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This article is from the Antique Radios And Phonographs FAQ, by Hank van Cleef vancleef@netcom with numerous contributions by others.

39 Correlation between price and value?

Well, if a low-tech radio is worth hundreds of dollars because of its
case, and a high-end console with tremendous sensitivity and a
powerful amplifier with good fidelity is worth a lot less, what's the
correlation between price and value?

There isn't any. Some radios, such as the Atwater Kent TRF sets and
the RCA catacombs superhets are valuable because they are relatively
rare today, and represent technological history. An old communications
receiver, such as the Hallicrafters SX42, which was also sold as a home
entertainment radio, has much more value to a ham than an old Magnavox
radio-phono, so has value because of its technology. Novelty items,
particularly if they are rare, seem to be high-ticket "collectibles" in
any area. So you see dollar values attached to radios with reading
lights built in, radios with cameras in them, catalin cases, the Sparton
blue mirror sets, incredibly small portables, etc.

 

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