[Hallicrafters] Re: ID this Hallicrafters RX?

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

On 7/6/07, WA1KBQ at aol.com <WA1KBQ at aol.com> wrote:

> What I meant was concern for protecting your investment; I wasn't referring
> to getting rich buying and selling this stuff though I could name a couple
> of unscrupulous types currently trying.

Oh, I understood that Greg. I was merely saying, if you don't look at
it as an investment, it's not an issue. If you look at it as something
you enjoy, an old radio that's fun to restore and use, and the bottom
falls out of the micromarket of classic radio gear tomorrow, you've
lost nothing because you still get out of it what you intended:
enjoyment, satisfaction. Hard to put a price on that. The only
protection needed is more time to enjoy the stuff.

I wonder how much the unscrupulous end up making after factoring in
time, travel, listing fees, and so on?

> Effects of eBay on the current state of the old radio hobby:

> 1) It diminishes the accomplishments of hobbyists who have put a tremendous
> amount of time and effort locating, acquiring and assembling impressive
> collections of rare seldom seen equipment. John Kelly; N3GVF, SK in 1998
> comes to mind here. John accomplished more in the pre-Internet/eBay days
> than any other collector-historian-hobbyist I know of including those still
> trying who now have the opportunity and convenience of today's various
> Internet venues.

But beyond those who knew the man, who knows or cares? It's not unlike
the recent controversy over removing CW as a requirement for an
amateur license. To anyone who knows and cares, the fact that a newbie
doesn't need to learn the code to get licensed doesn't diminish the
accomplishment and skills of those who did. Same thing goes for those
who seek to 'buy' a collection and somehow become "one of the guys".
There's a lot more to it than just the stuff. You can't buy the
knowledge and experience that only years in the hobby and a lot of
hard work provide. We had this discussion recently on amfone with a
relative newb, trying to claim the title of 'old buzzard' or some such
nonsense. Funny stuff, but folks know better.

> 2) Antique radio meets and hamfests are drying up.

True, but this is due to a number of reasons, including the aging of
those really interested in the old gear. Today's youngsters have
plenty of other easier options, I can't say that the majority of us
are out there trying to interest them. Call it apathy, laziness,
whatever. Same thing is obvious at meets. More and more want to go
there to get stuff hang out, not sell. We go, we look for stuff to
buy, we hang around with friends, we leave. Easy to see where that
leads. Eventually everyone shows up to hang out, no one sells. Then
everyone kicks the bucket with no one to carry on.

But it doesn't have to be that way. We can change it. I'd point you to
the recent NEAR-Fest that took place in NH in early May. After the big
Hosstraders hamfest ended with the October meet, a group got together
and put together a replacement for the twice-yearly event, in a short
period of time (roughly 6 weeks). It was a huge success, did better
than recent Hosstraders for attendance and items for sale. Many
remarked that it was the best hamfest they'd ever been to, along with
how much good stuff was there.

So we can sit back and expect the worst to happen, or we can do
something about it.

> 3) Folks are selling on eBay now rather than taking unwanted equipment to a
> swapmeet.

Folks have sold both places for years. Many have come to find the
hassles like packing and shipping, increased fees, and increasing
dishonesty on ebay to be more trouble than it's worth. But yes - some
prefer max dollars to anything else, and will do whatever to get it.
Nevermind how much time and money they end up spending to get it.
Reminds me of those scratch-off lottery tickets.

> 4) Swapmeet sellers reserve their best items for selling on eBay.

Really? Someone needs to tell the guys I've been buying from the last
few years. I've found a number of items at hamfests in the last 2
years for much less than their ebay high water prices. I don't doubt
that *some* do this, but definitely not all, or even the majority.
Maybe only collectors? I know that early Marconi items and such seldom
ever showed up other than the random item found in a basement. Dealers
and collectors have been working behind the scenes for as long as I
can remember, well before ebay.

> 5) Swapmeet sellers quote eBay prices for items they are attempting to sell
> from a tailgate.

Yes, some certainly do. Used to see this a lot more, but it seems many
have figured out that this approach results in them toting it all back
home to deal with it again: ebay, or however. The more time you have
involved, the less profit. And there's no guarantee you'll get what
you expect on ebay, either. Whenever someone says that to me, I ask
why they bothered to bring it here to sell. Quite often it's a case of
so-and-so said it was true.

> 6) Items once thought to be scarce have turned out to actually be not so
> rare.

Which is a good effect, provided you don't have a stockpile of these
once-scarce items as a retirement investment. I recently (last 2
weeks) watched a late model round emblem KWM-2A sell for $661 on ebay,
without power supply. Remember the late 90s/early part of this century
when they routinely brought $1K, $2K or more?  I paid $400 for mine,
with supply, in 1996. Then everyone had to have one it seemed. Buyer's
education along with ebay have filled the need and then some. Back to
reality we go.

Your points are all good ones, Greg. They speak more to the financial
end of things, but from what I've seen lately, it continues to change.
Here's hoping we can all return to spending more time on the air, at
hamfests/swapmeets, and less online. We're the only ones who can make
a positive difference in the future of what we enjoy. Everyone else
seems to view this stuff as old toasters or broken microwave ovens.
(o:

~ Todd,  KA1KAQ