Johnson Receiver and National Transmitter

[Will White]

I am well aware of the very high prices that Collins collectors will pay
for even the smallest accessory, as long as it has the right emblem and
serial number attached. Collins has a cult-like following, and I am
willing to let that niche be, as crazy as the prices seem to me, I have
never had much of an interest in Collins, though I have used it (a
75-A4) and admit it is very fine equipment.

But that has been going on a while, with or without the internet. What
bothers me isn't even high eBay bids. What bothers me is seeing models
of just average rarity or desireablilty touted like they are the Ark of
the Covenant by sellers who are full-of-it and babble nonsense about
features and performance, making heavy use of terms like "mint" and
"rare." They know nothing about what they are selling, but are just
trying to turn an inflated buck from someone they ought to know has the
advantage of knowing infinitely more about the merchandise. Dumb, and
doomed to failure, I think. Maybe I am working myself up over nothing.

It astonishes me when I see, for one choice example, a receiver like an
SX-71 described as a "secret spy radio, used by the Allies" and "the
finest receiver of its day." Actual quotes from an eBay ad, folks. Who
do these guys think they are fooling? Save the hype and bluff for
Beanie-Babies or Pokemon. It's like if someone put up a print by Peter
Max, and claimed that it was rare (a "small" edition of Max prints
numbers around 5000) and executed by Andy Warhol's 'mentor'. Anyone who
would be in the market for a Max would know better. Something like that.
It's not the dollars, its the ludicrous fakery, even though I can't
believe that it ever works.


Will
KD7BFX

Grant Youngman wrote:
>
> > ham/antique radio), I seem to notice a gradual slowing of the frenzy and
> > resultant inflation surrounding old gear.
>
> Will ...
>
> Then you simply haven't been looking at the Collins market on e-
> youknowwhat.  I think a lot of those fellows have lost it completely.
>
> The insults to judgement and common sense continue, as the frenzy
> reaches to prove that a large stash of Collins gear is more valuable than
> a block of stock options in a dotcom company going IPO.
>
> Some Collins "collectors" ("accumulators" seems to be more apt)  seem
> bent to prove that you really can substitute large amounts of money for
> brains .... And there's no question that many buyers have a lot of the
> former and not much of the latter :-)
>
> Of course, maybe those buyers are just crafty -- and know that in a
> couple of internet minutes they'll be able to sell that $800 Collins speaker
> they just bought for twice or three times that to some even newer
> newbie.  And so it goes ... and so go any high notions of "collecting"
> and "preserving" ....
>
> Grant
>
> Grant Youngman / NQ5T
> nq5t at gte.net
> BA pics at http://home1.gte.net/nq5t
> Double Oak, TX -- nr Dallas