Collins receivers are $600 and higher in price lately. What happened to the 75A-3 and similar era Collins receivers that were sold in the $350 range not that long ago? Also notice the dual conversion ham receivers from Hammarlund, Hallicrafters and National are in the $300 to $450 range now.

I wonder if more and more people are considering alternative modes of communication?

Collins receivers prices have been high for the last 5 years--at least since I started collecting. The prices rise and fall and if you want a good deal, often it is a matter patience. All tube radios are higher priced these days. I bought many of my radios for under $100, but lately the same radios are $250 or more. The 75A3 I bought in 2015 was $300 and I drove to Las Vegas to pick it up. While there, I had some extra cash and was able to buy the matching speaker for $100. The radio came without a case which I had to buy later for another $100 plus shipping and then have it stripped and powder coated. That meant the $300 A3 ended up costing quite a bit more.

Norm

I haven't been following the A line prices lately, but it would be interesting to know where these sets are going.
They still perform very well when they are gone through, and as long as things don't go totally digital, they are more than collectibles. New radios cannot be repaired by most people. You have to have specific knowledge and experience working with them or it's an exercise in futility. I've heard that after a few years, the parts for the newer radios become unavailable. Parts for the Collins sets are out there and can be found. And the easy parts like resistors and capacitors are just an order away. So there is a practical aspect of owning these Collins sets.

I have long admired the A-line Collins products. I like the look and design of the front panel and controls, and the way they built them. It took a couple of years to get the sets I have. I never had to pay $600.00 for any one of them with the exception of the KWS-1 and 75A-4, which I bought as a set, and for a lot more than that.

This will be an interesting post to follow to get input on the current market pricing.

A couple of years ago at a local fest I was drawn to a nearby table where a gent had a really nice clean 75A4 asking 600$ for it. Not the usual 1k and more. I looked it over carefully and it was basically perfect without paint loss damage or oxidation or corrosion or any visible mod. I waffled on it because they are big heavy and demand a big footprint, in practical terms. I wish I had but still I don't think I have any room anywhere.

Top end receivers are by definition in limited supply. Almost anyone could buy an S-38, and very few could buy an R390 new. Which means many decades later, one can still be had "cheap", while the other is still in demand.

All the teenage hams in the 60's or so drooled over Collins. I was no exception. Now many of us can afford to buy the dreams of our youth and have done so capturing the available market. Many went to Japan in the 1980's. The younger 30 something hams in my club have no interest whatsoever in Collins or any other tube gear. I suspect as we die off (I was a teenager in the 60's) demand will drop and Collins will go cheap at estate sales and other brands will go for less in proportion. Collins were always high end so current prices are still in he same relative relationship.
Dave

There are also folks after communications equipment resistant to electromagnetic pulse damage, steering away from solid state equipment.

My 1st R-390A was $530.00 including shipping and needed extensive repairs.
My 2nd R-390A was $450.00 including shipping and required extensive repair.
My R-388 was $360.00 including shipping and only required the main electrlytic cap and alignment
KWM-2A was $376.00 including shipping and has required extensive cleaning and I will align it when I get a power cord made.
The KWM-2A receives great but I need a better antenna connector set up for alignment. It came with the PM-2 power supply.
Physical appearance of the above I would put at very good after clean up.
All these radios were purchased on the bay.
I haved lusted after a KWM-2A since I was a teenager. I got the first one I felt I could afford when I was 69 years old.
You just have to be patient.

My R-390A was $125 at a hamfest back in 1981, and I couldn't get my wallet out fast enough; even back then, they were going for more. I snagged it just as it was being put out!

I don't have much Collins gear, but I got my 75A4 for $170 a few months ago. Patience is the key to finding deals.

Valiant is great too.

My AM Ham station being tested before final location on my radio bench. It seems to work well. Johnson Viking II and Collins 51J-4. I bought the Viking II for $200 and it has new tubes plus came with Dow Key relay. Collins was $500 and has 9.4, 6.0 and 3.1kHz filters.

Very true Mike.

I also notice that prices seem to rise as the winter approaches - people looking for indoor projects to occupy them during the cold months I suppose.

When I was a young ham back in the late 70's, I was surrounded by 6 other hams within about a mile or so radius. Each had a different taste in radios. One ham liked the Collins equipment and had complete S-lines and A4 equipment. I gravitated towards the S-line but could never afford one. Once I got the kids through college I started the hunt for a good S-line. Ended up putting together a complete S3-line setup including the 51S-1, 62S-1, KWM-2 w/312B-5, 30L-1 and 30S-1 (along with the S3B rx and S3 tx).

It took about 5 years of searching and I didn't pay more then $600 for any one item and that includes the 30S-1. Some worked fine and only required a quick alignment, others, like the 30S-1, required a complete overhaul. Believe it or not, I paid more for the 312B-5 then I did for the 30S-1!

I typically search ebay, QRZ, QTH, facebook market place and Craigslist. Got the 30S-1 at the end of a hamfest because the guy didn't want to load it back up and take it home. He was asking 1k I saw him trying to load it, said 500 and I'll take it off your hands and he said SOLD!

Lots of searching, some luck and being at the right place at the right time. It also helps to be able to repair these old radios so you can buy those non working units for a good price, put some time into them and get them working again.

Tom
W3TA

Hi Jim,

Nice looking VII, much better than mine, but inside mine is pretty nice looking. Are you going to use crystals or are you looking for a 122?




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Buy NO-OP stuff and make it "go".

Thats what I've done for most of MY EQUIPMENT over the years, both radios and test equipment.

The Collins bug hasn't bitten me very much, although I have the A4, a 32V1,and 32S-1 as well. I'm looking for a 75A1 and a 75S? to go with the two transmitters. I get those and I think that'll be enough Collins stuff for me. Collins made beautiful stuff, both for US GUV and commercial products, but I worked at Collins for several years so I guess the mystique just isn't there for me.

Having three and wanting two more seems like you've been bitten badly enough.

Because of the cost I'd never go out of my way to buy Collins. I'd take a 51J or R390, but because they are high end receivers, not because they are "Collins".

The first time I was on the air after getting my license, I used a KWM-2. Someone I knew had it, along with the 62S-1. He even had the suitcase, and the power supply that rode behind the rig.I think he had an external VFO.

But that was 1972, I think he bought it new. It was his station until he started buying solid state rigs from Japanese companies. He worked for RCA, and sometime in the sixties he'd worked in Saudi Arabia, so I always imagined he got a bonus and spent it on the rig, maybe even buying it on ashort trip home, hence the suitcase.

It's always interesting to realize how basic the KWM-2 or S-line is. Expensive and highly desired, but no bells and whistles. My TS-830 has more features, and of course a digital dial. But not Collins.

I resisted the "Collins mystique" for many years and my first Collins radio was a Collins produced R-390A I picked up at a hamfest. It had the covers, original meters and manual, and spare tube set and for $150 was a good deal. I have since added a S-3 line with 30S-1, a KWM-2 with 30L-1 and 312B-5, a 51S-1, and 651-S1 and some A line stuff. It works and is pretty but if it were the era when this was new and I had both the S line and the Drake C line, the C line would be my contest/DX station due to its performance edge.

I have had a lot of fun using my Eldico interpretation of the S line, sort of a reduced size Collins with Sears level quality

Some of the run-up in prices is I think a lot of people didn't get their summer hamfest buying fix due to cancelled hamfests and are now running the prices up on ebay. When things return to normal, the prices will probably drop a bit again.

Rodger WQ9E

Hmmm. I guess there's hope for my $300 R-388 I bought late last year..

John

My collins story.Years ago i got a R-388 for 350.00 was ok and worked .I went cleaned every thing on it even pulled the front panel off cleaned knobs ect up .Spent a week cleaning it checking tubes ect.Found a few weak tubes replaced the filter cap on it then did a IF alignment on it.Works very well now and i used for a while .Been trying to sell it the last 2 years at hamfests ect for $350.00 ,many people ask what it is,so i tell them.Have not sold it yet and i have noticed all collin gear i see at hamfests are priced high.Ebay collins prices are high.I did see last year a working R-390A for $150.00 that was rough but working.Have all ways wanted a KWM2A but they are priced to high for me!I have a Collins R-391 i use and prices for it are very high..Every Collins i have owned seems well built and seems to work good tho im not a fan of the PTOs...Was just at a hamfest here where a guy offered me $100.00 for my R-388 he wanted to use to display it..Angelo

[quote="Mikeinkcmo"]Hi Jim,

Nice looking VII, much better than mine, but inside mine is pretty nice looking. Are you going to use crystals or are you looking for a 122?


Actually my Viking II has paint chip issues at front panel edges. Perhaps I take chips from both paint colors and get spray paint cans from Sherman Williams. I read they can perfectly match paint.

I am using crystals. I have 3880, 3885, 7190 right now and likely have to buy 14286 and 14330. I rarely find AM activity below 3880.