[Milsurplus] Re :How Fair Radio Live Auction Went

[Reuben Popp]

While I missed the auction, Phil was kind enough to set aside a few items
for me for my AN/WRC-1 project beforehand.  My son and I just got back
tonight from a three day jaunt to Lima and back (eastern Missouri), both to
pick up the items from Phil and do a little fishing/camping and to go see
the Amstrong Space and Flight museum nearby.  I can't say enough good
things about the whole experience.  Phil was kind enough not only to wait
for us after standard knock off hours on Friday, but was also gracious
enough to come hang out and show us around earlier today.  Letting us poke
at bits and bobs here and there, answering my kid's ten million questions
(he's ten), and was kind enough to not only give me some cables for my
project gratis, but also give my son his first real soldering iron to learn
with.  All in all a straight shooter and nice guy.  I took some pictures of
the aftermath.. I shared them on one of the facebook ham groups I'm in, but
would be willing to share them here if someone could recommend a free
hosting site that's decent.  They're nothing fancy like those of Nick's or
some of you other guys, but it was neat to see.  Sad in a sense, but as I
told Phil.. after doing this for as long as he did, bravo zulu.. go enjoy
that retirement.

73
Reuben

On Sun, Sep 1, 2024 at 3:40 PM Jeff Kruth via Milsurplus <
milsurplus at mailman.qth.net> wrote:

> About the Fair Radio Auction:  I have read some of the posts regarding
> this and they paint a very different picture of what I witnessed. I know
> Phil personally and went to see the auction after he asked me. I did not
> feel like staying over, but I wanted to see Phil, so I only watched the
> first day. It was the same weekend as the Huntsville.AL hamfest, which is a
> big deal around here ("Dayton of the South"), so lots of people made a
> choice to be there instead. Phil told me he did not realize this and would
> have changed the date. Kept a lot of people away. I purposely did NOT take
> my truck and trailer. I was bidder number 6. I watched the lots sell for
> FAR less that Phil would have sold each item for 2 months previously. He
> was DONE with it. Time to go!  The auctioneers were very nice people
> (Mennonites?), knew their business, if not the stuff, and I saw a lot of
> guys I knew, and some that knew only me. Baranowsky from Eastern PA
> (Tobyhanna area) is a guy I have known for 35 years from hamfests and he
> was one of the so-called scrappers there. He bought over 50 lots from just
> the first outdoor building, where they started! He bought way more than he
> set out to because it was cheap.  He actually sells equipment but does
> scrap too. All surplus guys do, I did. You can buy from him, he is ham
> friendly.  And there was a group of real junk men there for metal, cant
> really buy from them. I made some purchases from people after they bought a
> big lot of whatever. I took some pics and may get them uploaded. What
> surprised me was a lot of Collins stuff like 618T radios, 32 on a pallet,
> went for 300.00. Thats about 9.00 each. I have projects till I die so I
> restrained myself.  The mil version, ARC-102, same kinda money. I pulled
> one item (5J32 jammer maggie) out of a lot and bought it for $2, so the
> auctioneer would sell one if you want it!  And the big boys didnt care!
> There was plenty to go around. For those of you who didnt go, dont beef
> now, you had your chance, once in a lifetime! Stuff was CHEAP, which is why
> I didnt bring my truck, I am pretty much done with bulk collecting. I saw a
> lot of the Microdyne, Watkins Johnson, CEI, and NSA stuff that I had sold
> to Phil go super cheap, not many who know what it is. Big lots of radios-
> $40. These were what was left from the big trailer loads I had taken him, I
> got pics of a lot of my stuff that was left.
> Stuff that I was looking at, like big wooden boxes full of variable
> capacitors, all types, 20-50 bucks for literally hundreds of parts! About
> ten lots like that (1000'sof caps). I considered them for hamfests, but
> knew I wouldnt live long enough to sell them all (I LIKE going to hamfests).
> It was probably traumatic for Phil, I have seen these kind of things
> before, owners selling off their surplus business (Saw a few in Baltimore,
> anyone remember CADISCO?) but he also kinda of looked like a weight was
> being lifted off him, he was right there with the auctioneer telling what
> things were. I wish him the best, he did what he could to get it out there.
> The place inside was CLEAN! Kim, his secretary of 35 years and Girl Friday,
> cleaned all the aisles! WHAT A JOB! She did great. When I was there end of
> June, it was still clogged up!  Bill Perry, the connector guy, wasnt there,
> he was at Huntsville. HE would have bought a ton of stuff as well. Lots of
> things caught my eye: whole big triwall of antenna masts, $10.00 for all!
> Skid of BC-375 tuning units, 44 ea, some looked like new, $75.00, IIRC.
> This is a much preferable ending than the one that occurred to Radio
> Research Labs in Danbury, Conn, where the dude held on till he got
> dementia, ended up in a home. The kids sold all the inventory for scrap
> metal to the chinese, so they could get the land cleared for a big Real
> Estate sale! Talk a a crime concerning the inventory! Wow.
> The end of an era, boys!  I could go on, but thats enough for now!  When I
> dig out my notes I may send an update. 73, Jeff Kruth
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