Thanks Tom. Were U at the hamfest by chance?
For those wondering, the tube that was "sacrificed"
was a common garden variety JAN 6005 (6AQ5A)
( I sure would not have broken anything like a 7060
or similar! That tube would be in my collection)


KI3R, which hamfest might this have been at? Butler? There are a lot of
shysters out there wanting something for nothing. Amazes me how they
afford
the hobby!

Lou


No Lou I wasn't around when the tube tale went down ....but I was up at
Butler. Always enjoy looking at the junque that I have seen guys carying
around for at least 2 decades and trying to dump the same. I gave up that
scene about 20 years ago after filling the back of my Surburban with ballast
and then realizing that my vehicle and back were taking a beating. The
garbage men really went wild the next day when 90% of my junkbox went out to
the alley.

My comments are also directed at the sellers who use something for 10 years
and want 95% of the retail price.

Take care 73 KI3R Tom Popovic Belle Vernon Pa.

All this is not limited to Hams -- it is an international practice. In some
countries they have no respect for you if you don't go thru the drill of
bartering. I have experienced this same drill in the good old USA for used
goods, flea markets, newspaper ads, et al.



Also at car dealerships. I'm particularly poor at getting decent
deals at a car dealership... :-(

Personally, I believe Amateur Radio Licenses should cost $75 per year for
regulatory fees and the Commission should elimanate testing. I also believe
that is how it will eventually be in the near future.

73,

Me

"Burp not Burr" wrote in message
groups.com...

"Minnie Bannister" wrote in message
...
The fee for a Vanity Call will rise on August 6 from $16.30 to $20.80.
This is for a 10-year license.

Doing the math, that comes out to about $2.08
per year, or 0.0057 CENTS per-day over the
course of a 10-Year period...........

How much do you wanna bet however that the
average traditionally el-cheapo ham radio operator
will ****-and-moan like a stuck pig over a 0.0057
Cent-per-day fee...??? (my guess is alot will !)

For example, I was selling at a hamfest in Pa last
month. Had a shoebox full of miniature tubes for
$1.00 each. A real bargain considering tubes are
going for much more on e-Bay. This putz comes
walking up, digs thru the box for 2 minutes and pulls
out *one* tube and wants it for 35 cents. I was willing
to let it go for 75 cents but he wants it for 35 cents.
No deal. He puts it back (tosses it) and gets all
smart-ass saying "you'll sell it to me later for 35 Cents."
The schmuck comes back 1/2 hour later digs it out
and asks for it for 35 Cents again. I say OK, offer to
wrap it, he hands it to me and while he's reachin for his
35 cents, I dropped the tube on the ground and smashed
it with my trusty Nike, then told him I changed my mind
and wanted $1.00 for it. This putz goes completely nuts saying
he's looked all over 4 hamfests for this tube and he
couldn't believe I smashed it. Jumpin up and down like a looney
and me quietly hoping he would have a stroke right there
as he must have weighed 300 pounds. A real "Eddie Slobbo"
fer sure - baaaaaa hahahahah!! I just laughed and offered
him a pleasant balance of the afternoon.

After he left the dealers either side of me were almost teary-eyed
laughing at the spectacle of this event, and we each shared a Pepsi
from my trusty Coleman cooler and had a nice late-lunch at the
pizza hut afterwards.

El-Cheapo hams....always too much FUN to pass up
the opportunity to poke'em-with-a-stick thru the
monkey bars !! : ) : ) : )

"me" wrote in message
news:FJQHc.62140$Oq2.29491@attbi_s52...
Personally, I believe Amateur Radio Licenses should cost $75 per year for
regulatory fees and the Commission should elimanate testing. I also
believe
that is how it will eventually be in the near future.

73,

Me

Doubtful that testing would be eliminated. International treaties require
that there is proof the operators meet minimum qualifications.

Since the FCC has given testing responsibility to the amateur community, the
FCC simply issues the license so they don't have any vested interest in
eliminating testing. And of course they issue the regulations and enforce
those regulations like they do for all communications services.

Besides testing is needed to attempt to insure that the licensees will have
learned the basics of operating. Hams have such a wide range of privileges
and frequencies that some basic knowledge truly is a necessity. We already
have enough lids slip through so let's not make it worse.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE

"Mike Coslo" wrote in message
...
[snip]
This is America, and you are allowed to ask any price you want for what
you sell. The buyer can also offer any price they want.

I would suggest that if a person is firm on all their prices, and
doesn't want to deal, they might want to sell retail.

Unless, of course, their price is already ridiculously low. I was selling a
used tuner at a hamfest for 1/4 of what a new one would be as I simply
didn't like it, wanted to get a different one, and wanted to be sure to sell
it. A guy tried to bargain me down but I simply told him that we both knew
what they sold for both new and used and I wasn't budging. He forked over
the asking price.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE

"me" wrote in
news:FJQHc.62140$Oq2.29491@attbi_s52:

Personally, I believe Amateur Radio Licenses should cost $75 per year
for regulatory fees and the Commission should elimanate testing. I
also believe that is how it will eventually be in the near future.

73,

Me

"Burp not Burr" wrote in message
groups.com...

"Minnie Bannister" wrote in
message ...
The fee for a Vanity Call will rise on August 6 from $16.30 to
$20.80. This is for a 10-year license.

Doing the math, that comes out to about $2.08
per year, or 0.0057 CENTS per-day over the
course of a 10-Year period...........

How much do you wanna bet however that the
average traditionally el-cheapo ham radio operator
will ****-and-moan like a stuck pig over a 0.0057
Cent-per-day fee...??? (my guess is alot will !)

For example, I was selling at a hamfest in Pa last
month. Had a shoebox full of miniature tubes for
$1.00 each. A real bargain considering tubes are
going for much more on e-Bay. This putz comes
walking up, digs thru the box for 2 minutes and pulls
out *one* tube and wants it for 35 cents. I was willing
to let it go for 75 cents but he wants it for 35 cents.
No deal. He puts it back (tosses it) and gets all
smart-ass saying "you'll sell it to me later for 35 Cents."
The schmuck comes back 1/2 hour later digs it out
and asks for it for 35 Cents again. I say OK, offer to
wrap it, he hands it to me and while he's reachin for his
35 cents, I dropped the tube on the ground and smashed
it with my trusty Nike, then told him I changed my mind
and wanted $1.00 for it. This putz goes completely nuts saying
he's looked all over 4 hamfests for this tube and he
couldn't believe I smashed it. Jumpin up and down like a looney
and me quietly hoping he would have a stroke right there
as he must have weighed 300 pounds. A real "Eddie Slobbo"
fer sure - baaaaaa hahahahah!! I just laughed and offered
him a pleasant balance of the afternoon.

After he left the dealers either side of me were almost teary-eyed
laughing at the spectacle of this event, and we each shared a Pepsi
from my trusty Coleman cooler and had a nice late-lunch at the
pizza hut afterwards.

El-Cheapo hams....always too much FUN to pass up
the opportunity to poke'em-with-a-stick thru the
monkey bars !! : ) : ) : )







You're crazy if you beleive that. I could see the vanity call fee
eventuallly getting that high, but the rest of your prediction is way off.

"Dee D. Flint" wrote:
A guy tried to bargain me down but I simply told him that we both knew
what they sold for both new and used and I wasn't budging. He forked over
the asking price.

And that's the norm for every swapmeet, ham or otherwise, I've ever been to. If
I'm selling I mark it high expecting haggling. When buying I always make a lower
offer than the asking price. I do occasionally run across people that get their
panties in a wad over this practice, but that's their problem, not mine. If I
want something bad enough I pay the full price, but I'll always try for a better
price first. Nothing ventured nothing gained. And when I'm selling and someone
pays me full price, I really get a big smile on my face...

Alun wrote in message . ..
"me" wrote in
news:FJQHc.62140$Oq2.29491@attbi_s52:

Personally, I believe Amateur Radio Licenses should cost $75 per year
for regulatory fees and the Commission should elimanate testing. I
also believe that is how it will eventually be in the near future.

73,

Me

"Burp not Burr" wrote in message
groups.com...

"Minnie Bannister" wrote in
message ...
The fee for a Vanity Call will rise on August 6 from $16.30 to
$20.80. This is for a 10-year license.

Doing the math, that comes out to about $2.08
per year, or 0.0057 CENTS per-day over the
course of a 10-Year period...........

How much do you wanna bet however that the
average traditionally el-cheapo ham radio operator
will ****-and-moan like a stuck pig over a 0.0057
Cent-per-day fee...??? (my guess is alot will !)

For example, I was selling at a hamfest in Pa last
month. Had a shoebox full of miniature tubes for
$1.00 each. A real bargain considering tubes are
going for much more on e-Bay. This putz comes
walking up, digs thru the box for 2 minutes and pulls
out *one* tube and wants it for 35 cents. I was willing
to let it go for 75 cents but he wants it for 35 cents.
No deal. He puts it back (tosses it) and gets all
smart-ass saying "you'll sell it to me later for 35 Cents."
The schmuck comes back 1/2 hour later digs it out
and asks for it for 35 Cents again. I say OK, offer to
wrap it, he hands it to me and while he's reachin for his
35 cents, I dropped the tube on the ground and smashed
it with my trusty Nike, then told him I changed my mind
and wanted $1.00 for it. This putz goes completely nuts saying
he's looked all over 4 hamfests for this tube and he
couldn't believe I smashed it. Jumpin up and down like a looney
and me quietly hoping he would have a stroke right there
as he must have weighed 300 pounds. A real "Eddie Slobbo"
fer sure - baaaaaa hahahahah!! I just laughed and offered
him a pleasant balance of the afternoon.

After he left the dealers either side of me were almost teary-eyed
laughing at the spectacle of this event, and we each shared a Pepsi
from my trusty Coleman cooler and had a nice late-lunch at the
pizza hut afterwards.

El-Cheapo hams....always too much FUN to pass up
the opportunity to poke'em-with-a-stick thru the
monkey bars !! : ) : ) : )







You're crazy if you beleive that. I could see the vanity call fee
eventuallly getting that high, but the rest of your prediction is way off.

Alun, are you saying that its the vanity people that require them most
regulatory attention, and thus should pay more?

(William) wrote in
om:

Alun wrote in message
. ..
"me" wrote in
news:FJQHc.62140$Oq2.29491@attbi_s52:

Personally, I believe Amateur Radio Licenses should cost $75 per
year for regulatory fees and the Commission should elimanate
testing. I also believe that is how it will eventually be in the
near future.

73,

Me

"Burp not Burr" wrote in message
groups.com...

"Minnie Bannister" wrote in
message ...
The fee for a Vanity Call will rise on August 6 from $16.30 to
$20.80. This is for a 10-year license.

Doing the math, that comes out to about $2.08
per year, or 0.0057 CENTS per-day over the
course of a 10-Year period...........

How much do you wanna bet however that the
average traditionally el-cheapo ham radio operator
will ****-and-moan like a stuck pig over a 0.0057
Cent-per-day fee...??? (my guess is alot will !)

For example, I was selling at a hamfest in Pa last
month. Had a shoebox full of miniature tubes for
$1.00 each. A real bargain considering tubes are
going for much more on e-Bay. This putz comes
walking up, digs thru the box for 2 minutes and pulls
out *one* tube and wants it for 35 cents. I was willing
to let it go for 75 cents but he wants it for 35 cents.
No deal. He puts it back (tosses it) and gets all
smart-ass saying "you'll sell it to me later for 35 Cents."
The schmuck comes back 1/2 hour later digs it out
and asks for it for 35 Cents again. I say OK, offer to
wrap it, he hands it to me and while he's reachin for his
35 cents, I dropped the tube on the ground and smashed
it with my trusty Nike, then told him I changed my mind
and wanted $1.00 for it. This putz goes completely nuts saying
he's looked all over 4 hamfests for this tube and he
couldn't believe I smashed it. Jumpin up and down like a looney
and me quietly hoping he would have a stroke right there
as he must have weighed 300 pounds. A real "Eddie Slobbo"
fer sure - baaaaaa hahahahah!! I just laughed and offered
him a pleasant balance of the afternoon.

After he left the dealers either side of me were almost teary-eyed
laughing at the spectacle of this event, and we each shared a Pepsi
from my trusty Coleman cooler and had a nice late-lunch at the
pizza hut afterwards.

El-Cheapo hams....always too much FUN to pass up
the opportunity to poke'em-with-a-stick thru the
monkey bars !! : ) : ) : )







You're crazy if you beleive that. I could see the vanity call fee
eventuallly getting that high, but the rest of your prediction is way
off.

Alun, are you saying that its the vanity people that require them most
regulatory attention, and thus should pay more?


No. How could you get that from what I said?

All I am saying, if I have to spell it out, is that there is absolutely
zero probability of theory testing being abolished and not much more
likelihood that fees will be reintroduced for other than vanity calls.

And furthermore, a $75 fee is not in the least likely to reduce bad
behaviour on the air.

Dee D. Flint wrote:
"Mike Coslo" wrote in message
...

[snip]
This is America, and you are allowed to ask any price you want for what
you sell. The buyer can also offer any price they want.

I would suggest that if a person is firm on all their prices, and
doesn't want to deal, they might want to sell retail.


Unless, of course, their price is already ridiculously low. I was selling a
used tuner at a hamfest for 1/4 of what a new one would be as I simply
didn't like it, wanted to get a different one, and wanted to be sure to sell
it. A guy tried to bargain me down but I simply told him that we both knew
what they sold for both new and used and I wasn't budging. He forked over
the asking price.

At 1/4 price, sure! I usually won't buy above 1/2 of currently
manufactured price. Elswise, I'm happy to buy new, with a warrantee and
I'm also not buying someone elses problems. My main point in this whole
discussion is that there are a lot of sellers that seem to hate buyers.
The Carny vs Rube thing.

- Mike KB3EIA -