On Wed, 22 Dec 2004 03:15:09 UTC, Bill M
wrote:

No Spam wrote:



I saw a "catalin" table radio sell on eBay for over $20,000.
These are plastic AM table radios in weird colors. Apparently
collectors, whoever they are, are collecting these, for whatever
reason.

Investment vehicle. The guy who pays 20 grand will be selling it for 30
in the not too distant future. Most catalin sets have a lot of frequent
flyer miles since they change hands so much.

You're saying what they're doing but I still do not understand the
mania. Somewhere, is there someone who values those ugly catalin
radios? Why? Why does that end-user want it?

I can imagine a rack of, say, 5 Heathkit SB-220's. Contest station
look. At current eBay prices, that might be $3,000 for all five.

For $5,000, you could probably get 5 Alpha 374's.

Is a $20,000 catalin radio really worth more than 20 Alpha 374's?

I'm glad that collectors haven't discovered boatanchor radios yet.

de ah6gi/4 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RadioInvestor/

No Spam wrote:
On Wed, 22 Dec 2004 03:15:09 UTC, Bill M
wrote:


Investment vehicle. The guy who pays 20 grand will be selling it for 30
in the not too distant future. Most catalin sets have a lot of frequent
flyer miles since they change hands so much.


You're saying what they're doing but I still do not understand the
mania. Somewhere, is there someone who values those ugly catalin
radios? Why? Why does that end-user want it?

Thats the rub. There aren't many end users...they keep selling to the
next guy to "finds out about the hot investment". Well, yeah, I'm
overstating it a bit but you get the idea.

I can imagine a rack of, say, 5 Heathkit SB-220's. Contest station
look. At current eBay prices, that might be $3,000 for all five.

For $5,000, you could probably get 5 Alpha 374's.

Is a $20,000 catalin radio really worth more than 20 Alpha 374's?

No way...not for me anyway. In truth very few value at 20 grand, most
are in the 1-5k category as if that makes any difference.

I'm glad that collectors haven't discovered boatanchor radios yet.

Watch what you say! There are a number of guys paying over the top to
have a BA "collection" but it hasn't reached the same extreme.

-Bill

On Wed, 22 Dec 2004 12:20:06 UTC, Bill M
wrote:

No Spam wrote:
On Wed, 22 Dec 2004 03:15:09 UTC, Bill M
wrote:


Investment vehicle. The guy who pays 20 grand will be selling it for 30
in the not too distant future. Most catalin sets have a lot of frequent
flyer miles since they change hands so much.


You're saying what they're doing but I still do not understand the
mania. Somewhere, is there someone who values those ugly catalin
radios? Why? Why does that end-user want it?

Thats the rub. There aren't many end users...they keep selling to the
next guy to "finds out about the hot investment". Well, yeah, I'm
overstating it a bit but you get the idea.

So it's a little like "Tulipmania" and 1920's Florida land?


I can imagine a rack of, say, 5 Heathkit SB-220's. Contest station
look. At current eBay prices, that might be $3,000 for all five.

For $5,000, you could probably get 5 Alpha 374's.

Is a $20,000 catalin radio really worth more than 20 Alpha 374's?

No way...not for me anyway. In truth very few value at 20 grand, most
are in the 1-5k category as if that makes any difference.

I saw a Fada Catalin go for over $20,000 on the Bay. I have a nice
AM/FM radio with CD player and good speakers. I paid $19.95 for it
at Big Lots.



I'm glad that collectors haven't discovered boatanchor radios yet.

Watch what you say! There are a number of guys paying over the top to
have a BA "collection" but it hasn't reached the same extreme.

I expect that BA's will get pricey. I'm surprised that most are
selling for less than their new price, de-inflation. I recently
bought a nice DX-60, the exact model I built as a novice in 1963. I
paid about $70 for it. That's close to the kit price 44 years
ago.

I suppose there aren't that many people who want DX-60's but I
remember working JA's and VK's on the 15 meter novice band with it.

If boatanchor prices tracked inflation, this radio would be about
$1,000. Figure, a coke used to be a dime, it's $2.50 in a
restaurant now. A '63 vette was $4,000, maybe $5,000 with fuel
injection and some options. What's a 2005 'vette? $50.000?

I still have the SX-101A that I used with the DX-60. I paid $200
for it, used. These are still going for about $200.

Based simply on inflation, these radios would go for 10X or 20X
their original price. I'm not betting that they will but I am
picking up a few interesting radios to refurb and to use.



--

On Wed, 22 Dec 2004 12:20:06 UTC, Bill M
wrote:

No Spam wrote:
On Wed, 22 Dec 2004 03:15:09 UTC, Bill M
wrote:


Investment vehicle. The guy who pays 20 grand will be selling it for 30
in the not too distant future. Most catalin sets have a lot of frequent
flyer miles since they change hands so much.


You're saying what they're doing but I still do not understand the
mania. Somewhere, is there someone who values those ugly catalin
radios? Why? Why does that end-user want it?

Thats the rub. There aren't many end users...they keep selling to the
next guy to "finds out about the hot investment". Well, yeah, I'm
overstating it a bit but you get the idea.

So it's a little like "Tulipmania" and 1920's Florida land?


I can imagine a rack of, say, 5 Heathkit SB-220's. Contest station
look. At current eBay prices, that might be $3,000 for all five.

For $5,000, you could probably get 5 Alpha 374's.

Is a $20,000 catalin radio really worth more than 20 Alpha 374's?

No way...not for me anyway. In truth very few value at 20 grand, most
are in the 1-5k category as if that makes any difference.

I saw a Fada Catalin go for over $20,000 on the Bay. I have a nice
AM/FM radio with CD player and good speakers. I paid $19.95 for it
at Big Lots.



I'm glad that collectors haven't discovered boatanchor radios yet.

Watch what you say! There are a number of guys paying over the top to
have a BA "collection" but it hasn't reached the same extreme.

I expect that BA's will get pricey. I'm surprised that most are
selling for less than their new price, de-inflation. I recently
bought a nice DX-60, the exact model I built as a novice in 1963. I
paid about $70 for it. That's close to the kit price 44 years
ago.

I suppose there aren't that many people who want DX-60's but I
remember working JA's and VK's on the 15 meter novice band with it.

If boatanchor prices tracked inflation, this radio would be about
$1,000. Figure, a coke used to be a dime, it's $2.50 in a
restaurant now. A '63 vette was $4,000, maybe $5,000 with fuel
injection and some options. What's a 2005 'vette? $50.000?

I still have the SX-101A that I used with the DX-60. I paid $200
for it, used. These are still going for about $200.

Based simply on inflation, these radios would go for 10X or 20X
their original price. I'm not betting that they will but I am
picking up a few interesting radios to refurb and to use.



--

No Spam wrote:
On Wed, 22 Dec 2004 03:15:09 UTC, Bill M
wrote:


Investment vehicle. The guy who pays 20 grand will be selling it for 30
in the not too distant future. Most catalin sets have a lot of frequent
flyer miles since they change hands so much.


You're saying what they're doing but I still do not understand the
mania. Somewhere, is there someone who values those ugly catalin
radios? Why? Why does that end-user want it?

Thats the rub. There aren't many end users...they keep selling to the
next guy to "finds out about the hot investment". Well, yeah, I'm
overstating it a bit but you get the idea.

I can imagine a rack of, say, 5 Heathkit SB-220's. Contest station
look. At current eBay prices, that might be $3,000 for all five.

For $5,000, you could probably get 5 Alpha 374's.

Is a $20,000 catalin radio really worth more than 20 Alpha 374's?

No way...not for me anyway. In truth very few value at 20 grand, most
are in the 1-5k category as if that makes any difference.

I'm glad that collectors haven't discovered boatanchor radios yet.

Watch what you say! There are a number of guys paying over the top to
have a BA "collection" but it hasn't reached the same extreme.

-Bill