There are two schools of thought on boatanchors. I'm in the fix
it and use it school.

Me too. That doesn't mean I'll drill holes in an unmodified BA or make
irreversible changes, though.

There is another school of thought. These are like collectors of
antiques. You're not supposed to clean or restore a real
antique. The real fanatics prize the patina of age (dirt) on
furniture or whatever.

Radios owned by these folk are called "shelf queens". They are
not repaired except with original parts. Since you can't find a
70 year old capacitor that works, these radios don't work. They
sit on the shelf and are display-only.

Yep. Sad, really, because a lot of fix-it-and-use-it work can be done so the
radio still looks "vintage". For example, a lot of folks clean out the old
electrolytics, put modern ones inside the old can and seal it up so that unless
you look really closely you'll never know it was redone. Same for wax paper
caps.

I have another view of antique radios. I believe that the prices
are yet to be realized.

I saw a "catalin" table radio sell on eBay for over $20,000.
These are plastic AM table radios in weird colors. Apparently
collectors, whoever they are, are collecting these, for whatever
reason.

There's a major difference between fixing up something old in order to use it,
and collecting "real" antiques. The latter becomes more a matter of "art".

For example, look at how some old wines fetch incredible prices. In many cases,
the bottles will never be opened - and, in fact, the wine inside is probably
vinegar by now. What has happened is that it's no longer really about a
beverage - it's about the bottle as a collectible, which means its price has
nothing to do with its real worth.

Watch the Antique Roadshow. Weird, screwy stuff is priced at
incredible numbers. Ugly furniture, carvings, ceramics,
paintings, books, most things I'd say, "what would I do with
that?" Incredible numbers like $10,000, $25,000, $80,000.

That's because the experts know that someone out there will pay those prices.
In many cases, rarity alone is the driving force. There's also age, condition,
and somewhere in there is the actual craftsmanship.

One of my favorite AR stories is the one where two ladies (sisters) brought in
a nice table lamp with a Tiffany-type shade. They said a local antique dealer
had said it wasn't a genuine Tiffany (because the base was metal, not wood),
and was worth maybe $100.

The expert said it was indeed genuine, and was one of a very few made about
1904. Only about six examples were known to survive, and none were as good as
the two ladies'.

They had been using it as a table lamp in the living room, and it had Kmart
bulbs in it. Worked, too. They had brought it to the show in a cardboard box,
in the back of the minivan.

Expert priced it at about $120,000. Their *house* wasn't worth $120,000.


Then I look at my Signal/One CX7A, one of less that 1,000.
Incredible engineering, Nixie tubes.

I think that in the near future, boatanchor radios will be highly
prized collectables. It might not happen for 20 years, it might
be starting now.

I wouldn't count on it. Too far off the beaten path of the antique/collectible
world. Then again, a few years ago, somebody paid $5100 for an unbuilt AT-1
kit. That's not a typo - five thousand one hundred US dollars.

I hate to say it but the people who are preserving "shelf queens"
will probably see the highest valuations.

Sad but true. Anyhting not "original" will devalue. Whether it actually works
is immaterial.

I'm definitely not in that school.

Nor I.

About 15 years back I came across a partially-built HW-101 kit (the builder had
only done the VFO). Also an unbuilt HP-23. Like a dummy I bought the pair for
$150 and built them. I don't want to know what the unbuilt kit would be worth
today.

73 de Jim, N2EY

"Barry OGrady" wrote in message
...
New or used boatanchor? What sized boat?


Large boat! My largest anchor is an AN/FRR-59.






-Barry
========
"I see only with deep regret that God punishes so many of His children for
their numerous stupidities, for which only He Himself can be held
responsible;
in my opinion, only His nonexistence could excuse Him."
[A. Einstein (Letter to Edgar Meyer, Jan. 2, 1915)]

Web page: http://members.iinet.net.au/~barry.og
Atheist, radio scanner, LIPD information.

"Barry OGrady" wrote in message
...
New or used boatanchor? What sized boat?


Large boat! My largest anchor is an AN/FRR-59.






-Barry
========
"I see only with deep regret that God punishes so many of His children for
their numerous stupidities, for which only He Himself can be held
responsible;
in my opinion, only His nonexistence could excuse Him."
[A. Einstein (Letter to Edgar Meyer, Jan. 2, 1915)]

Web page: http://members.iinet.net.au/~barry.og
Atheist, radio scanner, LIPD information.

tomato gravy on top,
and bake at 325° for 30 - 45 minutes.



Umbilical Cordon Bleu

Nothing is so beautiful as the bond between mother and child,
so why not consume it?
Children or chicken breasts will work wonderfully also.

4 whole umbilical chords (or baby breasts, or chicken breasts)
4 thin slices of smoked ham, and Gruyere cheese
Flour
eggwash (milk and eggs)
seasoned bread crumbs
1 onion
minced
salt
pepper
butter
olive oil

Pound the breasts flat (parboil first if using umbilical
cords so they won?t be tough).
Place a slice of ham and cheese on each, along with some minced onion
then fold in half, trimming neatly.
Dredge in flour, eggwash, then seasoned breadcrumbs;
allow to sit for a few minutes.
Sauté in butter and olive oil until golden brown,
about 6 minutes on each side.



Shish Kababes

As old as the hills, this technique has employed seafood, beef, pork, lamb,
poultry, and vegetables; just about anything can be grilled, and young humans
are no exception!

High quality marinade (Teriyaki and garlic perhaps)
1 inch cubes of tender meat, preferably from the nursery
Onions
bell peppers
Wooden or metal skewers

Marinate the meat overnight.
Get the grill good and hot while placing meat, vegetables, and
fruit such as pineapples or cherries on the skewers.
Don?t be afraid to use a variety of meats.
Grill to medium rare,
serve with garlic cous-cous and sautéed asparagus.
Coffee and sherbet for desert then walnuts, cheese, and port.
Cigars for the gentlemen (and ladies if they so desire)!



Crock-Pot Crack Baby

When the quivering, hopelessly addicted crack baby succumbs to death,
get him immediately butchered and into the crock-pot, so that any
remaining toxins will not be fatal. But don?t cook it too long,
because like Blow

tomato gravy on top,
and bake at 325° for 30 - 45 minutes.



Umbilical Cordon Bleu

Nothing is so beautiful as the bond between mother and child,
so why not consume it?
Children or chicken breasts will work wonderfully also.

4 whole umbilical chords (or baby breasts, or chicken breasts)
4 thin slices of smoked ham, and Gruyere cheese
Flour
eggwash (milk and eggs)
seasoned bread crumbs
1 onion
minced
salt
pepper
butter
olive oil

Pound the breasts flat (parboil first if using umbilical
cords so they won?t be tough).
Place a slice of ham and cheese on each, along with some minced onion
then fold in half, trimming neatly.
Dredge in flour, eggwash, then seasoned breadcrumbs;
allow to sit for a few minutes.
Sauté in butter and olive oil until golden brown,
about 6 minutes on each side.



Shish Kababes

As old as the hills, this technique has employed seafood, beef, pork, lamb,
poultry, and vegetables; just about anything can be grilled, and young humans
are no exception!

High quality marinade (Teriyaki and garlic perhaps)
1 inch cubes of tender meat, preferably from the nursery
Onions
bell peppers
Wooden or metal skewers

Marinate the meat overnight.
Get the grill good and hot while placing meat, vegetables, and
fruit such as pineapples or cherries on the skewers.
Don?t be afraid to use a variety of meats.
Grill to medium rare,
serve with garlic cous-cous and sautéed asparagus.
Coffee and sherbet for desert then walnuts, cheese, and port.
Cigars for the gentlemen (and ladies if they so desire)!



Crock-Pot Crack Baby

When the quivering, hopelessly addicted crack baby succumbs to death,
get him immediately butchered and into the crock-pot, so that any
remaining toxins will not be fatal. But don?t cook it too long,
because like Blow

In article ,
Leonard Martin writes:

A big question looms: Most boatanchors are the past "wish" radios of
people now in their 60s - 80s. Those people are often sitting on a
lifetime of savings and know they will soon be leaving this earth. If
they are ever to have the super radio of their teen years they must buy
it now, no matter what the price!

I'm sure that's true in many cases. But I know of more than a few BA folks who
are young enough that BAs were old when they were in their teens, yet they are
avid collectors/users/restorers.

Unlike catalin radios, boatanchors are seldom pretty.

I disagree! Most of them are incredibly beautiful!

I wonder if
boatanchors will still be appreciated--and valued--once the old guys who
learned to appreciate them as youths are gone?

Some will appreciate them, but probably not to the extent that people will pay
big bucks for them.

73 de Jim, N2EY

On Fri, 7 Jan 2005 10:28:28 UTC, PAMNO (N2EY) wrote:

In article ,
Leonard Martin writes:

A big question looms: Most boatanchors are the past "wish" radios of
people now in their 60s - 80s. Those people are often sitting on a
lifetime of savings and know they will soon be leaving this earth. If
they are ever to have the super radio of their teen years they must buy
it now, no matter what the price!

I'm sure that's true in many cases. But I know of more than a few BA folks who
are young enough that BAs were old when they were in their teens, yet they are
avid collectors/users/restorers.

Then there's the 2nd and 3rd generation effect. "Gramps was always
so happy playing with his KWM-2A; mom sold it after he died; I sure
wish I had one like it now that I'm rich."


Unlike catalin radios, boatanchors are seldom pretty.

I disagree! Most of them are incredibly beautiful!

Catalins are beautiful in the same way that $6.89 injection
molded brick-a-brack at Ocean City and Miami beach stores are
beautiful.

An SX-62, R/390, HQ-180 are beautiful in the functional, industrial
design sense.

The difference is that a hundred million people were "impressed"
with the look of a cheap plastic item and a few hundred are bidding
the price up. "Hey, that looks like grammie's kitchen radio.
Remember those old days?"

Most folk have never seen an SX-62 so there are proportionaly fewer
who are bidding on them. "What's that thing? It looks expensive."

The Catalin's, frankly, are cheap junk. When they stopped
working, most were tossed and replaced by another cheap radio.

SX-62's and other boatanchors were clearly something special and
even non-working examples were kept on the off chance that it could
be fixed or that a "collector" would want it.

I've said this before. I saw a Catalin go for $20,000 on the Bay.
That's about what twenty Alpha 374's sell for.

Imagine your house. You can have that $20,000 Catalin in the living
room or you can have industrial shelving on one wall in your
basement with Alpha 374's, 5 high and 4 wide.

Do you like Collins? How about 4 perfect KWS-1's lined up?

30 years ago, I visited a DX/Contest station. The guy had 3
operating positions with S-lines and 4 Henry 2K's in a rack. You
could duplicate that or get a Catalin.

I wonder if
boatanchors will still be appreciated--and valued--once the old guys who
learned to appreciate them as youths are gone?

Some will appreciate them, but probably not to the extent that people will pay
big bucks for them.

73 de Jim, N2EY

N2EY ) writes:
In article ,
Leonard Martin writes:

A big question looms: Most boatanchors are the past "wish" radios of
people now in their 60s - 80s. Those people are often sitting on a
lifetime of savings and know they will soon be leaving this earth. If
they are ever to have the super radio of their teen years they must buy
it now, no matter what the price!

I'm sure that's true in many cases. But I know of more than a few BA folks who
are young enough that BAs were old when they were in their teens, yet they are
avid collectors/users/restorers.

And of course, as has been discussed, some of us came along when many of
the boatanchors were outright cheap, because they were AM and CW only, when
SSB had taken over. I had a bunch old equipment go through my hands in
the early seventies, because nobody wanted them. I'd play with them, and then
trade them.

It's only in more recent years that there's been an interest in such equipment
for collecting (well I imagine there have always been a few collectors), and
since we passed through the period when boatanchors really had only appeal as
cheap equipment, what remains is even more rare, thus demand is getting
greater than supply, raising prices.

MIchael VE2BVW

"Leonard Martin" wrote in message
...


A big question looms: Most boatanchors are the past "wish" radios of
people now in their 60s - 80s. Those people are often sitting on a
lifetime of savings and know they will soon be leaving this earth. If
they are ever to have the super radio of their teen years they must buy
it now, no matter what the price!

Yep. And let's not forget it's been a generation since AM radio has had
much programming aimed at teens.

Unlike catalin radios, boatanchors are seldom pretty. I wonder if
boatanchors will still be appreciated--and valued--once the old guys who
learned to appreciate them as youths are gone?

Leonard



Kids hardly know AM/SW radio exists. I think future generations will little
more interest in old radios than my generation has in old fedoras.

Frank Dresser

Tis in the forklift of the beholder

I.E., What the traffic will bear

--
Caveat Lector