Cola machine, or
baseball card. Get the right item and it could be a downpayment on a
house, if not the entire payment. It's all about who or how many want
it, not why.

All issues that the users and enjoyers avoid. If you're not in it for
the money, it doesn't matter.

~ Todd  KA1KAQ