[MRCA] WW2 Radio Prices

Sun May 24 14:05:13 EDT 2020

         FYI -  the BC-659 I was selling is no longer available. I might try to put another together in the future, but I doubt it.  The condition of what I've seen on the market just doesn't warrant the purchase of 99% of what I've seen at these or online.
       Maybe you should try quality instead of quantity.  You might get the prices you want to charge then.  And maybe try a little advertising in media that your potential customers watch and read.  You're not going to sell anything if people don't know you have it for sale.  At the prices that, let's face it, sellers want to get for these sets, relying on swap meets and trade shows alone isn't going to get it.  Who brings $2000 plus cash to these shows?  I don't.  And at the shows, you also get the people ( mostly dealers) who want something for nothing, and will make your ears bleed trying to convince you that the prices you're asking for your stuff is too high.
     Maybe focus your merchandise you bring to the show on what the market at the show is.  For instance, a BC-654 is not going to fit into anything smaller than a half ton vehicle without major modification.  The FM-41 mount has to be cut down to make it fit in a jeep  ( and those mounts are rare - originals alone run at $1000 and up - repops, if you can find them, run at $700 and up ), Nobody in their right mind wants to cut an original up. So it may not be a really good choice to bring to a trade show or swap meet to sell.  I might bring a BC-654 to a show to sell if I already had a customer who was going to buy the radio and pick it up at the show, or I didn't have a smaller radio to sell ( like right now) but normally I would not consider bringing it.  The most popular WW2 vehicle radio is going to be a BC-659 : It's relatively small, the reproduction mounts are readily available and moderately priced, and repair of the radio is pretty straight forward, parts including the issue antenna are still available at decent prices,  and it will fit in just about anything bigger than a motor cycle.  They also can operate on legal Ham radio frequencies ( in NY, my BC-659 radios are set up on 29.6 and 29.1 MHz fm. - also good for set up in Europe, by the way ).  That's also why these radios are getting harder to find.  Some folks are interested in the BC-620, but that radio doesn't operate in any part of the voice portion of the 10 meter band.  Still , it's small, and shares hardware with the BC-659.  Unfortunately, a good portion of what is still out there has been so heavily modified as to make the work too costly to bring the radio back to original, operating condition, or has been stored in conditions that make restoration too expensive to enable the radio to be sold at even a break even price.  That gives a buyer really only three choices - buy a junker and make it look pretty and be satisfied with that ( low price), gut the radio and install something modern ( higher price ), or fix the original and make it work ( most costly, but also maintains the value of the radio).  A true collector will always choose option 3.
Mark D.WW2RDO
In a message dated 5/24/2020 12:33:29 PM Eastern Standard Time, n4fs at eozinc.com writes:

I really do not want to continue this thread beyond its usefulness, if it ever had any, but will respond to you. Since you have an Extra it already claims that you have the expertise to work on radios, unless you got one of the new ones offered in a Cracker Jack Box. Additionally, if you collect WWII gear you must be versed in repairing them and it does not take an antique radio collector with 40 years of experience to be able to fix 99% of the WWII tube radios. I certainly did not have that much experience in HS and was able to do it along with other hams who still fix their own. There are also numerous great web sites to assist you, put together by some very competent hams who are willing to share their expertise. Yes, I have had a ham license for almost 60 years, at least since I became a citizen at 18 and have been collecting antique radios for over 50 years. Now at 75 my problem is not the ability to fix stuff but the ability to move boat anchors around. Maybe you should find another sham to peddle stuff and profit from unsuspecting buyers. – Mike  

Mike B. Feher, N4FS

89 Arnold Blvd.

Howell NJ 07731

848-245-9115

From: Captain D. <mkdorney at aol.com> 
Sent: Sunday, May 24, 2020 11:52 AM
To: n4fs at eozinc.com
Cc: mrca at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [MRCA] WW2 Radio Prices

Maybe because I know to send the equipment to an expert in the antique radio field, somebody who has over 40 years experience working with tube radios.  How long have you owned and operated a car?  You do all your own automotive work, or do you send your vehicle to a mechanic - somebody who is a specialist in the field  Unbelievable indeed.

Mark D.

WW2RDO

In a message dated 5/24/2020 10:45:09 AM Eastern Standard Time, n4fs at eozinc.com writes:

Interesting. Here you are an Extra class amateur and needs to send a WWII radio to a shop to have it fixed. Unbelievable – 73 – Mike 

Mike B. Feher, N4FS

89 Arnold Blvd.

Howell NJ 07731

848-245-9115

From: mrca-bounces at mailman.qth.net <mrca-bounces at mailman.qth.net> On Behalf Of Mkdorney via MRCA
Sent: Sunday, May 24, 2020 9:48 AM
To: Stephen Finelli <navrad at ptd.net>
Cc: mrca at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [MRCA] WW2 Radio Prices

The military vehicle people I’ve dealt with have been somewhat shocked and angry at how much  more they actually had to pay when they decided to try to get their rigs working, and how hard it was to even find somebody to work on their rig at all after they were told by the seller they dealt with that their radio was ready for installation.   That extra $500 to $1400 really stings. With me, the radio is demonstrated to them when they buy it - if it doesn’t work then, I don’t sell it until it’s fixed.  I also supply the name, address, email address and phone number of the shop that did the work so that should there be problems further on down the line, the buyer has a repair contact. Yeah, the radios I sell cost a little more - because they’re worth it. 

Mark D.

WW2 RDO

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