GB> Hallicrafters going begging....

[Peter A Markavage]

Just read in the morning paper that a $10 bill from the early 1900's
Series 1 went for over $27K on ebay. Wonder if I'll get much for my
wooden nickels.

Pete, wa2cwa


On Wed, 27 Apr 2005 10:05:03 -0400 "Merz Donald S" <merz.ds at mellon.com>
writes:
I sell a fair amount on eBay (after posting to Glowbugs and BASWAPLIST
first) and eBay is finicky lately. Stuff that would have sold fast for
above average prices last year now sometimes doesn't sell at all or
fetches a low bid. 

Case in point, I recently sold a Hallicrafters S-38--the original black
one. It had beautiful cosmetics but was missing the BFO knob (the goofy
one that goes on the end of the coil slug shaft).  It even had the back
cover, though it was in rough shape. I posted it at $35 with a $65
BUY-IT-NOW.  It went for the minimum bid $35. Someone got a really nice
radio at a good price. 

Buyers still seem to be willing to pay a premium for the cream of the
crop--SX-88, SX-100, SX-28. But that middle band of stuff--in
Hallicrafters terms the S-85, S-96, S-40B, etc.---is really not
attracting buyers like it once did. 

Books and literature are completely in the dumps. Technical books that
sold like hotcakes 2 years ago are now unmarketable. I have a friend who,
with his dad, buys and sells on eBay for a living. They said that five
years ago, they sold $40,000 worth of books on eBay. Today, the Bobs
(father and son are both named Bob) say they won't handle books anymore
at all because they just don't attract any bidding. 

Economists say that in a market where buyers and sellers have "perfect
information", prices seek equilibrium. Is that it?--are the books wroth
less because everyone that wants a copy has one? Investment advisors say
that in a down economy, hard goods suffer most (as opposed to more liquid
investments like stocks and bonds). Is that it?--are people spending so
much on gas now (or just out of work) that they don't have money left
over for hobbies? I dunno.... But eBay ain't anything like what it used
to be from my point of view.

73, Don Merz, N3RHT


. 
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-glowbugs at piobaire.mines.uidaho.edu
[mailto:owner-glowbugs at piobaire.mines.uidaho.edu]On Behalf Of Peter A
Markavage
Sent: Tuesday, April 26, 2005 7:12 PM
To: glowbugs at piobaire.mines.uidaho.edu
Cc: BOATANCHORS at LISTSERV.TEMPE.GOV
Subject: Re: GB> Hallicrafters going begging....


$10K was the highest I saw for the SX-88. But probably "more rare" is a
Hallicrafters S-35.

Pete, wa2cwa

On Tue, 26 Apr 2005 18:51:20 EDT N2EY at aol.com writes:
In a message dated 4/26/05 6:29:56 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
bcarling at cfl.rr.com writes:



Amusing or tragic? Sad but it looks like no one wants this old 
Hallicrafters  : - ))

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5769643015&fromMakeTra
ck=true

This is proof that at least 13 guys out there have more loose change 
than common sense.
Or they have that radio collecting SYNDROME that was recently described, 
LOL!






??

I don't get it.

Sure, it's not the nicest SX-88 I've ever seen on that auction place
whose name must not be mentioned. And the untested thing would scare me
off.

But the SX-88 is perhaps the rarest Hallicrafters, and the prices show
it. The highest price I saw paid for one was $6000+, and I know that's
not the top of the heap by any means.

Besides, it's a bargain compared to the $5100 paid for an unbuilt sealed
1956 Heath AT-1....

73 de Jim, N2EY 

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