[NJARC] Meetings Auctions, etc etc...

[AMCMATADOR at aol.com]

All, 
 
     I have been reading the preceding emails, and  will throw my 2 cents in. 
(though with inflation, mabe it should be 2  bucks?) . For approximatly the 
last 10 years or so, I have been a club member. I  would say I have made at 
least 90% of meetings during that time. Through those  years, meetings have been 
in Old Bridge?. Princeton and in Wall Twp at InfoAge.  For almost the entire 
duration, I have come from Staten Island, to the various  locations. Sometimes 
it takes a little longer, sometimes not. I have found ways  to take different 
and or local roads, to shorten the trip. The point is, I  value the club 
meetings, and will do what I need to so can get  there. At this point. I have 
purchased a home in Jackson. That is just about  half way between Princeton and 
Wall. Either location is equally convinent for  me. But if sombody were to decide 
to hold meetings in say, West Orange, or even  Sparta, I would still find my 
way there. I think Sarnoff and Info Age, are  equally historic in their own 
right. Info Age, having been a Marconi Site, and  Sarnoff being the birthplace 
of Color TV and NTSC and so many other important  milestones in Electronics.
 
      As for the auctions "cheapening" the image  of the club. Lets face it, 
most of us are collectors. Most collectors are  thrilled by the thought of 
increasing their collection, and from time to time,  NEED to reduce its size. The 
auctions fill that need nicely. I for one, CAN  speak about the Ebay factor. 
I have been an Ebay seller for many years, and have  had much success with it. 
For one thing. I cant think of one item I  have  purchased at a meeting 
auction for resale on Ebay. Doing so would seem  unethical, unless nobody in the 
club wanted the item.  The items I sell  on Ebay, are those I find, as any 
Antique dealer would, by  hunting for them and or the ocasional dumpster find. 
Frequently  they aren't even radio related. Why? For the most part, if something 
has  any great value, it doesn't get sold for peanuts at a club auction, sure 
it may  go for less than Ebay value, but then it goes into a club member's 
collection,  and the club doesn't have do deal with the complexities of Ebay 
sales, (packing  , shipping , photographing , describing , customer satisfaction 
etc etc). Ebay,  is not the "Fast Cash" deal that many picture it to be. Ebay 
requires ALOT of  time, and a lot of care. And you can still get screwed. To 
that end, I decided a  long time ago, that 5 and 10 dollar items are NOT worth 
putting on Ebay. The  time and effort required to list, package and ship the 
items , simply  doesn't warrant it. I would sooner pass something like that on to 
another person  who can 1) USE it, 2) USE it for parts for something more 
worthwhile. That can  be done at a club auction or on the free table at a 
meeting. I remember a  few months back, sombody mentioned throwing away a large pile 
of 6SN7s.   There was an outrcy on this reflector as to why nobody should ever 
throw  such items away, and "THAT IS WHY WE HAVE CLUB AUCTIONS". There is a 
lot of  truth there. Its an old cliche " one man's junk, is another man's  
treasure". In our club, we run the gamut, We have collectors of early Crystal  
sets right up to almost current technology, and everything in between, from TV  
sets to Hi-Fi. Military Radios to Efemera. If it has to do with radio and  or 
electronics, I'm guessing there is somebody in this club who collects it.  Lets 
not be elitists about the items we collect. I seem to  remember another club 
in upstate NY who did just that. It has not served  them well. Their 
membership continues to dwindle , even though they  have a wonderful museum and are the 
oldest club in the hobby.
 
  It might also be prudent to remember, may of us got into this hobby  at a 
time, when Cathedral radios, and or Catalin sets and other desirable items,  
were found on top of every trash pail. Some of us came later. For those, the  
Auctions are a welcome way , to increase the quality of their collections , at  
more reasonable prices than fully restored sets would cost at swap meets, or 
on  Ebay.  
 
                                                      Just  my two cents, 
which are worth less today than yesterday.
 
 
              Darren
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