[Milsurplus] It's Baaack. AR-88

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

On Mon, Sep 29, 2008 at 11:08 AM, John Flood <kb1fqg at yahoo.com> wrote:
> At the risk of dragging this out even more...  Aside from the fact that the guys BIN price is 2x or more(?) than is realistic, what is every ones problem with him?  If he is able to produce documentation that he did get it at an auction of freight salvage at UPS, why flame him?  I guess I missed some of the thread along the way......

As I mentioned John, this guy seems to have gotten the radio legally.
I did email him when I first found it as well as contacting the
original seller, but did not accuse him of anything. In fact, I was
very benign in my approach, just general questions that any potential
buyer might ask. Nothing about it being stolen, and nothing was
mentioned here until Mike had contacted him directly. I'm sure Mike
was also tactful in dealing with him.

The problem is, as soon as you mention it on a list like this to warn
folks to use caution or explain the situation, some knot head (or
several) will email the seller and give him the what for, even though
they don't have a full (or any) idea of what they are talking about.
So it's a double-edged sword: warn folks based on the information you
have (in this case, both original buyer and original seller recognized
it) or say nothing. The seller received information from UPS that they
found the opened crate, radio removed, and paid his claim. I tend to
think that they would have gotten the radio back to him had it shown
itself at the same time, based on his claim and original shipping
slip. Some of what the current seller has said is pure BS, no doubt
based on some of the crap he received through email and the overall
experience. I don't blame him, just don't believe everything you read.

I did not offer to buy the receiver back from the current seller
because his price was considerably higher than what I initially paid.
Add to that proper packing/crating, and shipping charges, and it's
just not worth it. The radio was meant as a gift eventually for WA2PJP
who has helped me out on a number of projects, and who got hosed on an
AR-77 he bought last fall. I thought he might like a real RCA
receiver, it just didn't work out.

See you at NEAR-Fest. If your CR-88 is coming from where I think it
is, I had my mitts on it Saturday.

~ Todd,  KA1KAQ