Collins 75-A4 Receiver ~ Valuation

[W4BOH]

Operated many, never owned one. Had the mystique, but I never felt they were red hot.
I actually prefer to listen to a well aligned SB-301.
Value? Strictly in the eyes of the beholder. You can buy a modern transceiver that hears better, and talks, for that kind of money!
How many hours of work would YOU consider reasonable, considering that you can't be on the air while doing it?
I infer from your questions that you are not a bench guy with a stack of good, stable alignment equipment and a scope?
How much would you pay to have it put in tip top shape?
Is it important to you that it be up to spec, or would you be satisfied with just hearing something?
These are things you can put $signs on.

$500, for something you know nothing about and that will take you weeks of serious study/work to put in first class shape? Sounds nuts to me!
Would you be willing to take it to an expert and pay for an evaluation and a repair estimate? THEN you would have a position from which to start talking.

I've been through this with old cars. It usually winds up that the purchase price is the tip of the iceberg and the final restored cost is way more than the market value, if quality work is done, UNLESS you are in the $100K+ models. So unless you are prepared to enroll in an intensive course in 50s technology, you're better off paying somewhat more for a unit of known provenance that works well enough to make you happy. Then if you want to take baby steps with mods, you have a baseline to which you can return.

I have a feeling that with patience you can find one for sale from a real ham who will let you sit and listen to it for a few hours. Then you have a chance of taking home a known quantity and not a year of unpleasant surprises!

73,
Wilson
W4BOH

The seller obviously has no basis at all for his value, so don't let him take it seriously.

[W3RXO]

Jerry,
I recently purchased a very nice condition, "Pig-in-poke" 75A-4. because of where the seller had it stored, and lack of power, nor antenna, pretty much ruled out the ability to check it out. I did not look close, when checking knobs and switches. Everything felt and sounded fine, but I did not notice, that the dial drum did not turn, when I changed bands. The string has jumped the track. It's not broken, or missing, but the spring also does not look like it is in place properly. It ONLY had one filter, the original 3.1 khz. Otherwise, cosmetically, I would rate it Very Good, to excellent, condition, with light dirt, on the inner chassis, and very few "Wear" marks, on the outer case. Paint lightly worn off the face corners, and a couple of light marks along the top side edges. Otherwise, the case is exceptional, with no wear showing on the silkscreened letters and marking, good condition, original knobs, except for a repaired crack in the AF Gain knob. I paid $350 for it, and would not have paid a penny more. I am still working on getting it ready to fire up, going through it and checking components. I still have to work that string up onto the wheel, but, things are looking good, for m e to hae this up and going, shortly after my move to Oklahoma, in the next 2-3 months.
I hope this helps, for you to decide if your's is/was a good deal.

73,
Dan
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[WA6MHZ]

$350 for a 75A-4, in ANY CONDITION, is the BARGAIN of a LIFETIME!!!! I would have been FOAMING AT THE MOUTH on a deal like that!!!! Even if it had been drug up from the bottom of a swamp after 50 years!!!

[KA9JLM]

Jerry,
I recently purchased a very nice condition, "Pig-in-poke" 75A-4. because of where the seller had it stored, and lack of power, nor antenna, pretty much ruled out the ability to check it out. I did not look close, when checking knobs and switches. Everything felt and sounded fine, but I did not notice, that the dial drum did not turn, when I changed bands. The string has jumped the track. It's not broken, or missing, but the spring also does not look like it is in place properly. It ONLY had one filter, the original 3.1 khz. Otherwise, cosmetically, I would rate it Very Good, to excellent, condition, with light dirt, on the inner chassis, and very few "Wear" marks, on the outer case. Paint lightly worn off the face corners, and a couple of light marks along the top side edges. Otherwise, the case is exceptional, with no wear showing on the silkscreened letters and marking, good condition, original knobs, except for a repaired crack in the AF Gain knob. I paid $350 for it, and would not have paid a penny more. I am still working on getting it ready to fire up, going through it and checking components. I still have to work that string up onto the wheel, but, things are looking good, for m e to hae this up and going, shortly after my move to Oklahoma, in the next 2-3 months.
I hope this helps, for you to decide if your's is/was a good deal.

73,
Dan
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Nice.

Did the KWS-1 come as a bonus ?

[W3RXO]

I tend towards the frugal side, bordering on parsimonious, when I can't check out something so old. I LOVE my boat anchors, and this is THE station I wanted, but without the ability to fire it up, and see how it works, I'm cautious. I've been burned, a couple of times.
Considering I have about another $350, just in the 2 filters I needed, am still missing the spring clips, for those filters, and it's NOT on the air, yet, I now have $700, in a NON-WORKING 75A-4, so I am hoping it's physical condition, will be an indicator of how much I will really need to put into it, and might get away with under $300, more, in repair work. If I wind up with a $1000, working 75A-4, in this physical condition, THEN I will consider myself to have gotten a good deal.
BTW-The KWS-1, in as good, or better condition, was $1250. So, I am happy, so far, but will be happier, when it is on the air, for under $2500, for the set. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.....

[W3RXO]

So, any thoughts as to how I might go about determining a fair price to pay for the radio?
Jerry/N6MEJ

The best advice I can give, is once you get to fire it up, and see that it's not smoking, make sure which, and how many, filters are in place, and check that all knobs and switches work smoothly, and the drum dial turns, when you change bands. Look for cracks in the knobs, and anomalies in the knobs, to see if any have been replaced with reproductions. Good condition originals are preferable, to excellent condition reproductions. Check for loose stems, and discolored drums/dials. And, if he has a Collins, or Collins reproduction speaker, make him throw that in too boot. If worse comes to worse, they sell for premium prices, and you can recover some cost, selling it, because PLENTY of cheaper speakers will work, just as well. I've seen a decent condition 270G-1, sell, on eekBay for upwards of $250. That's some cost recovery, when you can use most any 4 ohm speaker, with the right frequency response.