Due to recovery from surgery, I missed responding to an interesting
topic or thread a few weeks back lamenting the high prices for used
equipment; my experience on here and other sites is that the person
who asks for less than 50% of the new value for a piece of used
equipment is a rare person. Even still I have purchased items with
scratches and flaws that never were mentioned.

It comes down to ones value system, but please, list every noticeable
fault and then set the price to where the item is a bargin for
someone- just like it is.

Anyone with money who is older than 60 will forever raise my suspicion
when selling or repairing something for me.

Excuse my cynicism, but it is a bit ironic that a person in their
sunset years who is closer to leaving every earthly possession behind
would have an inordinate affectionfor money and the tightest squeeze
on things.

It must be the pride of life stage, but the bubba with little more
that a pair of Kmart shoes and a push mower to his name is the one who
tends to be the most generous among, not those with worth!



kicked one too many times when I was down on money in SC
W4FCM
Fred

No one is required to purchase any boat anchor. The seller is free to set
any price he or she chooses. Sometimes, sellers think their item they wish
to sell is worth more than the buyers do - in which case the item remains
unsold.

Whether a seller is 90 or 20, the obligation is the same - describe the
equipment accurately.

I often purchase boatanchors at much more than the purchase price, with
scratches and other defects. As long as I know what I am getting, I am
happy. Once it is mine, I can modify it, hoard it, deface it or sell it for
a profit - because it is mine.

73, Colin K7FM

On Aug 5, 10:30*pm, Fred Cameron wrote:
*Due to recovery from surgery, *I missed responding to an interesting
topic or thread a few weeks back lamenting the high prices for used
equipment; my experience on here and other sites is that the person
who asks for less than 50% of the new value for a piece of used
equipment is a rare person. Even still I have purchased items with
scratches and flaws that never were mentioned.

It comes down to ones value system, but please, list every noticeable
fault and then set the price to where the item is a bargin for
someone- just like it is.

Anyone with money who is older than 60 will forever raise my suspicion
when selling or repairing something for me.

Excuse my cynicism, but it is a bit ironic that a person in their
sunset years who is closer to leaving every earthly possession behind
would have an inordinate affectionfor money and *the tightest squeeze
on things.

It must be the pride of life stage, but the bubba with little more
that a pair of Kmart shoes and a push mower to his name is the one who
tends to be the most generous among, not those with worth!

kicked one too many times when I was down on money *in SC
W4FCM
Fred

Mr. Fred ,you are certainly entitled to an opinion, This opinion as
stated only shows stupidity, being honest has nothing to due with age
or position in life.People that work hard ,manage well,and make good
decisions always seem to do better in this country..Ever notice that?
W4PQW Harold

That my friend is exactly why I am doing so well, in spite of the
greedy few
scratches and flaws that never were mentioned.

It comes down to ones value system, but please, list every noticeable
fault and then set the price to where the item is a bargin for
someone- just like it is.

Anyone with money who is older than 60 will forever raise my suspicion
when selling or repairing something for me.

Excuse my cynicism, but it is a bit ironic that a person in their
sunset years who is closer to leaving every earthly possession behind
would have an inordinate affectionfor money and *the tightest squeeze
on things.

It must be the pride of life stage, but the bubba with little more
that a pair of Kmart shoes and a push mower to his name is the one who
tends to be the most generous among, not those with worth!

kicked one too many times when I was down on money *in SC
W4FCM
Fred

Mr. Fred ,you are certainly entitled to an opinion, This opinion as
stated only shows stupidity, being honest has nothing to due with age
or position in life.People that work hard ,manage well,and make good
decisions always seem to do better in this country..Ever notice that?
W4PQW Harold

Harold,
Get your walker, and please fetch those bifocals.

I never equated age with honesty or dishonesty- only with becoming
greedy and self-centered.
It comes down to ones value system, but please, list every noticeable
fault and then set the price to where the item is a bargin for
someone- just like it is.

Anyone with money who is older than 60 will forever raise my suspicion
when selling or repairing something for me.

Excuse my cynicism, but it is a bit ironic that a person in their
sunset years who is closer to leaving every earthly possession behind
would have an inordinate affectionfor money and *the tightest squeeze
on things.

It must be the pride of life stage, but the bubba with little more
that a pair of Kmart shoes and a push mower to his name is the one who
tends to be the most generous among, not those with worth!

kicked one too many times when I was down on money *in SC
W4FCM
Fred

Mr. Fred ,you are certainly entitled to an opinion, This opinion as
stated only shows stupidity, being honest has nothing to due with age
or position in life.People that work hard ,manage well,and make good
decisions always seem to do better in this country..Ever notice that?
W4PQW Harold

Harold,
Get your walker, and please fetch those bifocals.

I never equated age with honesty or dishonesty- only with becoming
greedy and self-centered.

Fred, you still have it wrong. Were your supposed observations correct, we'd
have a hell of a time drumming up scholarships for deserving youngsters,
private grants to needy organizations, volunteer efforts and the like. You
just might have
something however, if you made the comparison to politicians and academics
instead of age. Try harder not to assess everyone else with a comparison to
your personal value set. How's your effort going on the Cubic?

W4ZCB

On Tue, 5 Aug 2008, Fred Cameron wrote:

Due to recovery from surgery, I missed responding to an interesting
topic or thread a few weeks back lamenting the high prices for used
equipment; my experience on here and other sites is that the person
who asks for less than 50% of the new value for a piece of used
equipment is a rare person. Even still I have purchased items with
scratches and flaws that never were mentioned.

But we're not talking about used equipment here, we're talking about
old equipment.

As has been said before, go back about forty years, and you could get
all kinds of boatanchors for next to nothing. Everyone wanted SSB,
everyone wanted solid state, so the tube equipment, much of which
was AM, was virtually tossed away. I got all kinds of stuff in
the early seventies, played with it and then traded it off. Few were
collecting it, and those that were didn't have to pay much for a lot
of that. I really wish I'd kept that PMR-8 receiver, but at the time,
something else interested me so I traded it off.

That was the period when the boatanchors were still useful for
the beginner, as cheap equipment. And the cost was way lower than
fifty percent of the original price.

But forty years later, attrition has meant less and less of that
gear still exists. And forty years later, the people who tossed
it aside back then are regretting it, or wanting that equipment
they lusted after as a kid but which was too expensive (like that
Tapetone VHF receiver that may or may not have existed as an
actual product). They aren't looking for equipment to get on
the air, they are looking for equipment that reflects an era long
gone, be it amateur radio or their own lives. They are collecting.
Some will have extensive collections, others will have only a few
pieces.

So that keeps the price up. Limited quantity and relatively high
demand.

If people are looking for equipment to use on a regular basis,
they are looking in the wrong place, they need to find the buy
and sell newsgroup.

This is no different from anything else. I can still get copies
of Alvin Toffler's "Future Shock" for fifty cents. But plenty of
books from the same era that never sold so well in the first place
now carry a premium price, far higher than the original cover price,
because people want them and they have to fight over a relative
few copies.

Michael VE2BVW

Fred Cameron wrote:
That my friend is exactly why I am doing so well, in spite of the
greedy few

I don't know where you're getting the idea that someone who sells
something at what others are willing to pay, is somehow being greedy.
Anyone has a perfect right to sell something he owns for as much as the
market will bear. He may well need the money to buy food, repair a car
or to pay for medical care.

In the case of boatanchor radios, some are desirable; others are less
desirable. They aren't making them anymore. The supply is limited.
The demand is there. No one has an obligation to cut you a deal because
you don't have the money to pay the going rate. If someone chooses to
do so, thank him profusely.

You might want to reflect on the effect that venting your spleen might
have in future. A guy may be tempted to cut you a break and may
suddenly remember that you're that guy who accused folks of being greedy.

Dave K8MN

On Aug 5, 11:30*pm, Fred Cameron wrote:
*Due to recovery from surgery, *I missed responding to an interesting
topic or thread a few weeks back lamenting the high prices for used
equipment; my experience on here and other sites is that the person
who asks for less than 50% of the new value for a piece of used
equipment is a rare person. Even still I have purchased items with
scratches and flaws that never were mentioned.

It comes down to ones value system, but please, list every noticeable
fault and then set the price to where the item is a bargin for
someone- just like it is.

Anyone with money who is older than 60 will forever raise my suspicion
when selling or repairing something for me.

Thanks for letting us know not to get involved with your shady deals.

On Aug 6, 8:55*pm, sparky wrote:
On Aug 5, 11:30*pm, Fred Cameron wrote:

*Due to recovery from surgery, *I missed responding to an interesting
topic or thread a few weeks back lamenting the high prices for used
equipment; my experience on here and other sites is that the person
who asks for less than 50% of the new value for a piece of used
equipment is a rare person. Even still I have purchased items with
scratches and flaws that never were mentioned.

It comes down to ones value system, but please, list every noticeable
fault and then set the price to where the item is a bargin for
someone- just like it is.

Anyone with money who is older than 60 will forever raise my suspicion
when selling or repairing something for me.

Thanks for letting us know not to get involved with your shady deals.

You know, I have remained silent on this subject for many years. But
finally have come to the conclusion that a majority of the ham
population is beginning to lose it. I have been licensed for over 50
years, and am over 60 years old. I still buy, sell, trade older
equipment. There are so many times I have seen this subject discussed
that it really irritates me. If you want a piece of gear, and can
afford it, but it! I can truly say that I have paid more than a piece
of gear was worth, but on the other hand have bought things that I
thought were under priced. So in the long run, it all evens out. I can
still remember back in the 70's that I bought a Hallicrafters SX-115
for less than $200.00. A year or so ago, I watched one go for well
over $6000.00. So, as one of the posts, the less there is of a given
piece of gear, the higher the cost. One of my pet peeves is the guy
wanting a service manual copy for the cost of postage (maybe) when
there are many sources for manuals for sale. I recently took on an old
FT-101EE and found a complete service manual for $22.00. Without it I
probably would not have been able to repair the rig, and have a very
unhappy ham on my hands. Yes, I'm on a fixed income, but if you need
something buy it and stop crying. Just my thought of the day!

73,

Mike-K5VSE


--
Formerly WB6VSE, Senior Tech. Amateur Division
SBE/Linear Systems, Watsonville, CA
On 3922 nearly every night.
WEB Site: http://members.tripod.com/~sjsharks/index.html
Restoring and using Drake Radios, TR-4, TR-4C, RV-4C,
Drake Twins: "C" line, W-4 Wattmeter, L4-B amplifier
APA 220, USS Okanogan, LSD31, USS Point Defiance
All email scanned with Norton 2008
"In God We Trust"