Why Repaint ???

[Terry]

    Floyd's opinion is just that:  his opinion (no offense intended, Floyd).  I
tend to agree with Keith's point of view.  Unless the piece of equipment is just
so badly damaged that it needs help to keep it from deteriorating further, then
leave it alone from a cosmetic standpoint.
    I wouldn't be too happy about paying an increased price for an item
described as "mint condition" or "9+ out of 10" only to find out that it has
been refinished.  Sure, it can be refinished to appear factory clean...but it
isn't.  I don't think the value of a repainted antique auto (even one by a
professional restorer) would be nearly the same as an originally finished auto
in prime condition.  Why should antique electronic equipment be any different?
    Of course, that's just my opinion.  Hey, everybody take it with a grain of
salt.  73 and cul.

    Terry (KA5IHV)

Floyd Sense wrote:

> Come on guys, most of this is a load of crap !!  Frankly, I'm always amazed
> at how folks who supposedly treasure this old equipment so much can mistreat
> it so badly that anyone even needs to think about repainting it.  Just
> because some antique bookcase on the
> "Antiques Road Show" had it's worth pegged at $15K instead of $100K because
> someone had stripped the original finish, doesn't mean that your boatanchor
> is worth a damn because of it's "historic stratches".   Judging from what I
> see offered at hamfests these days, apparently the value of these treasures
> is also enhanced by preserving the layers of dirt covering them?
>
> This stuff didn't arrive at this condition as a result of some long gone ham
> sitting there far past his bedtime chasing that elusive DX back in the 50's.
> It got that way because people who don't give a damn have hauled it around
> in their trunks, rubbing up against other gear for years while they try to
> pass it off on the unsuspecting as something of great value.  Should I
> apologize for the nice HT-37 that's now sitting on my operating desk with a
> fresh coat of paint?  Perhaps I should have left it as it was when the
> fellow in Timonium passed it on to me this spring.  Covered with all those
> fine layers of character building barn dirt and all that genuine
> Hallicrafters rust.  I can still hear his words: "Doesn't look bad for a 40
> year old radio.  Just bring it up s-l-o-w-l-y and it will work just fine."
> I guess he didn't know any more about taking care of the innards than he did
> the outside.  It seems the finals were shot because the bias supply no
> longer worked.
>
> The point of this tirade?  The number of working units of this old gear is
> rapidly diminishing.  For the most part, it was well engineered, well built,
> and if taken care of properly, works just fine today and will continue to do
> so for a long time to come.  Cherishing scratches, rust, etc. does nothing
> to encourage the preservation of this stuff into the future.  Dirt,
> scratches, dents, etc. might look great on an 18th century chair, but should
> not be a valued attribute of a piece of boatanchor gear.
>
> Eventually, I'll probably be ready for another transmitter to replace this
> HT-37.  And when I sell this one, I fully expect to hear: "Wow! look at that
> paint - just like new."   I don't believe I've ever heard anyone in the
> flesh say: "Wow! Just look at all those scratches and dents.  I've just got
> to have that one!"
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Keith Heitzmann <kk5fe at GS.VERIO.NET>
> To: <BOATANCHORS at LISTSERV.TEMPE.GOV>
> Sent: Wednesday, June 16, 1999 5:47 PM
> Subject: Re: Why Repaint ???
>
> > At 03:29 PM 6/16/99 -0500, Emile Imberman wrote:
> >
> > <SNIP>
> > >       I have a Ranger that has some scratches. I didn't put them there,
> > but I
> > >don't worry about it because it is 'ORIGINAL'. No one has resprayed it,
> > etc.  It
> > >works well and to me it has a lot of character.
> > <SNIP>
> >
> > I have to say that statement sums it all up!  I have repainted cabinets
> > before, but only because they were in need of rust removal.
> >
> > The rest have character.  I almost repainted my NC-173 because it has a
> lot
> > of scratches. Then the more I looked at it, the more I could almost see
> the
> > people before me staring at the dials trying to tune in that distant
> > station.  I know it sounds weird,  but I can look at them and tell that
> > they have been used for what they were meant for.  Each one has a little
> > history behind it.  Some of which I will never know.
> >
> > 73,
> >
> > Keith,   KK5FE
> >
> >
> >
> >                  --- AMI# 837 ---
> > ---------- Visit my Vintage Radio Web Site -------------
> > ----------- http://home.gs.verio.net/~kk5fe/ ------------
> > ------------ Or my Photography Web Page ---------------
> > ----------- http://members.xoom.com/kk5fe/ -------------
> >
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