Will the 'trend' spread to here?

[Retired]

Hi,

Thanks for this interesting thread Gary.

Possibly the vintage radio prices are rising in the states but for the more common sets here in the UK I find the market to be virtually dead; I recently sold 23 sets for around £300 and thought I had done well considering many vintage radios are being flogged off at meetings such as Golborne for £1 each.

A while ago I put a nice PYE set on eBay starting at 99p and it didn't attract a bid but when I broke it up the spares on eBay went for around £8.

I've given things away and regretted this after being messed around so much; I sold a PCR receiver through eBay a few months ago and was totally ignored by the buyer for over a week ending up reporting him to eBay whilst the buyer was posting daily on a forum; had his explanation been valid I would have happily accepted it but to say he had poor computer access hence his slow response didn't cut it with me because I was watching his posts on the forum each day; I cancelled the sale and this has been the only time I've ever left a black mark against a buyer on eBay and it could have been so easily avoided; The PCR complete with its original PSU had sold for peanuts to add insult to injury.

I've had 12 very happy years restoring vintage radios and a single TV and met many top class people also made good friends through forums. I never did this intending to make money because had I done so I would now be bankrupt but like so many others enjoyed the hobby as a hobby. I do however find it sad when lots of modern throw away items cost so much more than these lovely old radios. I could say our radio gang is tight fisted but this would be untrue because of the amount of generosity I've received over the years not only with components but with masses of free information which I have always very much appreciated and try to respond in kind.

I still retain a number of my restored sets and won't part with them; they are not the top of the range types but just nice to have with some on display in our front room. I would encourage anyone to have a go at restoring a vintage radio because it is such a fulfilling hobby covering lots of skills; my passion was for restoring "woody" cabinets and the rougher the cabinet the deeper the satisfaction once restored.

I'm sure as more and more vintage radios end up in landfill the remainder will possibly become more valuable but at the moment I find vintage radios to be grossly undervalued and can only hope this will change.

I confess I feel a bit of an outsider now in not restoring vintage radios but fortunately I'm still able to add a bit of input to GF with my assorted non radio related stories and restorations. GF has a thriving lathe section with more members buying lathes.

Whether radios or lathes the main thing is to enjoy what we are doing and at the moment restoring both vintage radios and lathes is a very affordable hobby and much better than dropping dead in retirement as so many unfortunately do through boredom.

I wonder if the monsoon has eased to allow me into the garage without yet another soaking?

Kind regards, Col.