UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum - View Single Post - Very interesting auction of communications equipment

Techman · 22nd Jan 2020, 3:09 am

I popped into one of the auction houses on the outskirts of the local city today (well yesterday now) to have a look round - the sale is tomorrow (well today now). The only item that I might have been interested in was a rather nice Hacker record player, all complete with both single play and autochange record spindles. Unfortunately, it's been plonked together with one of those large and bulky electric reclining armchairs, so it's unlikely that I'm going to bother to go, as I don't want to be lumbered with the armchair. I'm finding this sort of thing more and more with this saleroom and am struggling to buy anything radio related. The other month there was a Bush VHF61 lumped together with a whole host of unrelated stuff. The bidders were obviously bidding for some of the other 'desirable' items in the lot, whereas I was only interested in the radio. The price for the lot went right up and I suspect that whoever bought the lot dumped the radio in the nearest bin when they got outside. That was in the 'clutter' room, whereas in the (normally) 'expensive' room with internet bidding and lots are often sold as single items, there was one of those big all singing, all dancing Telefunken Concertino radios with VHF/FM from the mid to late 50s, which looked unused for decades, but basically complete. It was a high lot number which would have come up late in the afternoon or even early evening and I've had enough by just before the end of the 'clutter' sale that finishes just after dinner, so I usually go home at that time, which I did. I later checked up to see how much that radio went for and was horrified that it only made a fiver, which is the lowest bid accepted in that room (wish I'd hung around). I am registered to bid 'on-line' with them, but have never used the facility, and you can only use it to bid on items listed in that room anyway. Interestingly, at the same sale in the same room, a Philco 444, complete, but with no back, I think made forty quid.

The thing is, I really don't need anymore record players or radios and I really should be getting rid of some rather than buying more - well, that's the plan!

22nd Jan 2020, 3:09 am	#32
Techman Dekatron Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Lincolnshire, UK. Posts: 5,000	Re: Very interesting auction of communications equipment I popped into one of the auction houses on the outskirts of the local city today (well yesterday now) to have a look round - the sale is tomorrow (well today now). The only item that I might have been interested in was a rather nice Hacker record player, all complete with both single play and autochange record spindles. Unfortunately, it's been plonked together with one of those large and bulky electric reclining armchairs, so it's unlikely that I'm going to bother to go, as I don't want to be lumbered with the armchair. I'm finding this sort of thing more and more with this saleroom and am struggling to buy anything radio related. The other month there was a Bush VHF61 lumped together with a whole host of unrelated stuff. The bidders were obviously bidding for some of the other 'desirable' items in the lot, whereas I was only interested in the radio. The price for the lot went right up and I suspect that whoever bought the lot dumped the radio in the nearest bin when they got outside. That was in the 'clutter' room, whereas in the (normally) 'expensive' room with internet bidding and lots are often sold as single items, there was one of those big all singing, all dancing Telefunken Concertino radios with VHF/FM from the mid to late 50s, which looked unused for decades, but basically complete. It was a high lot number which would have come up late in the afternoon or even early evening and I've had enough by just before the end of the 'clutter' sale that finishes just after dinner, so I usually go home at that time, which I did. I later checked up to see how much that radio went for and was horrified that it only made a fiver, which is the lowest bid accepted in that room (wish I'd hung around). I am registered to bid 'on-line' with them, but have never used the facility, and you can only use it to bid on items listed in that room anyway. Interestingly, at the same sale in the same room, a Philco 444, complete, but with no back, I think made forty quid. The thing is, I really don't need anymore record players or radios and I really should be getting rid of some rather than buying more - well, that's the plan!