http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sw55/

I imagine that since Sony is getting out of SW that the 55 is pretty
hard to find
[snip]

I am seeing SW55's available on eBay consistantly and going for around
$225-$275.
It's performance is in the class of the SW77. As I mentioned in my previous
message,
they are still available in Europe and possibly in Japan duty free shops.
If he will be
shipped out to any of those two locations he can pick up the King of
portables new,
in box, overseas.

. I use the Degen 1102, available on Ebay I paid about $75 for
mine, which includes shipping from Hong Kong (the stamps on the package
had a value of HK$121.10!).

So, you paid about US$17 to have a cheap, Chinese radio sent from Hong Kong.
I don't think his boot camp sargeant will treat him "kindly" when he shows
up with
a Communist Party radio - bwahAHAHAHA!