[Milsurplus] [ARC5] Radio Collectors, Father Time and "Basket Cases"

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

On Mon, Jun 3, 2013 at 9:59 AM, David Stinson <arc5 at ix.netcom.com> wrote:

>
>  "There are some good pieces, but most have been sadly mangled
>    and defaced. Collectors are becoming older- fewer in number    and much
> more "picky" as time goes by.    Most, including me, will no longer "mess"
> with basket cases,    buying them only as "parters" and only then if dirt
> cheap.
>    More items in better conditon are being offered every day
>    and our time is very short..."
>
> Your thoughts?
>

Interesting topic Dave, as a good friend and I had the very same discussion
some years back and came to the same conclusion: time/life is too short, we
need to pick our battles well. We were both the type who picked up a lot of
items over the years to 'get to later' and all that. Well, later has come
and gone and much of it is still around waiting.

In my case, the excess 'stuff' has kept me from making progress in other
areas if for no other reason the time involved in moving it out of the way
repeatedly. I know I've got XYZ but it's somewhere behind all those boxes
over there, or in the other garage, or....

I'm a collector mainly in the sense of collecting interesting things to
use, eventually. If all I wanted to do was look at it, pictures take up far
less room and are easier to move. (o:

The problem with having too many projects is exactly the time issue. The
more time you need to spend on this, the less time you get to spend
enjoying that. We only have so much. So unless it's something very, very
special or an accessory that is badly needed, I'd rather pay more for a
clean example or go without. My time was becoming more precious 7-8 years
back as I figured this out, but as you, das Hanz, and a few others know, a
welcome addition to our family now makes such decisions *much* easier. In
fact, I can't get rid of stuff fast (or cheap) enough.

And as you noted, as interest drops off along with our numbers, there
appears to be more good stuff available to preclude the need to take a
marginal example and spend hours, days, or weeks rehabbing it. The sad
reality is, the fewer of us there are, the less interest and the more
'stuff' that will hit the junk pile. It's been going on daily for decades,
though ebay at least slowed the process and helped spare some of it.

~ Todd,  KA1KAQ/4