[Milsurplus] value of BC 696

[David Stinson]

John King wrote:
> Can someone give me a fair price opinion for a
> complete BC 669 with original microphone. Need 
> information for pending purchase. Thanks and 73, John, K5PGW

Hello John. Good to hear from you.
It's not really possible to give a "realistic" price
for a BC-669, because so few of them have been sold.
I've not seen any in the last year or two,
so we have no basis for comparison.
Wish I could be more specific, but without
any previous sales to go by, I'm flat guessing.
That's a shame, too, because it's a very interesting
set that deserves more attention.

That said, there are some guidelines we might consider.
Hallicrafters-make is more desirable than others,
though not as well built, IMHO.
Later models that have a BFO for CW are more desirable
than the early ones without.  There are "middle" sets
that have been retro-fitted with CW capability
and some with a depo-mod for a noise blanker.
The PP-110(?) AC power supply is more desirable than
the gasoline generator (matter of taste).

My set is Hallicrafters, not yet restored but in good shape,
with the AC supply, cables, remote panel and handset,
spare parts case with contents and crystal case with all
crystals.  I don't have the wooden transit case.
I would not take $250 for my set, but I could be tempted
by a bit more if my kids were hungry ;-).
However, I don't think many people would pay that for
a BC-669, because they aren't well-known or popular.
I value mine highly because I like the set and
it took some effort to get all the parts together.
With no pricing history, any price I suggest
is going to be a matter of opinion; I'm sure you'll
find people who would take less and those who
would ask more.
If I were to find a sparkling-clean, Hallicrafters
BC-669 late model, I'd offer $125 and see what happened.
Which is kinda funny, because I would pay a lot
more than that for a good wooden transit case.

My best advice is to press the owner for a price
and then decide if it's worth it to you.
Personally, I like the rig and hope to get it
on the air in the next couple of years.

GL OM ES 73 DE Dave AB5S