Value of an SX-88

[N1ESE]

I just saw someone post an SX-88 for $4500 on QTH.  Is this even remotely accurate?  I thought it might be a typo but some of his other prices on other gear sound a bit high as well so maybe he thinks he can get that much.

[N1ESE]

Hmm, someone else is selling one for $6950.  Why are these rigs so much $$?

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Check this link although it hasn't been updated recently:
http://www.aade.com/hampedia/prices.htm#pricelist
Click on the manufacturer of interest.

Sellers perceive a value because rare, highly sought after (for whatever reason), refurbished to perform like "new", paid a bundle for it to start with, etc.

Bidders perceive all of the above, plus brag rights, needed for collection, insane, ignorance, etc.

Ebay allows you to "get down and funky" with your money

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

Pete is 'on the money' with his comments. In the end, value isn't something determined by previous sales but how important it is to you, how badly you want it, 'need' it, and so on.

If you approached probably 99% of the population, showed them anything from a nice, old Collins transmitter to a SX-88 to anything else along those lines, then told them you paid $100 or more for it, they'd likely look at you and say 'Why pay so much for an old toaster oven? Just buy a new one!'.

[KL7OF]

rock stars pay 10 grand for sx-88s

[W1UJR]

1UJR Official Radio Price Guide:
Anything made after 1930 is worth less than $1000.
Anything made after 1949 is worth less than $500...unless it has black crinkle paint and green phosphor glow. 
Anything made in Japan is worth exactly 1/2 of what you paid 12 months later.

Radios are like women, they are made to be enjoyed, the pretty ones tend to be costly, and its most unlikely you'll experience a return on your "investment".
Sure that someone can add to this...


In the immortal words of my mentor..."Price is what you pay. Value is what you get." - Warren Buffett

[Opcom]

I've usually gone by the figure of $50-100/lb, depending on working order and cleanliness.

[WQ9E]

If the SX-88 in question hasn't already been restored, it is going to have around 50 wax paper caps in need of replacement and probably quite a few far out of tolerance resistors will also need replacing if a user wants it to perform as originally designed.  It isn't an easy receiver to work on as getting to the 2'nd converter sub-chassis requires removing 10 wires and 2 coaxial cables and many of these are connected in the very difficult to access selectivity switch area and the second converter is loaded with black beauty caps.  Any careless handling of the receiver when out of its case can easily result in damage to the unique very high Q 50 Kc. IF transformers.  So hopefully those people paying the price are capable of giving it the restoration treatment it deserves or can afford for someone else to do it for them. 

The SX-88 commands a high price because it is fairly unique and scarce.  In most cases the SX-115 (and 117) will outperform it but by the same logic most of the modern "midget" radios easily outperform the SX-115 and at a lower price.  I have a Collins S line, 51S-1, and KWM-2 but if I used any of my vintage gear in a current contest it would be my Drake C line which sells for a whole lot less than the stuff from Iowa.  Most consumer pricing has a very large irrational component; this is a major reason early marketers split off from the economics discipline due to economic models of the time assuming rational human behavior.  So trying to logically explain the price of vintage gear is largely an exercise in futility.  I am very satisfied with the price I paid for my SX-88 but like any buyer I would be willing to pay less!   I recently picked up a nice looking and perfectly working Alpha 274 amp for $75 but that still doesn't compare to the person who bought the $20 SX-88 at a garage sale.   

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

Rodger, your examples of finding the Alpha, and the garage sale SX-88 are in the best traditions of the amateur community: resourcefulness. In recent years, most newcomers, limited by knowledge, disposable income or space factors have taken the same measured approach to finding, learning, and using classic gear: do what you can, run whatcha brung, make the best of it and move on. Asking questions and being out there to find the stuff makes all the difference.

The preferred method for some late arrivals has been the 'buy an instant collection' approach which, while certainly a viable alternative to obtaining gear, ignores the importance of time, knowledge, and experience gained through the years and decades of being a ham. Not unlike the 'multiple guess/answers provided' approach to testing. Convenience has a price tag in any situation. Often, you see these types peddling their amassed collections within a few years, when the 'see me!' part wears off. They move on to the next area perceived to bring them accolades, flog that for a bit, then become bored and move to something else. It becomes more about the attention than the radio, boat, car, and so on. This helps drive prices.

The esoteric nature of Collecting vs. Using presents a skewed view of values and, as you point out, applying logic to such things makes the Rettysnitch and Wouff Hong look like practical designs with purpose. The view of 'what it's worth to me' has always served me well, since the only investment involved is my time and interest. "Collect to use and enjoy" is about as close to being a collecter as I care to get, and keeps the monetary issues in perspective. Many who collected for investment purposes have taken a hit and will continue to, IMO. There's not a lot of interest for this stuff coming up in the ranks behind us. 

In the end, it's likely to come down to what it was about all along: enjoyment. Enjoyment of finding, enjoyment of restoring and operating, or maybe enjoyment of the chest-thumping bragging rights. The latter, of course, is the most difficult to fulfill. It relies on the approval of others, and assumes that someone really cares.

[WQ9E]

Thank you Todd and you are right about the "instant collection, just add money group".  These types do tend to go from hobby to hobby and generally quickly lose interest and they seem to be in all areas.

  I was recently at an event for my 4 year old daughter and was taking some photos using my Canon 1DM2 (digital SLR) using a Canon 70-210 F2.8 lens.  One of the other parents also had a 1 series Canon and wanted to know more about the lens I was using because he "didn't have that one yet".  He was surprised at some of the photos I had taken and wanted to know how I got the lighting correct and with a little more conversation I learned he had purchased the camera and half a dozen lenses last year but he shot everything using the fully automatic mode of the camera and had no idea how to control the various metering, exposure, and focusing functions.  One of the main selling points of the 1DM2 series is its ability to shoot bursts at greater than 8 frames per second but he had never discovered this feature.  He would have been much better off with a cheap "point and shoot" because the Canon 1 series is set up assuming some knowledge on the part of the user and it not one of the easiest DSLR cameras to master.

Instead of vintage gear repair this morning, I woke up to find half of one of my hackberry trees lying across the roadway so I spent 3 hours this morning removing about half of the mess so the road and drainage ditch are now clear and I will cut up the rest this afternoon and drag it away with the tractor.  I much prefer the soldering iron to the chainsaw!

Rodger WQ9E

[N1ESE]

"instant collection, just add money group"

Probably the guy I just saw spend $426.84 on a FBXA I was watching.  Glad I was patient because I ended up with a much nicer SW-3 instead for much less than half of that.

I never had any interest in buying an SX-88.  Just can't see spending that kind of money or anything I guess.  $5000 to $7000 on any one radio is just nuts.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

I never had any interest in buying an SX-88.  Just can't see spending that kind of money or anything I guess.  $5000 to $7000 on any one radio is just nuts.

Some people buy a Lexus and others buy a Kia. If you desire the rig, whether it's $5K, $7K, or even $11K, and you can afford the expense, go for it. "Nuts" is the one that can afford the expense, but, chooses to stash his money in a sock.

[N3DRB The Derb]

thats why I wound up building my homebrew rig years ago. I couldnt afford vintage gear anymore. It cost me 2 year of finding late 30's parts at festers and round 4 weeks of actually building. I spent around $150 bucks on it.