ARNSW Buying and Selling
                                                               - as a service to our members

• Deceased Estate Purchases and Sales                             

• Equipment Disposal Sales

• Update 28th Sept 2009 -- This "Disposals Sale" has concluded very successfully, thanks to all
  involved, there will be another, possibly at our November 2009 Trash and Treasure event.

          
           Amateur Radio New South Wales provides various services (including training and exams), primarily to it's members but also to the general Amateur Radio community (mainly in NSW). These services are essentially self funded through investments, donations, assessment fees and our very modest membership fees.
          Additional funds are realized via our regular Trash & Treasure sales and (usually) half yearly Disposal Sales. The income from these couple of events is usually enough to cover the costs of actually running them and also assist with the upkeep of our Dural site.
         Trash & Treasure items are usually donations of obsolete communications equipment and assemblies from which the purchaser can re-cycle (scavenge) assemblies or components to build something else. As a result items on sale are often "ratted" gear or partially built items that never quite got finished, the original purchaser obviously not having had enough "round-to-its" to his or her credit.
         Disposal items, usually the more "choice" gear bring in a small commission on sales, either bought outright from the owner or sold on commission with a reserve price.
         Yet again either via a donation or a very modest purchase we obtain older "collectible" or "historic" equipment and add it to our museum of Amateur equipment or donate it to a like minded organization. Any costs here obviously coming off our bottom line.
          Very occasionally we will come across some equipment or spares we can use in our VK2WI station or our Commemorative Radio Station. Which is why, traditionally the Dural technical staff get first "dibbs" at anything coming in, so long as we did not pay too much for it. Again, any costs here coming off our bottom line.

We appreciate the members and visitors support at our sales and value the opportunity to keep the gear moving within the Ham and Experimenter community.
 

Deceased Estate Purchases and Sales

         In sourcing items for our Disposals and Trash and Treasure events, we have two main sources of parts and equipment for our Disposals and T&T events.

        One of them is donations of superceded or un-wanted equipment and spares from Government or Commercial organizations. If you become aware of any communications, studio or electronic equipment “surplus to requirements” please contact us as we would be only too happy to follow it up with you. The other is pre-loved gear and spares from the Deceased Estates of Hams and experimenters. We like to think of this a final service to these people and their families. It also helps to ensure that Ham gear continues to be used by licenced operators. 

        We also collect stuff from the homes of former Hams and experimenters who have become ill or for some reason are unable to pursue their hobby. Moving into a nursing home or retirement facility can greatly reduce the opportunities to practice this hobby. The pressures of family or age may mean that a Ham or Experimenter has to reduce their activities and that prized garage full of “stuff’ can become an un-wanted or un-necessary burden on the owner and family members. Tragically most of this stuff lies for years un-used in back rooms or garages, all the time loosing value to other operators and experimenters. The perceived value of the main pieces of equipment are often unknown or un-realistic, because the operator got it into the house in the first place on the basis that “it fell off the back of a truck” or “gosh this will be worth quids in a few years”. 

       So if you know of a Ham or experimenter who has become a Silent Key or is no longer able to actively take part in this amazing hobby, have a chat to them or their family, as appropriate. In the country areas most of the big clubs have a Property or Deceased Estates Officer who can evaluate and dispose of the equipment for you. If you are not sure then ring or email us and we will be happy to give you contact details.

       In the Sydney area (bounded by Newcastle, Blue Mountains and Wollongong) we at ARNSW would be happy to provide this service and get the much prized equipment and parts back into circulation. Where necessary we can often arrange pickups outside this area. 

So what do we do with all this “stuff” ??

       For larger and more costly items we have a regular “Disposals” event where items are disposed of by tender (see the next section on this page). Smaller or not so valuable items are disposed of through our bi-monthly Trash and Treasure events. Not so well known is that we often donate un-usual or historically interesting pieces of equipment to Military and Private Museums such as Ian VK2ZIO’s Kurrajong Radio Museum. Our Dural team are always on the look out for items to repair, enhance or expand the VK2WI station and its equipment, so keep a close eye on what comes in. When our office area is re-established on the Dural site we can un-pack and again display our own Historical Museum which relates to early days in radio and the history of the VK2WI site itself.

       The small financial returns from carrying out this service are returned to members in the form of services and facilities. 

       So if you become aware of any communications equipment or spares sitting around unwanted, or if you or a friend have stuff sitting around un-used, please give us a call and we will get it back into circulation. 

Send a letter or Fax to our office marked for the attention of the “Deceased Estates Officer” , you can also email details directly to disposals@arnsw.org.au and we will contact you regarding pickup.
Contact details for our office are listed HERE .
 

 Equipment Disposal Sales

      As mentioned above with the larger and more costly items we have a regular “Disposals” event where items are sold via a tender process. Although we may obtain the equipment form various sources, the sale or "Disposal" of it is primarily to our members. This also helps to ensure that Ham gear continues to be used by licenced operators as equipment will only be sold to persons holding the appropriate Australian Licence. Simply put, don't bid for equipment not covered by your licence. In the disposals process the "Disposals" Officer's decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

     Any equipment offered for disposal will usually have been bench/air tested, it's general condition and any known faults will be mentioned. We also usually display a photo of the gear and accessories (if any) and links to further information on the item.

     If you have or know where there are "good" items of Commercial or Ham communications or test equipment, please let us know and we will be happy to follow it up for you.

Send a letter or Fax to our office marked for the attention of the “Deceased Estates Officer” , you can also email details directly to disposals@arnsw.org.au and we will contact you regarding pickup.
Contact details for our office are listed HERE .

Update 7th March 2010 -- The "Disposals Sale" has concluded very successfully, thanks to all involved, we are currently collecting more gear for another sale on - Sunday 28th March 2010  Details HERE