Saturday, August 13, 2011

When you think you've seen everything

then you just haven't been to eBay, lately!

I always keep an eye on a saves search for "QRP" items.  There is something in particular that I am interested in and was going to "Buy It Now".  Unfortunately, I hesitated for too long, and said item didn't go as a "Buy It Now" and is involved in a bidding war for more than it's probably worth - (definitely more than the "Buy It Now" price).  Bully to the seller!  "What the market will bear". Right?

What caught my eye though, is someone has up for sale an advertising flyer for the Yaesu FT-817ND for $9.95 (free shipping!).  Man, you have to be SERIOUSLY in love with a radio to pay $9.95 for a sales brochure that can  probably had for free at a bigger hamfest or HRO or AES for that matter.

I wouldn't pay that; but in a way, I can see a kind of logic behind it. The FT-817ND is a wildly popular QRP radio that has a "following".  Maybe the seller of the brochure is counting on the FT-817ND gaining "classic" status someday.  Who knows?  If he's betting correctly, then items like that brochure may be worth something 25 to 30 years from now, ala` Heathkit catalogs and such.

I'd rather put the 10 bucks towards a kit - but that's just me.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

1 comment:

  1. Much craziness on eBay for sure. It is difficult to shop for ham gear there, but easier than most forums. At least on eBay you can usually get a good look at the item, but most of the time the seller knows squat about the item so it's a real crap shoot. I, too, keep a QRP saved search even though I'm not sure what I'm looking for, hi. Sort of like art, I'll know it when I see it!!

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