What is a good price for a full set of Sam's Photofact CB manuals?

[PoDuck]

I just found a full set of Sam's Photofact CB manuals for $250. I'm pretty sure that between that and the Sencore CB42 service monitor that he's willing to sell me for $25, that it's worth driving 8 hours round trip to get them, since the guy doesn't want to ship them, or accept anything but cash. I think I can sell the service monitor for enough to cover the cost of the books, the gas, and my food for the day.

Other than seeing CBDistributing selling a full set for $1700+ dollars, I can't see how much they might actually be worth. Does anyone have a ballpark? I know that individual books are selling for around $10 on ebay, but I'm interested in how much the whole set should go for.

 

[midnight special]

if they are like the ones i seen a while back only about a quarter of them is any use,,, unless you have an extremely lot of obsolete, old and parts unobtomanium radios laying around,,,not that much,,,it depends i guess on the collector quality now adays,,, bragging rights,, and such,,,

 

[PoDuck]

Well, considering that I've been resurrecting old radios, I imagine that I will have use for more than 1/4 of them eventually.

 

[StrangeBrew]

Make sure it really is a full set, often the books for the more popular radios get sold off separate. The sets that I've seen come up for sale around here never seem to be complete.

 

[sonoma]

if it is a full set and you need the old books from the 60's thats a good price. I only use about 15 or so different books. there is a lot of them that cover radios you will never see..
just depends on your needs. 250.00 is less than 1.00 per book.20 years ago I would have jumped on that price but now days you will not see the old radios. none of the newer radios are in the sams books. most people are going to the newer radios like the Anytone AT6666.

 

[unit_399]

If the books are in good condition and it is definitely a full set, $200 - $250 is a good price. I agree with Sonoma that there are a lot in my set that I do not use often (or ever), but when you run across an old radio that would be worth a lot if it was working then they're priceless.

Besides, if the CB42 if working it just sweetens the deal.

- 399

 

[Dmans]

PoDuck,
This ad has been up on CL/Atlanta area for awhile. Highly likely they are priced too high as the reason but the poster has less than half the total books in the set.

https://athensga.craigslist.org/ele/d/121-sams-photofact-cb-radio/6621089862.html

I think $250.00 is a screaming deal.

I have bought a dozen or so from ebay. Some I paid $3.00 for, a couple I had a choice of 4 books for $10.00, highest I paid was $12.50 (for CB-127). I am in no hurry for them (as I do this for busy work) so have time to watch and wait.

73's
David

 

[PoDuck]

I know I want a few books that never come up for sale on ebay, or if they do, they are snatched up before I get to see them. It would be nice to be able to grab a book for these old radios instead of having to buy them as I need them.

 

[loosecannon]

if you want to confirm that it's a "full set", make sure that these issues are included:
27, 39, 79, 118, 126, 127, 179, 207, 217, 219, 222, 230, 249, 215, 276.

this is obviously not all the models that are still popular, but these are the ones that people generally remove from a full set and then try to sell the rest as a "full set".

also, if it is a full set, 250 is a great price. I'd pay it any day.
LC

 

[PoDuck]

I don't think this guy knows too much about much of anything when it comes to value. The fact that he's willing to sell that CB42 for $25 is proof enough of that. The guy doesn't do anything on the internet. I contacted his daughter, who had listed them for him, and she gave him my phone number. He doesn't even have an email address. He says he has a bunch of other test equipment. If he's going to give prices like that on everything, I may just buy him out.

By my estimation, I think the value of that CB42 is about $350, especially if it works. I was estimating that the Photofacts should be worth around $500 to $750, but I wasn't sure.

Anyway, I think I'll let him know how much I think his stuff is actually worth, but tell him that I can't afford those prices, and give him the chance to back out. It would suck, but I am all for getting a good deal, but I don't want to take advantage of someone without them being fully informed first. I've had good luck with that strategy in the past. People almost never back out, and I don't feel like I'm screwing anyone over.

 

[loosecannon]

sounds like he knows what the SAMS books are worth, but not the CB42.

the CB42's can go for 350 on ebay but that's the high end and would include all the peripherals like test leads, the noise pulse generator, (i will buy this from you if he has one) and the mic tester.

Usually they go for 200-250 regardless of condition because people really want an "all in one" CB test set. The problem is that most CB42's are on their last legs and are in bad need of re-capping and alignment. (if you were to do this to one, and put it on ebay it could go for over 400 easily. the alignment info is online)

If the CB42 in question had any bad IC chips then all bets are off as far as value goes because most of them are impossible to find. who knows, 25 bucks may be a fair price if it doesn't work.

good luck,
LC

 

[Dmans]

if you want to confirm that it's a "full set", make sure that these issues are included:
27, 39, 79, 118, 126, 127, 179, 207, 217, 219, 222, 230, 249, 215, 276.

LC,
You are absolutely correct about this. I have been trying to get a copy of 207 for a little while but not for the TRC457/458 as most would want. I have a $10.00 Sears AM mobile that is in this book that is giving me fits to straighten out. But like PoDuck, spending $20.00 for this book to straighten out a $10.00 radio is not good use of my funds. I will trip over #207 one day and if I can locate the Sears mobile in my pile of junk, I will have another go at it.

I did find 127 on "the" auction site and paid about $15.00 for it I think but I do have a "like new" 139XLR I use regularly and that I plan on keeping.
Again, not a business for me, just busy work and a learning opportunity!

73's
David

 

[PoDuck]

sounds like he knows what the SAMS books are worth, but not the CB42.

the CB42's can go for 350 on ebay but that's the high end and would include all the peripherals like test leads, the noise pulse generator, (i will buy this from you if he has one) and the mic tester.

Usually they go for 200-250 regardless of condition because people really want an "all in one" CB test set. The problem is that most CB42's are on their last legs and are in bad need of re-capping and alignment. (if you were to do this to one, and put it on ebay it could go for over 400 easily. the alignment info is online)

If the CB42 in question had any bad IC chips then all bets are off as far as value goes because most of them are impossible to find. who knows, 25 bucks may be a fair price if it doesn't work.

good luck,
LC

I've seen the set sell for more than that on eBay. I saw one listed for $800, but I never saw if it sold, but I have seen two sets that sold. One sold for $500, and another sold for $400. All of those were buy it now prices though. I can't find any sold listing now though, so it's hard to see what they go for on average, or if they are still being sold for those prices. Given that is the total of my experience with them, that is what I base my estimate on.

 

[PoDuck]

Well, I drove down to Cincinnati and picked up a bunch of stuff from the guy. He was a really nice guy. 86 years old, and just can't do much anymore. I picked up the Photofacts, and it was absolutely a full set, with a few extras. The first three books were pretty hammered, but I have those already, and most of them are a bit dirty from sitting on the shelf for decades, but in okay condition. He also had all the Secret CB volumes, and a bunch of other books he threw in for free. He had a Tektronix 2215A with 4 Tektronix probes he sold me for $50, the CB42 he sold me for $25, and a handful of SSB radios he sold for $2 a piece. Nothing spectacular. Most were JC Penney mobile SSB radios. He also just handed me a bunch of odds and ends of parts for free.

He had a ton more stuff, including a bunch of ham gear, but I wasn't prepared for so much, so I asked him to give me a price for everything else he has, and I'll go buy it all from him at a later date. I let him know that he is pricing things on the low side, but he said he knew that. He was just happy to have it get back in use.

Anyway, all said, I spent $340, and I'm quite happy. Now I just have to clean things up and sell the stuff I don't want to keep.

 

[Dmans]

PoDuck,
Congrats! Looks like you found a great deal!
If you think you may want to sell one or more of the J.C. Penney mobile SSB rigs, PM me. I may well be interested.

73's
David