The Mississippi Historical Radio and Broadcasting Society
News Letter
Our regular monthly meeting was held June 13th, 1993 at the usual place and time. Business discussed included increasing the number of memberships, the number of people making the monthly meetings and the feasibility of a fall show (including sales, etc.). It was noted that virtually all of the expired memberships have now been renewed, so our overall membership is still climbing. As far as recruiting new members, it was pointed out that we aren't doing any advertising / public relations stuff right now. Everyone was asked to think about it -- and bring ideas to our next meeting. Also, though there seems to be a lot of interest in a fall show, volunteers are few and far between. Shows are a LOT of work -- if it's going to happen more people need to get involved!
Our next regular meeting will be Sunday, July 11th - 3PM at 2412 C St. Meridian. Hope to see everyone then!
Summer has many many fine and very large shows -- the next two months have some huge shows. Be sure and check out the listings later on and attend if you can!
Radio Collecting Today
This month's installment covers a subject that is both familiar and of great concern to the collector community:
The Ethics of Collecting
Like most collecting hobbies; radio collectors are faced with several issues when pursuing that next radio. Like most problems, this boils down to one common denominator: Money. What is right and wrong is usually more gray than black and white. Here then are four scenarios and a discussion of the collectors responsibilities in each.
First case: level playing field: Two collectors, buying and selling to each other.
Responsibilities: Since they are both collectors, each may assume the other knows what they are doing. The seller should be honest about what he knows about the radio. Each has a responsibility to make a bargain to both's satisfaction. Pressing too hard (either way) makes for hurt feelings: and that doesn't promote cooperation or fellowship.
Second case: Caveat Emptor ("Buyer Beware"): Yard sales and Flea Markets. Typical situation: A collector is out on a weekend hitting yard sales and the local flea market when he spots a "Walton's" Zenith tombstone marked $5.
Responsibilities: To each his own. The owner has placed the radio for sale and priced it. Since this is the sellers offer, the collector has no obligation to them whatsoever. Common sense dictates that if you are going to sell something, you should check the value of any old or possibly collectable item. If the seller fails to do that -- it is their own fault if they cheat themselves. The collector is just another buyer. The collector should also respect the Yard Sale / Flea market situation and expect nothing beyond what they see for their self.
Third case: the collector as an inside trader. This time a collector is visiting someone's home and spots a FADA Bullet in a corner. His ambition is, of course, to leave with said radio tucked under his arm. Where the problem arises is that the owner may or may not have any clue as to the true value of that radio.
Responsibilities: The collector bears ALL of the responsibility of full disclosure of the radio's value. The owner has not offered the radio for sale, and therefore not likely to have researched the value. The collector KNOWS the value -- I.E. he has information that the owner does not have. While it is true no one wants to pay more for a radio than they have to, if a collector is going to pursue a radio under these or similar circumstances they MUST bear the responsibility of being fair and honest. A cop-out that I often here goes something like this:
Collector: "Say- that's an interesting radio you have there: might you be interested in selling it?
Owner: "Gee, I don't know. I've had that thing a long time -- doesn't work any more, but it reminds me of a lot of memories. What do you think it's worth?"
Collector: "I don't like to put a value on someone else's property. What do you think it's worth?"
Owner: "Gosh, I don't have any idea what it's worth..."
Collector: "Well what would you take?"
And so on...
Several things are wrong here. First is the fact that the collector refused to share his/her knowledge of the value of the radio -- in spite of the fact that the owner asked. Second, the collector has tried to put the onus on the owner by trying to get them to place a value on the radio. Then the collector could say they paid the owners asking price -- no matter how ridiculously low. Third the collector is pressuring the owner pretty hard for a price and a deal right now: not wishing to allow the owner time to discover the true value of the radio. Making a profit based on inside information (known as insider trading) in the securities market can land you in jail. Doing it to little old lady over a $100 (or $1000) radio won't get you put in jail -- but it's just as wrong.
Even if the agreed upon price turns out to be reasonably close to the true value of the radio, obtaining a radio under circumstances such as these is just plain wrong.
Fourth case: the collector as an expert: and in the community view, some sort of "public official" radio person.
Besides being a collector an individual may hold a position that could be abused. This is an area where I have to be very careful. As the president of this club, I am often approached by various people wanting information, wanting to sell radios, etc.
Responsibilities: The collector is being trusted as an expert. Trust is the key word here. Most of us who collect as a hobby usually have more than one interest in mind: We want to add to our collections, of course, but most of us want to educate the public about saving radios, broadcast and related items from the trash. This means that most of us wear "many hats" -- Collector, club officer, "local expert" in such and such a field or specialty -- etc. These other "hats" imply a position of trust to the public -- one that we must be careful not to betray.
The Mississippi Historical Radio and Broadcasting Society Newsletter is published monthly by:
The Mississippi Historical Radio and Broadcasting Society
2412 C Street
Meridian, MS 39301
601 693-5958
© 1993, The Mississippi Historical Radio and Broadcasting Society.
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