ECHO T.S.46/1 going to the tip

[dennishoy]

I agree with you Joe, about postage costs. I am pleased to learn that there is some interest in the items in your auctions in your area. I try to save what I can, often offering an item to mate mate Paul or bidding on something for him at his request, especially old test equipment. There are items like this old TV set which neither of us wanted, yet somebody might need it to fill a hole in their collection. This is what has happened, returning a bit of cash for the petrol used every week and a 'float' to acquire other items.

I have noticed that many folk down here under 50 years are lazy... er sorry... 'too busy' to do the usual things in life such as their own shopping, walk the dog, clean their windows, wash the car and rely on paid services for those tasks. They pave over gardens so they don't have to do any gardening and don't seem to have hobbies other than the Internet and playing with the latest mobile phone.

It seems logical that many folk will not have the time or interest to go to local auctions, especialy as it involves a lot of 'standing around'. Hobbies are on the decline round here. The local fishing tackle shop has closed and the nearby lakes do not seem to have many anglers at weekends. We had a couple of long-standing model shops (not the type you're thinking about, Paul) called 'Cove Models' but the outlets at Cove and North Camp have gone along with the cycle shop. The local Maplin store no longer stocks a decent range of components as folk no longer want to learn electronics or build circuits. All is not lost however, as we now have 11 mobile phone outlets, 5 computer gaming shops and 14 kebab dumps in this area.

There were 6-8 house clearance shops around here, but this has been reduced to just 2. There were 4 auctions round here, now there are 2 run by the same people. The folk attending these auctions focus on items for quick resale (furniture, china etc.) and old radios and televisions are usually left behind. Antiques are non-existant, presumably removed by the family or auctioneer (who has a shop) prior to the event. The auctioneer has told me that family are increasingly removing all the 'sellable' items from the loft of 'Grandad's house' when he dies leaving only the rubbish behind. Thankfully, this includes old radios and television sets.

Sorry for rambling. The above are just my thoughts and observations after living in this area for 30 years. The seems to be a general decline in hobbies as we know them. Nobody wants to 'make anything' (other than money !!) either at work or at home. I'm 61 this year and glad to have been spoilt for choice for things to do as a kid.

Mods: Please move this reply to a new thread if it helps.

[Joe]

It's fine where it is, Dennis - there's no such thing as "Off Topic" here.

I find that 'desirable' sets fetch a good price, an Ekco A22 recently made £480 +21% commission, and bog-standard post-war five valvers go for around the ten to twenty mark, which is more than they get at BVWS sales. It's sometimes hard to say just what they make as they are sometimes lotted with other stuff.

I've got a mate who's an antique dealer and she finds that valve sets struggle, presumably because people are scared of old mains powered equipment, but 'vintage' transistor sets do well - though they get nothing like the silly prices seen on e-Bay.

There's a chap a few doors down from me who makes and operates narrow gauge railway engines and there's a model boat club based in the local park so there are still some people interested in making things. That said, these are mainly retired people so whether this is just because they have time to spare or if it's a generational thing I wouldn't like to say.

- Joe

[Skywave]

Quote, Joe, post # 12: That said, these are mainly retired people so whether this is just because they have time to spare or if it's a generational thing I wouldn't like to say. / Unquote.

-------------------

It's predominantly a generational thing, Joe, as David (Yorkie) will readily agree, I'm sure!

Not wishing to ape what David has said in the past, but the older generation (58+ years of age, approx.) were indeed raised in a 'make-do-or-mend' culture - to which I would add "or make one yourself". And it is that very last idea that inspired the youth of that era indeed to 'make things': e.g. Meccano, Trix, Bayko, carpentry kits, 'go-karts', (using salvaged pram wheels and a discarded wooden potato box), etc. It was the disciplines learnt in so doing, and fed by the imagination of youngsters that produced such fine engineers and technicians in the past, but which today are almost non-existent. Now add in the mix of over-cautious and spendthrift parents, obsessive & inane H & S regulation, the relative ease of obtaining 'entertainment' with very little 'input effort', our 'throw-away' society, and you have the mess that this country is in today.

Even now, when something that would be easy and cheap to replace goes and breaks, I still have a compulsion to take it to bits to see what bit broke - and to see if can I repair it. And if I can't repair it, can I make something that will do the same job? - to which the answer is often 'yes' - but at a ridiculous cost and which will occupy a great deal of my time!

What was once the standard phrase, accepted around the world - "Made in England' - has now become 'Made in China' - but comparisons of quality are non-existent.

Having got all that off my mind, I feel a lot better now - so much so, I'm ready to have another go at a certain DAC90A that's waiting for my studious attentions . . . .

Al.

[dennishoy]

Joe, I don't feel so guilty now you've said that.

We can't save everything, but do our best. You're right, Royal Mail postage costs for parcels are prohibitive in this country, often higher than the value of the goods themselves. I've several radios in the shed that I will never restore and nobody as going to pay £12-£15 for postage even if I give them away.

Some of the house clearance items that turn up are worth saving I.M.H.O. and probably in yours too. However, few of us (if any) will have sufficient storage at home for their needs and will need to be selective, hence my lack of interest in 405 line TVs. I do not wish to see these scrapped however, and no longer feel guilty about making some money to fund my hobbies. After all, it was my petrol and time to get to the venue, then I may spend most of the evening standing around, not knowing if there will be any interest from others in the item(s) on offer. For example, in the same auction as the TV set (Lot 576) was a Kango demolition hammer (Lot33), Murphy 674 (Lot282), battery clock (Lot 343) and box of Maplin electronic components (Lot721). At 120-150 Lots/hour, you can estimate the amount of standing around that is required. I'm not complaining and it makes a reasonably cheap night out and I don't have to listen to 'er indoors either.

[dennishoy]

Al, I totally agree with everything you say.

Just my opinion and observations in living in one of the most affluent areas in the UK (i.e. the Hampshire/Surry borders).
There is no north-south divide in this country, just the younger, rich everywhere are too busy with their continual drive to make more money whilst working 24/7 for the privilege. When they do have free time, they may prefer to spend all morning cleaning the alloy wheels of the Audi with a toothbrush. Ok, best of luck to them if that is their life. The rest of us have hobbies which do not make money so presumably these will be of no interest to these people.

When a younger, stranger approaches me at auction and asks me why I bought such-and-such they usually can't understand why I've bought it to keep. That says it all about most of the bidders; if they can't sell it for immediate return (like old electricals) they are not interested, so all the more for me !!!

This country is swamped with cheap, Chinese inferior products and most of it is rubbish, but folk don't care because it can be easily replaced and they are incapable of repairing it anyway.

You may not believe this.... I have acquaintances who I see when I walk my dogs. One is a primary school teacher of many years who was disciplined for refusing to change children's nappies (6-8 year olds) at school because she rightly did not consider it to be part of her job. She quit following complaints from parents and an enquiry where she suggested that parents show kids how to use a toilet instead of nappies. Similarly, many children age 10-11 cannot toe their own shoelaces so go to school in trainers. These children have no hobbies (like trainspotting) as when we were kids. They don't play sports or playground games because this is too dangerous. They have to be locked in school because some have little road sense and are collected by 'mum' in the car.

This may explain why hobbies are fewer these days. We were encouraged at school to do things through clubs and societies..... geographic, railway, natural history, music, camping etc.

Just my opinion of course......


We

[Refugee]

It is easy to understand.
The "safety police" will not allow craft knives scissors compasses ETC in the classroom.
They are only just allowed soft tipped pens. There is no adventure in the classroom these days. The kids get bored and destroy the places they live in just like pets do when they get left on there own in the house.

[Skywave]

The kids get bored and destroy the places they live in, just like pets do when they get left on there own in the house.

Well all I can say to that is that of all the pets that I have ever owned, none have ever destroyed (or even slightly damaged) the place they live in when they have been left on their own in the house.
If you're speaking from experience, (and I presume you are), I wonder what pets you have owned?

Al.

[Skywave]

Al, I totally agree with everything you say.

Yes, having read your earlier post, I though you might!

Al.

[Refugee]

Next door two first we had a lady living there who had a black Labrador that used to sing when it was left on its own. We now have a family next door and there dog wrecks the place if if it is left alone for more than half a day. Then there is another family across the road and there dog also wrecked the house several times until they got another to keep it company.
Leaving a TV on for them to watch often helps to keep them happy when they are on there own.
We don't have a dog of our own.

[boiss]

We have a dog and apart from nicking our underwear and and sandals temporarily she is perfectly behaved with or without us being in the house. It's a long story but to cut it short, I work in mobile networks worldwide. The majority of today's RF engineers believe that all design and optimization can be done on the PC, many have never seen a site/an antenna or much less a rooftop view nor do they wish to see....
Mike