[Heath] Determining Asking Prices

Fri Nov 15 16:51:45 EST 2013

I think what has really screwed up the market are two things, both at each
end of the spectrum;

1) "I got this off an estate, it looks really good but I don't have a power
cord to light it up. My father had it and I was told it was working"
.(Especially funny with the SB or HW series who requires a HP23.)

2) Collectors who need or want nothing but pristine. Not realizing that
these effin' things were stopped being produced some 40+ years ago. You
know...the VFO is going to be slightly off and there IS a humming nosie at
first when you engage the noise blanker in a SB-104A. Live with it.

My advise is to put it out there, be honest and put a reasonable reserve on
it.

These are beautiful radios, a testimony to the time and have a lo of value
and to some people (like myself) hold a nostalgia value.

But you ain't gonna get rich off of old Heathkit junk. "Fugghedabboudit" as
they say far up North east.

Regards,
W1JKP

  _____  

From: Heath [mailto:heath-bounces at puck.nether.net] On Behalf Of Mike Bryce
Sent: Friday, November 15, 2013 12:45 PM
To: Gary H. Harmon, Jr.
Cc: Heathkit1; Heathkit3 LIST; Heathkit-Radios; Heathkit2
Subject: Re: [Heath] Determining Asking Prices

Guys, 

Price, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. If I'm the seller I want
to get a much of your money as I can, you being the buyer want to keep as
much of your money as possible. 

It then become value.

You don't have to be an old ham, or one that buys and trades all the time to
know what value is.

My options are there for setting and purchasing a piece of equipment.

Do I need an accessory to complete a collection? Is it a rare accessor or
piece of gear? Am I looking for or trying to sell a collector item?

My number one rule of thumb is this:

IS the seller asking a reasonable price?  What would I pay for it?

I don't expect anyone to sell an operating SB220 for $150 unless it was
seriously broke. But then again, I'm know that $995 is too much no matter
how many modes are done to it.

Ebay has put the screws to the used radio market. But they do serve as a
guide line for setting prices, both high and low. Take the average. 

I've spent way too much money on a rig from ebay, one that i would have
passed right by at a hamfest, yet drop the $$ for on ebay.

As mentioned in the other emails, condition, accessories, and manual.

Does it work?

 On eham.net someone had a complete UN-ASSEMBLED SB104 STATION (!) for
$9000. This included all the accessories and the matching amplifier.

Is that too much? I don't know. I know I wouldn't pay that much. So to me,
he has it overpriced.

((okay. just a thought. if you were to buy that stuff what would you do with
it? Assemble it or leave it in the cardboard boxes for twenty more years?))

Perhaps, my comments didn't help if someone wanted a 'how much for this or
how much for that.'

Is it a reasonable price and would I sell it for that much?

Mike Bryce, WB8VGE
 the heathkit shop
SunLight energy systems
J e e p
o|||||||o

On Nov 15, 2013, at 9:41 AM, Gary H. Harmon, Jr. <gharmon at idworld.net>
wrote:

I get a lot of inquiries regarding how to determine values of Heathkit items
to sell.  Of course, eBay COMPLETED AUCTIONS is one easy way assuming a
matching or similar item is available.  There used to be someone who kept a
running list based on eBay sales but I haven't seen or heard about that list
lately.  Yes, I realize that eBay can bring prices that are unreasonable.
What other mechanisms do we use to predict values?  I understand condition,
working condition, available manuals, location, shipping or not, quantity
purchased, etc., are all issues.
Any suggestions on how to best set values so the seller (especially estates
of SK HAMs) can receive a reasonable value of their items?
Thanks and 73,
Gary H. Harmon, Jr. - K5JWK
6003 Archwood
San Antonio, TX 78239-1504
210.657.1549h / 210.884.6926c/t

"Retirement means every day is a Saturday except Sunday"
http://www.grissomroadcoc.org <http://www.grissomroadcoc.org/> 
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