Stuff

[John Dilks K2TQN]

At 07:24 PM 4/15/2006, you wrote:
 >Unfortunately, there are a number of amateur radio
 >operators who prey on widows and the elderly.  They
 >come in and "offer" to take all that "old junk" off of
 >their hands for a paltry sum.  Then, within just a few
 >days all of that equipment is up for sale or on eBay
 >for MANY times what was paid for the equipment.

Hi Glen,

I know, and this is the down side.  But, what is a 80 year old to 
do?  Most of them shouldn't be lifting.  Most of them can't take 
stress.  And re sellers want to buy low and sell high.  I'm not 
saying it's OK to steal it, far from it, but on the plus side, these 
guys will give him something and they take it away.  They just need 
to shop around and find an honest one.  Two or three offers should 
put it into perspective, who's the best to deal with.

These re sellers won't (can't) give the family what it's worth - if 
it's for resale.

I have sold (a few) entire estates without getting a nickle, for some 
friends.  It was a lot of work and many weekends away from the 
family.  I have bought a couple estates, at mostly fair prices, and 
sold off cheap what I didn't want.  I made a mistake on one, a bad 
one, where the family brought several non functioning radios from the 
cellar, cleaned them up and had them set up in his active station - 
and told me they were all working.  They weren't.  The SK ham was my 
friend.  His widow was not part of the ruse.  She was 80-ish.  I kept quiet.

So it swings both ways.

I've gone to look at stuff for sale, where a well intentioned friend 
told the party what the ebay prices were.  From that minute on, 
that's what they wanted for it.  They can't guarantee anything to be 
working because the family really doesn't know anything about 
it.  I've walked away from a couple of deals like this.

Most of us don't want to pay top dollar for anything.  Now I've 
learned, I go and look at it - and then, it's what it's worth to me 
at that moment.  If the seller doesn't want to sell it, OK.  If they 
do, I thank them.

Now that I'm having trouble lifting, and finding room for stuff back 
here at home, I've slowed down.  I keep saying I'll only bring home 
what I don't have, or something if it's rare.  And then today .... I 
brought home a TR-4 (what I went for) and while there I filled the 
back of my SUV with everything under the sun - because it was headed 
for the dump.  When I wasn't looking the guy even threw in a CB set 
on me.  I'm hopeless.   (it's still in the SUV, sitting in the 
yard.  Tomorrow, I'll stash it away.)

When it's my turn (or my families turn) to get rid of my stuff, I 
fear there won't be anybody collecting anymore - things are slowing 
down now.  Then it won't much matter.  The few real good things I 
have, they know what they're worth.  The rest - move it out.  I did 
tell them to try not to dump it - rather to find a home for it.  Let 
someone else suffer a while with (my) too much stuff.  :-)

73, John

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