UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Powered By Google Custom Search Vintage Radio and TV Service Data

Go Back   UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum > General Vintage Technology > General Vintage Technology Discussions

Notices

General Vintage Technology Discussions For general discussions about vintage radio and other vintage electronics etc.

Closed Thread
 
Thread Tools
Old 8th May 2020, 11:05 pm   #41
ben
Dekatron
 
ben's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Madrid, Spain / Wirral, UK
Posts: 7,484
Default Re: What to do with my collection?

I second the idea that a post on here -or on other relevant specialist forums - would be a good starting point in disposal of our kit. Even if only to arrange a 'garage sale'. After all, where else are you going to find such a ready 'target-audience' for vintage electronics? Above all, people that respect and admire the technology. If the idea is to keep the equipment/parts/documentation in the circles that most appreciate it, as opposed to the steampunk/upcycling brigade, I know where I would prefer my gear to end up.

A more problematical issue is the idea some have of 'keeping a collection together'. A collection is usually a highly personal thing, we all have our individual obsessions, preferences, likes/dislikes. The chances of finding a single outlet for one person's collection is extremely slim - most of us are after certain models or types of kit and not at all interested in others. I would suggest that flexibility is called for.

A recent experience in this field has focuses my attention on the crucial matter of 'separating the wheat from the chaff'. The estate of a recently deceased friend had us faced with hundreds of boxes of books containing a mish-mash of obscure /valuable collectibles mixed with utter dross. The likely end result will be that it all gets sold for scrap/weight, gems and all. The reason being that nobody will have the time or energy to go through it all and sort it. I intend to learn from that and at least highlight the unique and/or valuable from the utterly disposable.
__________________
Regards,
Ben.
ben is offline  
Old 9th May 2020, 11:29 am   #42
David Simpson
Nonode
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Aberdeen, UK.
Posts: 2,838
Default Re: What to do with my collection?

Just returned to viewing this thread & was very sorry to read that G6Tanuki has gone down with the "Virus". I'm sure we all hope for a speedy recovery.
I guess that with the bulk of Forum & BVWS & VMARS folk in or approaching the elderly virus vulnerable age group, many of us are experiencing a twinge of worry about our stuff. I don't have a big collection nor is it particularly valuable, but one or two items are extremely rare. Also there are some items of ancient or uncommon test equipment. I have signed a VMARS codicil/mandate, so maybe others in the vintage fraternity will benefit.
Its the handy wee tools, some of them very old, gathered over many years, which worry me. Some of them dating back to my old Dad's fitter's apprenticeship with ShellMex in the late 20's. Even then, he might have acquired some of them from his Dad, a ships plumber.

Regards, David
David Simpson is offline  
Old 9th May 2020, 8:40 pm   #43
kestrelmusic
Hexode
 
kestrelmusic's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK.
Posts: 465
Default Re: What to do with my collection?

Many thanks, friends, for some really helpful thoughts. I've been in touch with Cambridge Museum of Technology who may be interested in inheriting the Pye equipment (which represents about half of my collection), and in practice I will probably loan/give them some of the items when they are open for business again.

Reading through all the replies to this thread, it seems to me that the most important thing to do is to make sure I leave a clear inventory, with approximate values and suggested routes for disposal. I will also be thinning out the collection and disposing of surplus stuff over the next few months - some of which will probably appear in the "... offered ..." section of the forum.
kestrelmusic is offline  
Old 10th May 2020, 9:53 am   #44
stevehertz
Dekatron
 
stevehertz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Rugeley, Staffordshire, UK.
Posts: 8,809
Default Re: What to do with my collection?

I just hit the like button.
__________________
A digital radio is the latest thing, but a vintage wireless is forever..
stevehertz is offline  
Old 11th May 2020, 11:40 am   #45
Lucien Nunes
Rest in Peace
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: London, UK.
Posts: 2,508
Default Re: What to do with my collection?

I would add that one day, probably within 12 months, there will be an organisation looking to build a representative radio and TV collection to fit into a larger exhibition of historical technology. A suitable existing collection could work as a great 'starter culture' and with this in mind I have not yet pursued building up a radio and TV section for it as such. We are making progress forming the charity to operate what we are calling a 'working museum of electrical, electronic and information technology' into which the Electrokinetica collection and others are combined. Progress includes having the agreement of the initial trustees and new premises that we have started moving into.

To avoid turning this post into an infomercial I'll return to the topic elsewhere once we are an official entity with a registration number, but it seemed relevant enough to this thread to be worth a mention.
Lucien Nunes is offline  
Old 11th May 2020, 5:09 pm   #46
G6Tanuki
Dekatron
 
G6Tanuki's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 13,951
Default Re: What to do with my collection?

One possible 'disposals' path is stage-dressers/props-businesses - some of these will pay surprising amounts for 'appropriate-looking' (if not necessarily historically-accurate) stuff if they've got a contract with the likes of Netflix/Amazon to 'dress' the set of their latest big-bucks period-drama.

Someone in the 'states has first-call on my Barker-88 if I want to sell it - she's offered me $50 and would pay the FedEx costs too.
G6Tanuki is offline  
Old 11th May 2020, 10:35 pm   #47
Lucien Nunes
Rest in Peace
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: London, UK.
Posts: 2,508
Default Re: What to do with my collection?

It's worth noting though, that while props people are careful and respectful, the pressure on set is such that there are casualties and vintage things are sometimes treated as consumables if it helps get the shot. As an example, our company supplies cine projectors for special applications, including as practical (working) props. One shoot decided once the 16mm projector was on set, that it looked too modern, so in a matter of half an hour the art department literally steampunked it. They cut off bits that looked too techy, attached mechanical-looking adornments and spray-painted the whole thing. Naturally they paid for it outright instead of hiring it, but there was no choice but to let it get hacked. Another, having chosen a particular super-8 projector for its looks, asked if we could supply three or four identical working units as there was to be a fight in the room that would cause the table to get overturned and the projector was to crash to the floor, and they needed to allow for a few takes with a new projector each time. They simply treated the cost of destroying the projector as a component of the cost of each take. So, whilst your device might get a moment of fame on the big screen, it comes with a risk.
Lucien Nunes is offline  
Old 16th May 2020, 10:06 am   #48
Gabriel
Triode
 
Join Date: May 2020
Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Posts: 12
Default Re: What to do with my collection?

Quote:
Originally Posted by kestrelmusic View Post
I have quite a substantial collection of vintage radio sets, test gear, valves and components, gramophones and miscellaneous vintage electrical equipment. The lockdown has focused my mind upon my collection as I have brought down several interesting sets from the loft to restore.

However, this raises the question in my mind about what to do with them when they have been restored. It doesn't feel right to me to sell them (I did sell a handful of 1950s woodies a few years ago and found out too late that the purchaser wanted them to strip and put in modern electronics). However, I am not as young as I was and am now on my own - my partner died last year following a stroke.

What I would really like to do would be to start a small museum - there's nothing in my area (North Wales/Shropshire). Whether this would be practical I have no idea. Clearly I'd need premises and at least enough income to cover things like council tax, lighting and heating. Probably there would now be so many rules and regulations as to make it almost impossible to do.

So what happens to 100-odd sets, several thousand valves, a large chest of drawers full of vintage components and so forth if - or when - the grim reaper calls for me? I have no family and I suspect that my executors will just call in a house clearance firm in which case the sets will probably end up in charity shops and the rest of it in a skip.

If anyone has helpful thoughts I'd be grateful to hear them.
Instead of a museum, why not create a website and photograph your collection.
Unfortunately, the future generations will unlikely have any Interest in vintage electronics. Consider the average age of this forum’s members.
A visual record of your collection will be much more appreciated.
Most of us are familiar with WWWeb.
Unfortunately, the skills and knowledge forum members acquired over the years will eventually cease to exist unless members take action now to somehow record their knowledge for future generations. ..just my opinion.


Regards

Gabriel
Gabriel is offline  
Old 16th May 2020, 11:13 am   #49
Gabriel
Triode
 
Join Date: May 2020
Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Posts: 12
Default Re: What to do with my collection?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bazz4CQJ View Post
I am not greatly concerned about what happens to my very modest collection of radio equipment. However, I am not happy about my collection of tools. I have a sense that "tools are part of the man". I'm talking about a fair amount of radio and electrical stuff, a good deal of motoring stuff and the gardening stuff. The thought that much of this could end up at car boot sales appals me . I'd really like to take it with me, on a great big Viking long boat, sailing into the setting Sun.

B
We are temporary custodians of our possessions including our homes..we cannot take it with us when we leave.....
Gabriel is offline  
Old 16th May 2020, 1:44 pm   #50
trh01uk
Octode
 
trh01uk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, UK.
Posts: 1,648
Default Re: What to do with my collection?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bazz4CQJ View Post
I am not greatly concerned about what happens to my very modest collection of radio equipment. However, I am not happy about my collection of tools. I have a sense that "tools are part of the man". I'm talking about a fair amount of radio and electrical stuff, a good deal of motoring stuff and the gardening stuff. The thought that much of this could end up at car boot sales appals me . I'd really like to take it with me, on a great big Viking long boat, sailing into the setting Sun.

B
I know someone who owns an extremely rare (actually probably unique) bit of WWII era radar equipment, and he wants to be buried with it in a "pyramid", something like Tutankhamun, because he thinks that is the best way to preserve it for future generations. I didn't mention to him that nearly all the Egyptian pharaoh graves got robbed down the ages.....


Richard
trh01uk is online now  
Old 18th May 2020, 4:31 pm   #51
avocollector
Heptode
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Wellington, New Zealand.
Posts: 653
Default Re: What to do with my collection?

I have no worries about my collection as my wife's eyes glow brightly at the thought of the $ she will get for it when I drop off my perch. Fortunately I do all the cooking otherwise the food might start tasting a little strange - LOL.
avocollector is offline  
Old 19th May 2020, 11:04 am   #52
David Simpson
Nonode
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Aberdeen, UK.
Posts: 2,838
Default Re: What to do with my collection?

Gabriel's idea is spot on. Several years back I put a heap of photos on a site called flickr. I think its American, but some UK folk use it. Its some time since I had a shufti at it. I also recall that VMARS have a picture file system on their forum site. As they don't use post attachments like this Forum.
Another option, hoping that the VR & TV Museum continues for many many years, is for folk to photograph their stuff & make a file archive of relevant technical data & project notes - then put everything onto a disc or memory stick - which could be stored in a cabinet or box somewhere. Would take up hardly any room. Perhaps VMARS could do the same to complement their massive online database.
I think that these days a lot of vintage radio folk who have passed "3 score years & ten" are having similar thoughts as those expressed in this thread.

Regards, David
David Simpson is offline  
Old 19th May 2020, 11:45 am   #53
dave walsh
Dekatron
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Ramsbottom (Nr Bury) Lancs or Bexhill (Nr Hastings) Sussex.
Posts: 5,814
Default Re: What to do with my collection?

I presume you mean the idea of photographing the collection David. Other ideas, ie the Viking sea burial [in flames] or an Egyptian Pyramid seems to be getting a bit grandiose although attractive in some ways. The problem though is most enthusiasts hate waste or destruction-even post mortem.

I have a "wall" of radios in the North, located in a large shop-fitting shelf unit "liberated" from a Coop Grocers Shop in Bury that closed down in the eighties! A friend took good quality photos of all these radios and sent them to me on a DVD. It was "set" up so they continuously change at a steady pace. When displayed on my then massive LGD 32" TV [the set itself that is] the effect was striking and a bit mesmerising even for the non-technical or otherwise disinterested. I thought he'd added a clever sound track at first then realised the music was Radio 3 playing in the room but [randomly] synchronised to the movement on screen.

A photographic record is a good option in terms of perhaps easing out of the physical collection rather than "cold turkey" ie burning, burial or simply dumping everything. This has happened [rarely] previously when individuals very quickly lost patience with this problem and unilaterally [their right of course] dumped everything before anyone even had an opportunity to respond and help.

I recall any early version of the photo option when a collector of Military Books sold the lot but photocopied the front and maybe the title page. This gave access to his collection memories without having to store the physical object. I may get to that solution but meanwhile a plan is needed because we all have jobs listed and then collect the lists! I've just been opening boxes from 2004. Best not to wait for the perfect room or conditions or situation, just try to get on with things! It's proving to be surprisingly positive experience so far.

Dave W

The Pyramid idea is not that rare for individuals. John "Mad Jack" Fuller a local landowner went in for "follies" etc and did a deal with his local congregation that result in a 25' high Stone Pyramid being built in the Churchyard at Brightling [not far from here in Bexhill]. The rumour that he was buried sitting at a table with a chicken and a bottle of wine is a hoot but probaly says a lot about him. There's a page with the story and a reference to two others. One in St Leonards [Nr Hastings] and another at St Andrews Church in the centre of Liverpool.

Whilst I'm not keen on the more destructive options mentioned, I could see a collective Art Work involving a Pyramid of tech itself "Transmission" [Not quite the Angel of the North]. A bit like Grayson Perrys piece in last nights CH4 Art Club. It wasn't a Pyramid but expressed what he was about. Famously " How It Works" Hunkin once set fire to a huge pile of TV sets while they were all displaying a picture [but not for long]. I wouldn't want to go that far but a pyramid actually created from old tech and bound together might have some resonance. I'm think about the guy in California who built metal towers from junk, was laughed at as a nerd or eccentric and it's now a National Monument.

The best ever "happening" was the the burning of one million pounds by the members of the Pop/Art Group KLF. They were very excited but the look on the faces of wives and partners, well that was a picture!

Last edited by dave walsh; 19th May 2020 at 12:13 pm.
dave walsh is offline  
Old 19th May 2020, 11:45 am   #54
Lucien Nunes
Rest in Peace
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: London, UK.
Posts: 2,508
Default Re: What to do with my collection?

Quote:
Unfortunately, the future generations will unlikely have any Interest in vintage electronics.
That will be true if we don't foster their interest. There's little reason for people to whom old radios and TVs are simply bygones to want to learn about how they work and to fill their house with them. But, if we think those things are interesting and fun to have, and want to pass on the enjoyment and fulfilment that we get from them, we must step back from the physical collection and take time to open other peoples' eyes to those positive aspects and get them involved. This forum is a great example of a route by which 'outsiders' can get a foot in the door and find their niche, but much more active engagement is needed to keep a whole hobby and culture going. That's not a new observation but it is important to recognise how fundamental it is to the survival of collections.

Replacing the question that forms the title of this thread with 'What to do with my skills and enthusiasm?' suggests that if suitable recipients for those can be found, then the question of what to do with the physical collection is answered too.
Lucien Nunes is offline  
Old 19th May 2020, 12:38 pm   #55
PsychMan
Octode
 
PsychMan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Fleet, Hampshire, UK
Posts: 1,764
Default Re: What to do with my collection?

Though the ages of most forum members are in the higher age bracket, I'm not sure the forum itself is an accurate representation of age demographic within the hobby.

I wonder because Ive met a few younger people (I'm 37 myself), who might post on the Facebook equivalent, but not this forum itself. The strict moderation, which does have its benefits of course, I believe can be off-putting for some people. As is the concept of authentication (ID/logon) for this forum itself alone. Obviously with facebook the platform itself handles that, I imagine like other online resources googlemail authentication is possible. A lot of the time these days people also take to platforms like Reddit, rather than stand alone forums. Its also not as pleasant browsing and posting here from a smartphone.

Personally I like this place for the wealth of knowledge here so the other things don't matter to me. I do also like the fact that discussion of politics is terminated with extreme prejudice before it starts - it makes for a nicer friendlier place in my opinion!

Adam
PsychMan is offline  
Old 19th May 2020, 12:39 pm   #56
dave walsh
Dekatron
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Ramsbottom (Nr Bury) Lancs or Bexhill (Nr Hastings) Sussex.
Posts: 5,814
Default Re: What to do with my collection?

Agreed overall Julien and it sort of chimes with your comments about the Museum "dilemma" [at post 21*]. The enthusiasm for Raspberry Pi among young people and Repair Shop type television suggests much more could be done but it's a knotty problem when we and especially they, live in an immediate, instant gratification society and active recruitment seems to be difficult.

I asked my local Heritage Society why they didn't concentrate on the new generation in schools and history [post the "2nd World War to date] with an immediate link to family? They claimed disinterest when they contacted schools [once I think] but didn't seem to get the point and were happy to keep on with rather twee Victorian or Edwardian events. At the same time they have concerns, similar to those expressed on the Forum here, about who will be around in the future

A previous Chairman [very nice chap] was taken aback when I mentioned they had once wanted to buy where I now live [long before me]. He didn't know the history of his Society as I pointed out

Dave
dave walsh is offline  
Old 19th May 2020, 12:55 pm   #57
David Simpson
Nonode
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Aberdeen, UK.
Posts: 2,838
Default Re: What to do with my collection?

Even if our executors dump everything on eBay, or into a skip, if we've photographed it all and made files of data & repair notes - all on a disc or memory stick, then it could be used by future vintage radio enthusiasts should they acquire similar items.
The one item, the most rarest, which I'm in a quandary as to its future when I pop off, is not a VCM or a rare 20's TRF - its just a 1960 AVO8 MM.
Still almost NOS in its original postage box. If it went to a museum, would it be dumped into a dusty cellar ? If it went to a younger vintage fraternity member, would his executors later dump it in a skip ? Or should I flog it on the internet to a stranger & get a wollop of dosh ?
But hey, its not an ordinary AVO8 - its a unique one, purely one-off built for optical experiments(no scaleplate, just ranges etched onto the clear glass, no battery box or rear cover) by - Prof. RV Jones, with an AVO dispatch note from them to him !
I'm sure there must be other extremely rare items belonging to Forum/BVWS/VMARS/V-rats/Golborne/etc. folk. What the hell should we do ?

Regards, David
David Simpson is offline  
Old 19th May 2020, 2:09 pm   #58
Lucien Nunes
Rest in Peace
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: London, UK.
Posts: 2,508
Default Re: What to do with my collection?

Quote:
If it went to a museum, would it be dumped into a dusty cellar ?
This of course is another way of saying 'would it be conserved, with a formal policy to safeguard it under all but apocalyptic conditions, for future generations to study?'

I'm puzzled what seems to be coming over as fairly widespread negative perceptions about the possible contribution museums can make here. For transparency, I'll mention that my partner is a senior curator at a major museum with operational artefacts, and that I am in the middle of starting what I hope will become a significant working museum of electronic technology.

This forum focuses on operational vintage radio & TV as a hobby, so its membership is naturally biased towards people who like to delve into and work on vintage tech for their own pleasure. But that is only one of many ways in which things can have value for the future, so we should allow for a broad spectrum of possible positive futures for our collections, with different categories of items likely to follow very different trajectories.

What about the AVO? Items with highly specialised attributes or interesting provenance are quite well placed in museums. Not many people today know of the work of R.V. Jones and equally few will want to find out, but anyone who does want to research will not want to go traipsing round the sheds of a hundred vintage testgear enthusiasts in case they happen to have a piece of hardware with a historical relevance. No, we get onto museums' online databases and interrogate their collection records, revealing all the interesting items lurking in their dusty cellars.

And while some items are destined to remain hidden for much of their lives, museums do allocate resources to bring things out into the daylight and show them to a wide audience, just not all at once. Given appropriate interpretation to create a meaningful interaction (which I accept is sometimes lacking), thousands of people can take something away, be it factual knowledge, insight or inspiration, from exhibits of even the most peculiar items. We, the museum people, are actively working and raising funds and developing strategies to do this and to set up structures to help future generations do it too. The 'dusty cellar' might just turn out to be a more constructive trajectory for that item than risking it getting steampunked and used as a table lamp.
Lucien Nunes is offline  
Old 19th May 2020, 3:41 pm   #59
David Simpson
Nonode
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Aberdeen, UK.
Posts: 2,838
Default Re: What to do with my collection?

Right enough Lucien, I dare say that some of the major public museums down south provide a great service for folk carrying out research. Some of the military museums also. But even those might be affected by MOD cutbacks. For example, I've heard that RAF Henlow had closed down & that the Signals Museum there might be given their marching orders. What a great shame.
Several years ago, I heard(on good authority,& do not doubt) that a well known science museum type establishment north of the Border moved out of their old redundant premises into a new bespoke one. The old building was sold to a city developer & their building contractor was over the moon to find that all the rubble from the roof & the walls could easily be toppled into the cavernous cellar, then concreted over. This was done very quickly as there was just some large dusty metal objects in one corner - easily flattened by a ball & chain!
A year or two later, a retired electronics engineer started asking questions about the location of the ex ITV 1950's TV transmitters which had been used originally in the very first(in the world) MRI Scanner prototype experiments. They had later been donated, and moved at great expense, to the science museum for the public, students & engineers to ooh & aar over. Oops !
RV Jones's AVO & a heap of decent test equipment was destined for the "Skip" prior to me getting it all just in time. Several Forum folk have similar anecdotal stories to mine. These are Public(taxpayers funded) education & scientific establishments we're talking about, not just the likes of Marconi, Mullard, etc. shut-down private factories.

Regards, David
David Simpson is offline  
Old 19th May 2020, 4:16 pm   #60
Lucien Nunes
Rest in Peace
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: London, UK.
Posts: 2,508
Default Re: What to do with my collection?

Nothing and no-one is infallible, so there will be horror stories of valuable and significant casualties along the way, not least because of lack of funding. Some will be pure accidents, some will be errors of judgement, others will be indicative of systematic failure or the inevitable results of shortage of resources. Where we have the luxury of multiple extant equivalent examples, there is much to be said for having them distributed amongst diverse situations and custodians, to reduce the impact of systematic failure. In any event, I think it is better to try, and either fail or reach an informed concensus is that some artefact(s) are not ultimately worth saving, than to rely on personal notions that no-one is going to be interested in artefact 'X' 100 years hence and condemn it directly to scrap.
Lucien Nunes is offline  
Closed Thread

Thread Tools



All times are GMT +1. The time now is 12:33 pm.


All information and advice on this forum is subject to the WARNING AND DISCLAIMER located at https://www.vintage-radio.net/rules.html.
Failure to heed this warning may result in death or serious injury to yourself and/or others.


Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright ©2002 - 2023, Paul Stenning.