"I'll TAKE MINE RARE"

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It seems like almost every radio from the 80's and backwards is "RARE" these days, if you believe everything you see on EBAY. But "RARE" has a definition which changes with time. For example:

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At one time, Stoner Pro40's were hard to find rigs, and then someone tacked a "RARE" to their description line. I forget how high the auction went, but believe me, the final price reached nose bleed status. But then the animal we know as greed struck those who had silently observed the auction, and some realized "Hey, my Uncle Charlie (ed.- no relation) has one of them thar radios in his closet". Soon after, what was rare, had now become common.

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I've seen it happen with all sorts of "RARE" rigs, and I'm sure you have too. Of course the cycle changes, much like alternating current or sunspot cycles, and now Pro40's don't show up very much (if at all). The problem with the tag is for those who aren't so well informed as to what is really rare, and these buyers tend to assume that the seller is an expert, thus if they say it's rare, so it must be. After all, we all know how "RARE" the 50th Anniversary edition EFJ 250 is right?? Whoever the winner of the auction is, I'm sure that they are bursting with pride when they snag that rare beast, but I really feel for 'em when the same rig sells for a song a week or two later.......

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So if you're one of those buyers I've just mentioned, and maybe you're just starting your collection, take the sellers description with a grain of salt. And if you're really serious about buying older CB's, then I suggest you subscribe to Andale.com (I think it's about $6 a month for the basic service). Andale has a decent research engine which allows you to go back six months or so of EBAY auctions and see how many of the rig you're looking for were for sale, and what the average price was. I've been using their research service for years and highly recommend it.

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Woody

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