Destruction of American History: DON'T DO IT.

[Fletch]

One thing to remember: before anything can become a collectible, somebody has to trash most of them.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Me, I really dislike the whole "collectible" thing. An object should be valued for its beauty, its utility, or both, regardless of what it'll bring on eBay. The people who pull something out of the attic and their first thought is "what's it worth?" are philistines as much as the break-it-up-and-sell-the-pieces crowd.

 

[Tomasso]

One thing to remember: before anything can become a collectible, somebody has to trash most of them.

That's why this current sports memorabilia craze operates in a false market with hopes of unrealistic appreciation. Today no mother is throwing out her son's baseball card collection while he's off at college and you won't see any kids riding their bicycles around with cards clothespinned to spokes.

 

[Connery]

One thing to remember: before anything can become a collectible, somebody has to trash most of them.

Trashing is not a requirement, disrepair will always diminish the numbers of working units of a given type. Somehow neglect rubs me wrong in a way that truly speaks of disrespect for the craftsmanship and value of an item whether it be clothing, an appliance such as a refrigerator or a piece of furniture.

 

[Cousin Hepcat]

One thing to remember: before anything can become a collectible, somebody has to trash most of them.

lol :eusa_clap That shoe fits!

 

[Angus Forbes]

Oh, My. I am afraid that I was guilty of this when I was a kid. Someone, usually a family member, would give me an old (vacuum tube) radio rather than just trash it. I would then part it out, and use a few of the parts for my own little radio projects. One victim was a beautiful Stromberg-Carlsson console that didn't work. Another one that I remember was a plastic-case FADA. I really, really wish that I had preserved these beauties, but I guess I was too young to know better. I still have a good collection of variable capacitors, although I haven't built anything in at least 40 years.

 

[Cousin Hepcat]

Oh, My. I am afraid that I was guilty of this when I was a kid.

Welcome to the lounge - good to see another Raleigh-ite.

I've got No idea How many 1980's electronics items I trashed/disassembled/experimented with as a kid... I guess if there was a phanatical "1980's Appreciation Society" and they ever found out, maybe they'd be setting my lawn on fire... But, today, as grown adults, neither of us would knowingly destroy vintage items over 60 years old like the examples folks are giving on this thread.

 

[C-dot]

That's why this current sports memorabilia craze operates in a false market with hopes of unrealistic appreciation.

That's the reason most people think I collect Barbies. They always say "Good thing you kept them in the box, those will be worth money later on!" And that's fine, but I'm never selling them.

Oh, My. I am afraid that I was guilty of this when I was a kid. Someone, usually a family member, would give me an old (vacuum tube) radio rather than just trash it. I would then part it out, and use a few of the parts for my own little radio projects. One victim was a beautiful Stromberg-Carlsson console that didn't work. Another one that I remember was a plastic-case FADA. I really, really wish that I had preserved these beauties, but I guess I was too young to know better. I still have a good collection of variable capacitors, although I haven't built anything in at least 40 years.

On the contrary, that shows you had an inquisitive and creative mind as a child. I'm always impressed by children who like to take things apart and build new things - They become the most resourceful adults!

 

[DNO]

Anything new that is being sold as a "collectable"...sports cards, comics, limited edition prints, collector plates, figurines, die cast toys, etc.....isn't collectable.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

When you really think about it, everything is "limited edition." lol

 

[rue]

^ lol

This reminds me of my son that saved all his pokemon cards thinking that because it was a complete collection with "limited addition" cards that he was going to make a fortune. Years later at the age of 20, he was sadly disappointed that the whole thing wasn't worth more than 10 bucks. He still has them just in case though

 

[Fletch]

Trashing is not a requirement, disrepair will always diminish the numbers of working units of a given type. Somehow neglect rubs me wrong in a way that truly speaks of disrespect for the craftsmanship and value of an item whether it be clothing, an appliance such as a refrigerator or a piece of furniture.

Without a doubt. But we went thru a time in this society, from the 50s to the 80s at least, when throwing away and tearing down were close to a religion - the backlash from a time, in the 30s and 40s, when you couldn't afford to throw anything away.

My favorite sad story is about Bill Bryson's dad, a nationally ranked sportswriter, who helped Bill assemble a truly rare collection of baseball cards. But Bill moved away to England after high school, and when he returned a few years later, the collection - estimated to be worth $8,000 - had been trashed.

That is how uncritically people accepted "out with the old." It trumped issues of value or thrift. It became personal - an act of generational forgetting.

 

[R.G. White]

Today, when I was driving home from school, I passed a retail shop with a beautiful late 20s early 30s radio in the widow. It looked something like this:

Anyway, I pulled over and practically ran to it I was so excited (I love old radios). It was aged and the grill cloth wasn't in the best condition, but such things are expected. Naturally, I wanted to know the price, so I looked at the tag on the front, but lo and behold there were no numbers. Only, 'guitar amp?' written in a sloppy hand. I was totally confused until I saw packet of paper underneath the tag with a photo of a similar radio converted into a steampunk amp...! I love guitars as much as the next guy, but are you seriously going to convert an 80 year old radio into a guitar amp?! I wanted to go in there and find out how much the price was so maybe I could save it (if I could afford it, which is probably unlikely, but I can be optimistic), but the door was locked so I'm assuming they were closed. Maybe I'm overreacting, but I don't care. That's an antique, you just don't do that in my opinion. Perhaps you aren't completely tearing it to pieces, but that's not the point. Oh well, I sure hope it goes to a good home.

 

[Cousin Hepcat]

I love guitars as much as the next guy, but are you seriously going to convert an 80 year old radio into a guitar amp?! I wanted to go in there and find out how much the price was so maybe I could save it (if I could afford it, which is probably unlikely, but I can be optimistic), but the door was locked so I'm assuming they were closed. Maybe I'm overreacting, but I don't care. That's an antique, you just don't do that in my opinion. Perhaps you aren't completely tearing it to pieces, but that's not the point. Oh well, I sure hope it goes to a good home.

That's cool that you stopped to see about "saving" that one.

Guitar-amp-making is also especially popular with the vintage tube-electronics reel-to-reel tape recording machines.

It's ironic, that there's a growing trend of people wanting to Seek Out And Use vintage tape recorders / mixers / etc to set up Working Vintage Studios, which are actually used to make and sell new recordings of vintage styles of music. Some examples: The 2009 Blaxploitation-parody movie "Black Dynamite", where Adrian Younge created the "old-sounding" soundtrack, largely mixed & recorded using vintage 1930s - 1970's tube and early solid state gear & mikes (he's a collector too).

And there are Rockabilly labels like Wild Records and others, making new vintage style recordings using old restored tube gear off eBay or wherever.

And DapTone records (home-base of the Dap Kings, the 1960's style funk band which backed Amy Winehouse on her now-almost-legendary 2007 "Back to Black" album): Many of these artists are offering their results on vinyl pressings also: Ask some of THOSE guys what they think about the folks destroying vintage tape recorders for "hacked guitar amps", I'm sure you'll get an Earful!!:

This all just proves that the old vintage machines that some greedy/idiotic/whatever folks are destroying/hacking/chopping up, are NOT useless, they can be VERY useful if restored & used for their intended purpose!:

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[Connery]

Without a doubt. But we went thru a time in this society, from the 50s to the 80s at least, when throwing away and tearing down were close to a religion - the backlash from a time, in the 30s and 40s, when you couldn't afford to throw anything away.

My favorite sad story is about Bill Bryson's dad, a nationally ranked sportswriter, who helped Bill assemble a truly rare collection of baseball cards. But Bill moved away to England after high school, and when he returned a few years later, the collection - estimated to be worth $8,000 - had been trashed.

That is how uncritically people accepted "out with the old." It trumped issues of value or thrift. It became personal - an act of generational forgetting.

Yes this is so true and there are many such stories.

 

[Paul Philco322]

These electronic "time capsules" all have their stories to still tell. Imagine what these sets played, wonderful music, historic news broadcasts, great moments in sport. They are accoustical connections to the greatest generation. They need to be rescued not ripped apart!

Regards,

Paul Philco 322

 

[Shangas]

^ lol

This reminds me of my son that saved all his pokemon cards thinking that because it was a complete collection with "limited addition" cards that he was going to make a fortune. Years later at the age of 20, he was sadly disappointed that the whole thing wasn't worth more than 10 bucks. He still has them just in case though

"Value" and "Worth" are very very very very dangerous words. They're the linguistic equivalents of nitroglycerine.

What makes something 'valuable'?

What is something 'worth'?

'Is it worth restoring?'

I hate reading those questions when people post stuff online. Because the truth is...

...there IS NO ANSWER.

I could say that a 1925 console radio is worth $2000. But what does that mean? That's $2,000 in perfect, working condition. But you might have to spend $5,000 to get it there, if you found that radio at the dump. So is it 'worth restoring'?

That depends again. What do you want it for? A profit? Good luck.

You want it for the music, and perhaps to put it in your nice vintage house?

Yes. Then it's 'worth it'.

Most people think all old things are worth millions of dollars and when they see them, they get greedy and dollar-signs start running past their eyes like the roller-slots on a pokies machine. But the truth is - Very few things are actually worth anything. And I mean that literally.

What something is 'worth' or what makes it 'valuable' are very very very tricky things to determine. That's why I hate these words when people come to you and ask you this. Because you know...It's never going to be a neutral query. Everyone has an agenda. And usually, it's to make money. Which is natural. But at the same time, you just wonder what their motives are. Is it to make money by trashing it because it's "only" worth "$xx,xxx"?

What is 'valuable' and what's 'worth something' means different things to everyone and everyone has their own justifications for doing what, or not doing what, they just did.

I've read stories of people selling solid gold pocketwatch cases and melting them down for scrap. And they're left with the pocketwatch movement in their hands.

"It's okay. I'll get someone to make another one" they say.

Ever tried looking for an antique watch-case maker? They don't exist anymore. You want a new case. You gotta make it with your own two hands, a chunk of metal and a lathe. And good luck if you want that case made of gold.

I've seen people trash antique fountain pens for no other reason than "the nib is made of gold".

People collect things for stupid reasons as well. "Investment" is another word I hear thrown around.

These things do not make good investments. Just because they're old doesn't mean you can retire on them.

An antique fountain pen from 1900 in the NICEST and most working condition that you can find...Would give you about $1,000 (give or take a bit), tops. And that's a realistic price. but even if you have a hundred of these...you're not gonna retire on that.

Same thing goes for watches.

Or radios.

Vintage cars.

You name it.

The thing is, these things cost more money to look after than they're worth. And you have to ask yourself why you're holding onto it.

If it's to preserve it/protect it for future generations/use it (in the way it was intended), then good for you and the best of luck with that. For that's what you should do.

But if it's to gut it for cash, or to try and turn a profit on it...You're huffing opium.

 

[rue]

I was just talking about pokemon cards Shangas :eeek: lol


Seriously... I completely understand what you are saying and I agree. I'm just as passionate about these things.

I don't buy anything old with making a profit in mind, because I'm buying it out of love or need. I want to take them in and preserve them for my kids or for future generations. When I see a radio gutted like the one at the beginning of this post and used for something else or when I see an old house remodeled into an open concept home to make the current buyer happy, I cringe. When I see, for example, an old house demolished / left to rot or when I see old family photos in a bin for sale, I cry. It breaks my heart that people don't care about them. I have a very hard time understanding why and no one can ever explain it to me, no matter how hard they try because it doesn't make any sense. These things are part of our history, but aside from most people on the lounge and maybe a select few out there, no one gets it.

 

[TidiousTed]

It could be worse....

And that was not the last time

 

[TidiousTed]

Oh yeah, that reminds me of another increasingly popular trend on sites like Etsy: Gutting & stripping down vintage items so they're lighter-weight to be hung on a wall, and making them into clocks.

I've actually made several clocks out of old 78s and the worst thing is that you can easily do that without ruining the record. All the once I've made can be taken apart and the record will be as playable as it was before I started