Stuff

[Lewis c Emerson]

Guys and gals,

As I'm new to this list and am computer illiterate I may be doing the
wrong thing by sending to this address, but...

I'm an older guy who's been into ham radio for more years than most of
you can count as your age.  Anyway, at the behest of my XYL and a
daughter I'm being forced to "downsize", meaning clean out the basement
and get rid of all this "radio junk".  This is really putting a big hurt
on me as it's been a very big part of my life for almost 70 years. 
Anyway, I need some advice and hence this note....

I, obviously, have a ton of equipment and ham radio gear, and to boot,
was big time into building my own stuff.  When I was brand new to this
wonderful game, back in the 1930s, I started building my own equipment -
everyone back then used a commercial receiver, but built their
transmitters.  I was into that game too, and, in fact, have my original
receiver purchase, a Hallicrafters Sky Buddy (their S-19R) which I still
have and which, believe it or not, still works. I bought it with my paper
route money for $29.44 including shipping.  I had many delightful CW QSOs
with it and a crystal-controlled 6L6 one-tube x'mitter.

Anyway - here's my dilemma  - is e-Bay the way to go or, as I see on this
list, advertising here?  E-Bay does present a problem as their asking
prices vary all over the map.  As just one example, I have a brand new,
but 40-year+ old, Eddystone 898 great slide rule dial that I bought when
I had aspirations of building Ted Crosby's HBR receiver - but just never
got around to doing it.  When I mentioned this on another list asking
what it was worth these days, I had two replies.  One guy said he sold
one on e-Bay for $130, and another guy said he bought one, also on e-Bay,
for $10!  If you inflate my buying price to 2006 dollars it comes to well
over $100.

An estate ham guy came by recently and offered my a flat $1000 for
everything I have.  But another ham buddy told me to look at e-Bay prices
and I was absolutely amazed to see that a UHF rig, one that I have, went
$710 and another mobile HF rig, that I also have, went for $435.  This
guy was gonna "clean up" with resales - and that's only scratching the
surface of what I have.

Have any of you guys and gals out there had any experience in disposing
of tons of "stuff" - UHF rigs, HF rigs, satellite gear, 300 tubes,
thousands of resistors and capacitors, transformers, chokes, panel
meters, switches, sockets, coil forms, hookup wire, test equipment - like
Simpson and Triplett VOMs, Tektronix scope, VTVMs, ICs, LEDs,
transistors, etc. etc.

Hamfests are few and far between in my area, so that's not a good option
- and besides who builds things now?

Looking for answers.

73,

Doc, W4ITJ 

-----------------------------------------------------------
This list is a public service of the City of Tempe, Arizona
-----------------------------------------------------------

Subscription control - http://www.tempe.gov/lists/control.asp?list=BOATANCHORS
To post - BOATANCHORS at LISTSERV.TEMPE.GOV
Archives - http://listserv.tempe.gov/archives/BOATANCHORS.html