[Milsurplus] Belton Swapfest

[Mike Feher]

I have also purchased my share of complete estates. One took me almost two
years to totally empty, and, that one was the one that really broke the
camel's back. I have purchased at least 20 estates ranging from $3K to $75K
during the past 20 or so years. While I did sell a lot of it, and, was able
to keep some for my own collection, the result is I have accumulated way too
much stuff. So much in fact, that I am unable to enjoy what I have left. I
divorced, after 30 years of marriage about 2 1/2 years ago. I had to buy my
wife's share of the house because there was no way it could be sold.
Besides, the antique radio stuff in my museum room was probably worth close
to as much as half of the house. I have a big house with a total of about
6000 sq. feet of storage capacity. While there used to be no radio related
stuff in the majority of the rooms, the 2000 sq. feet basement is totally
full as well as the 500 sq. feet dual car garage. There was no way that we
could sell the house as it would take many years to empty. Since then, since
now only my youngest son (25) lives with me, I have also made the family
room into a storage area, by filling it from a rented storage facility. I
figured I had the room, it was not being used, so why pay for storage. The
living room is now my laboratory and the dining room is my new office. I
started selling heavily over the last two years, and am now taking a little
break from it. I realized the only way to maximize the return is for me to
sell the stuff myself. Still, everyone who comes here gets good deals as
they do most of the work and made the effort to get here, so, they are
helping me out and I take that into consideration. At the same time I do not
give stuff away, I often give additional price breaks depending on the size
of the pile the buyer is taking. Some people have been back as many as 6
times. Some, not so often, but purchased a lot while here. In two years I
sold about $200K of stuff, and the sad thing is, it is not even noticeable.
I still have about 200K tubes, but they too have been pretty much picked
over, although there are still thousands of good audio tubes. Half are brand
new in boxes. I am going to start inviting collectors/hams/dealers over
again, soon, as I have a long way to go. While it is hard to dispose of all
of this "good stuff", emotionally and physically, I have no choice, as I am
still just overwhelmed with the quantity. I have posted this before, when I
was selling during the summer, but, here is a URL that shows about 10% of
what is here and most of what you see in the pictures is still here. Have I
quit buying? Well, of course not. I think this accumulation thing is a
sickness and I feel I need to always add something. Have I purchased any
more estates, NO - the last time was about 4 years ago, and that was a lot
of stuff as well. That I did promise myself, no more estates. I even quit
going to hamfests, and maybe go to a local one once every other year. I can
discipline myself from going, but, once there I cannot discipline myself so
I will not buy, as I usually bring home more than I brought to sell. BTW, I
thought Don explained it real well. The other thing I do not like is when
possibly well intentioned people get to a widow and tell them that all of
this stuff is worth a fortune. Of course they are not willing to buy it, and
then the poor widow thinks she can get all that much for it, turning down
reasonable offers, and winds up getting stuck with it. Possibly making a
career of trying to dispose of the stuff, so much so, that she has no time
to have a life and enjoy herself. Those well meaning helpers have big egos
and mouths, but, they have hurt the seller as well as any potential buyers.
Here is the URL again that shows about 10% of the stuff at my QTH. 73 - Mike

http://w2dtc.com/2007-0625-n4fs-page.htm
  

 
 
Mike B. Feher, N4FS
89 Arnold Blvd.
Howell, NJ, 07731
732-886-5960