Estes Auctions
Burbank, Ohio -- July 7, 2007

By Ray Chase

Web Edition

The July Estes auction consisted of a collection from Mitchel, South Dakota, along with more items from the Larry Porter estate from Pennsylvania. This was a pretty well-rounded selection: many consoles, TVs, good test equipment, some PA amps, a good selection of Ham gear, some parts and magazines. The quantity of tubes was a bit higher than usual. The weather was excellent when the usual crowd gathered on Saturday morning.

A low value item auction was held in the check-out area at 8:30 a.m. that lasted until 9:45 a.m. I did not record any items there.

There were no real "high-flyers" in this auction, but there was something for everybody. The most expensive item was an Edison 8" brass-blade fan with open frame motor that sold for $2,700. A couple of nice battery superhets were offered, and one managed to follow me home for my own collection.

The items that I recorded totalled about $45,000, not including the 5 percent buyer's premium that is charged. I stopped recording at 3:00 p.m., and the auction continued on lower value items until about 4:00 p.m. There were side auctions of bulk tube lots and parts that I did not record. All in all, a nice way to spend a pleasant summer day.

Abbreviations: e=excellent, vg=very good, g=good, f=fair, p=poor, unk=unknown condition, N.O.S.=new old stock, wk=working, nwk=not working, WT=with tubes, NT=no tubes, BB=brass-based, TT=tipped tube, SW=shortwave, PS=power supply, PB=push buttons, WE=Western Electric. All prices have been rounded down to the dollar. Some low cost items and items in poor condition or nonspecific descriptions are omitted. See print version of A.R.C. for complete auction listing.

Ray Chase has been a radio enthusiast and a collector of many types of radios for years. Currently, he specializes in World War II electronics equipment, as well as early battery superheterodynes. He also has an extensive collection of radio documentation and ephemera.

From the early years, at the far left is a Radiola V with top cover and crystal, which sold for $400. In the foreground is an Atwater Kent Model 12 breadboard that sold for $1,200. The diamond-shaped loop antenna is a Hartman. In good condition, it sold for $35. The loose coupler with a spark gap and knife switches, right foreground, sold for $55.

A warning : Auction prices are not current values. Our selection of auction items is not necessarily complete. A listing such as this cannot adequately include the condition of cabinets, chassis, transformers, tubes, the operating status of the set, and the inclusion of incorrect, restored or replica components, etc. Auction prices are the result of the excitement of the auction process, the skill of the auctioneer and the specific interests of the participants. Nevertheless, auction prices serve as useful references and as another element in the value determining process. The possibility of error always exists, and if we are notified, corrections will be reported.

An early 8-tube superhet from Madison Moore. Complete with tubes and in very good condition, it sold for $400. The interior view shows the component layout and copper-lined cabinet.

The panels used in this set are shown on page 57 of the 1921 William B. Duck Catalog No. 16. Left to right: A-211 receiver, A-212 detector, and A-214 amplifier.This rare item sold for a modest $100.