Buying old components

[Retired]

Hi,

Thanks for bringing this up Rob.

I want to dispose of a lot of my radio collection as they are taking over so as a start I posted a PYE P76F onto two forums including this one with an asking price of £25 which I thought fair as the set cost more than this to me.

I didn't sell it so I then listed it on eBay with a starting price of 99p and again it didn't sell.

The set was in excellent working order and although the cabinet had been flatted by the previous owner and it had 9 woodworm holes down one side it would have made a great first restoration for someone.

After paying quite a bit for it a lot of years ago I thought if I posted it as free of charge then I would have had a queue wanting it. I make no excuses for breaking it and today I've listed a number of removed parts on eBay as a small package and it has already attracted the opening bid of 99p. I have given the loud speaker away to a friend who is most welcome to it.

Am I to blame for breaking the set or is our hobby so deep in depression that no one wants to buy such a lovely set even for 99p?

I've also listed a McMichael 372 which is quite a rare set and after six days it has still only attracted a 99p bid. I honestly feel like hiring a skip and throwing the lot in wondering why the heck I bother.

Sorry if I sound negative or even bitter but quite a while ago I offered free of charge an intercom stating it must be collected from my home address. To cut a long story short I ended up posting it and because I hadn't a cardboard box to fit I made a wooden box and paid £9 postage out of my own pocket thinking I was helping a fellow forum member out. A few days later I received a complaint from the new owner saying that the drive belts had turned mushy and messed the works up a bit.

I also had trouble when I helped out under a forum courier service; I offered to take a radio to Golborne as long as the radio was brought to my home. I ended up driving to the far side of Huddersfield to collect it thinking perhaps the person who had it didn't drive. When I arrived there was a car parked on the pavement outside the house; the guy was kitted out in cycle racing gear and he let his female partner heave the set out of the attic whilst he chatted to me in the kitchen. To really rub it in the guy worked at Dewsbury and must travel past the end of our street to get to work. I did deliver the radio to Golborne and heard nothing else about it,

I enjoy helping people out but I don't enjoy being had for a total fool. It's less hassle to take stuff to our local tip. I've received a lot of kindness and generosity over the years from forum members and wanted to help others by way of thanks; I don't mind putting myself out for genuine people but unfortunately a small number spoil everything.

Am I alone in feeling this way?

Kind regards, Col.