I am president of the Carolinas Chapter of the Antique Wireless Association.
One of the services our club provides to our members and their families
is the auctioning of estate collections at our annual conference in
Charlotte NC.

We have done a number of these over the years and so far we've
gotten several times what the family thought the junque was worth.

Last year there was so much stuff in the collection that we had to have
2 auctions. It took all day for seven people to load the collection
in a 30 foot race car trailer and then haul it 5 hours and unload it
in a warehouse. We then spent many, many hours cataloging
the collection for the auction and bagging small items in zip lock bags.
We then loaded it all in a u haul truck and unloaded it at the Sheraton.
At the time the club only charged 5% auction fee.
That's not much for all that work. It's 10% now.

An auction at a radio meet is by far the best way to dispose of items
like this. You may have to haul it to the site, but there's no shipping
or packing involved. And it's at an event where poeple have
pockets full of money and are looking for radios to buy.

Unless it's really rare, early gear, most museums are not going to want
it. The best thing is to get it in the hands of those that do.

73, Ron
cc-awa.org

Ron has a good idea if the club knows about the equipment. Unfortunately,
many ham clubs are comprised of appliance operators who do not know the
value nor care about the older stuff.

One problem I have found is that a few hams have taken the time to write
down values of equipment. But, if they do not know what they are doing, it
can be a giant disappointment. I have seen in one case where an elderly ham
got some prices from friends, who got it off eBay. The problem was that his
stuff had sat in a moist garage and was rusty, while the pieces were valued
at what a pristine and restored piece had sold for. If you are going to
price it, make sure it is realistic values.

Not long ago, I recall someone purchased a beautiful SX-88 on eBay for about
$5,000. The purchaser wanted one and could afford it. Unfortunately,
people see that and assume their ordinary and unrestored SX-88 is worth
$5,000. I bought an SX-88 that had broken dials, rusty case and neede a lot
of TLC. It was on the other end of the spectrum. If I did not spend so
much time on the internet, I could have it restored by now.

I am building a vacation home for the express purpose of sneaking a personal
radio museum next to it. My plan is to store each radio, with all of the
accessories and manuals together in their appropriate display area. One of
the big problems I have when assisting in estates is finding power supplies,
manuals, microphones and other items. Cannot tell you how many rotators I
have sold without control boxes, because the family threw away the control
box.

Another sad story that still haunts me is when the father of a friend died
with his ham gear in the basement. I valued it for estate tax purposes and
sold much of it. However, there were 3 items I wanted to buy and so I left
them with my friend and told him I would determine a fair price and buy
them. He wanted to give them to me. They were an Elmac AF-67, new in the
box, and two new gold Vibroplexes. I spent about a week deternining how
much they were worth and went back to buy them. Alas, all three had been
tossed in the dumpster.

Now, I take the stuff first and argue about price later.

73, Colin K7FM

Colin K7FM

COLIN LAMB wrote in message
ink.net...
Ron has a good idea if the club knows about the equipment. Unfortunately,
many ham clubs are comprised of appliance operators who do not know the
value nor care about the older stuff.

I thought we were talking about Boatanchor gear, not general everyday
ham equipment...
The idea for the auction wasn't about the local 2 meter ham operator
club. BAs should go to a collector event. That's where the knowledgable
buyers are. A bunch of 2 meter comandos wouldn't know what to do
with a BA.

Ron

"COLIN LAMB" wrote in message
ink.net...
....
They were an Elmac AF-67, new in the
box, 73, Colin K7FM


Ohh I hate when that happens.

Ahhh! The Icom 706 of the 50's. or... or... is the 706 the AF-67 of the
nineties? I can never get that straight. (:-)

73, Steve, K,9.D;C'I

This kind of thing, it seems to me, might well be something the ARRL/QST
should be willing to shed a little more light and help on. Anyone know if
it has been suggested to ARRL to welcome, for example, at regional
hamfests some kind of large auction of such gear?

===== no change to below, included for reference and context =====

On Tue, 7 Feb 2006, Ron in Radio Heaven wrote:

I am president of the Carolinas Chapter of the Antique Wireless Association.
One of the services our club provides to our members and their families
is the auctioning of estate collections at our annual conference in
Charlotte NC.

We have done a number of these over the years and so far we've
gotten several times what the family thought the junque was worth.

Last year there was so much stuff in the collection that we had to have
2 auctions. It took all day for seven people to load the collection
in a 30 foot race car trailer and then haul it 5 hours and unload it
in a warehouse. We then spent many, many hours cataloging
the collection for the auction and bagging small items in zip lock bags.
We then loaded it all in a u haul truck and unloaded it at the Sheraton.
At the time the club only charged 5% auction fee.
That's not much for all that work. It's 10% now.

An auction at a radio meet is by far the best way to dispose of items
like this. You may have to haul it to the site, but there's no shipping
or packing involved. And it's at an event where poeple have
pockets full of money and are looking for radios to buy.

Unless it's really rare, early gear, most museums are not going to want
it. The best thing is to get it in the hands of those that do.

73, Ron
cc-awa.org

Straydog wrote:


This kind of thing, it seems to me, might well be something the ARRL/QST
should be willing to shed a little more light and help on. Anyone know
if it has been suggested to ARRL to welcome, for example, at regional
hamfests some kind of large auction of such gear?

Well and good but someone has to "manage" it. Their 'compensation' may
come as being the guy who has first pick.

In my case, if I keel over tomorrow, the XYL knows who to call to help
get rid of my stuff. If Guy A doesn't want to mess with it she also
knows Guy B.

Anybody who has a houseload of radio junk and a family should have a
clue given as to how to unload the stuff. Thats what friends are for.
Same as if you have a dozen St. Bernard puppies@!

Pick your best radio friend and hope he doesn't die before you.


-Bill