Unbuilt Kits

[Sandy Blaize]

>         Hi Sandy
>         I disagree. I have a friend in the area who has quite a number of
> unbuilt kits, many of them Heath. His goal is to preserve for future
> generations,
> perhaps the only examples of "the way things were".....what it felt like
to
> open
> a heath box, and see all those little bags of components....all the metal
> stampings
> neatly packed in and around the other parts. What exactly the Heath and
kit
> building experience was like from the beginning.
>         I dont think he gives a hoot about the investment potential...
but I
> sure do appreciate him keeping the time capsules.
>         As for the parts turning to dust, there's no way that parts
sitting
> unused in a box are going to deteriorate any faster or slower than parts
> sitting soldered together in a cabinet (with the possible exception of
> Al.Electrolytics). It'll all turn to dust eventually, but not before I
do.
>
>         I'm grateful that someone has the ability and interest to keep
certain
> things JUST the way they were, so that years later, others will be able
to
> see JUST the way these things came to life....
>
>         73 to all
>         John


        I can see his point in keeping ONE kit as a "time capsule" as you state,
but
SEVERAL kits!?  This doesn't make sense.  One can grasp the concept Heatkit
had
in mind from something like a VTVM or signal generator kit "unbuilt".
What's the
need or purpose for keeping a whole stable of them?  I would think if
someone wanted
to start a Heathkit "museum", one kit unbuilt in the display would be quite
adequate.
It would make more sense to BUILD the kits and present them assembled in
like
new pristine condition!  If this isn't the case with your friend, then it's
a fetish of some
sort.
        Most people who hoarde unbuilt kits with no intention of building them, do
it
for one and only one reason: the make a possible killing on their
investment.  There
is always some geek who has more money than sense that will shell out some
outrageous sum to get something "rare and different".  That what most of
the
unbuilt collectors are about, IMHO.

        73,
Sandy

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