I've been picking up some small items on eBay lately — a new antenna bracket, a network card, HT battery, etc. But I'm always watching the market for CW keys, and I'm always amazed.
Amazed? Yeah, I've missed some primo auctions, though I really don't necessarily NEED yet another semi-automatic bug in my shack. But the amazement really comes with the wide swings in pricing in just a couple of days.
Example 1: A well-known eBay seller had a 1945 Vibroplex Original up for auction that ended tonight. The key was very, very nice, without major chips in the finish of the base (which was the black wrinkle finish the company switched to about 1940). The upper parts were the post-WWII rounded parts, and they were (from the photos) very mint. The terminal nuts were not original, they were brass ones like you find at the hardware store. Other than being a nice key, it was nothing special — well, the winning bid was special: $355. A ham in Virginia submitted the winning bid.
Example 2: Another Vibroplex Original, this time an early 1960s key that was very nice. The base was the typical gray wrinkle painted finish. Again, a nice key but nothing spectacular. This key sold for $212.50, a price that I find a bit high. Vibroplex made a zillion keys in this time, and the Original of the day is basically the same key they sell now, only the new keys have better paint on the base.
Example 3: A 1917 Vibroplex Blue Racer. This key worked for a living, and the wear shows. But still, its a very collectible and useful key. This one sold for $177.50, and that's not a bad price considering the vintage and condition. I would have to want the key really badly to shell out that much for it.
Example 4: A 1974 Vibroplex Presentation. Wow, what a key! It's evident this little jewel spent most of its life in its Vibroplex carrying case. The gold plate is in perfect condition, and that's hard to find on a used key. The gold plating is so fragile that typically it has wear marks and scratches on it. Better yet, the case is in beautiful condition, it really looks like new. Some lucky bidder is shelling out $190 for a 30-plus year-old key that looks like new. Not a bad deal, particularly with the case. This one was worth the money.
Example 5: A 1979 Vibroplex Original DeLuxe. This is one of the keys made after Vibroplex moved from New York to Portland, Maine. A very minty key, but there appears to be a stigma attached to some of the Maine keys, at least among collectors. But compared to the price of a new key, the $100 price was a bargain. The only thing about the Maine-era keys I don't like was the change in how they attached the name plates. Once they moved to main, they began to use glue for the ID tag rather than rivets. When the company was moved to Mobile, Alabama, they went back with rivets. Many Maine-era keys will have one edge or another of the ID tag lifting off.
Example 6: 1961 Vibroplex Blue Racer. The words “Blue Racer” are almost always synonmous with “high price,” but not in every case. This key wasn't prefect, but collectors seem to snap up Blue Racers faster than any other Vibroplex key produced in large numbers, even the later models like this one. The key was basically a scaled down version of the Original, but boy howdy, will it play well. And fast. The gray base had some chips, but nothing too bad. This key hadn't been cleaned up, and it sold for a paltry $88.87, which is fairly cheap for any Blue Racer.
More Good Deals: A really nice Lightning Bug DeLuxe model sold for $83, a good deal because the key was in good shape. Probably would have gone higher but it was missing the ID tag. The other good deal was a 1923 Vibroplex Original in well used but good shape. The key was complete and original. Some of the factory gold carriage striping was still visible.
I didn't bid on any of the above keys, but I did win a recent auction for a 1942 Vibroplex Original. The key is original and nearly complete, missing only the finger and thumb pieces, which I can get from Vibroplex. The base was dirty, but cleaned up nicely. This was a $51 key, not a bad deal considering how well it plays.
I've sworn off more keys for the present, I'm going to have to stock up on parts to complete the ones that need various and sundry parts.
Gotta go for new …. 73 es cul … de KY4Z … SK …. dit dit ….