Before I recap Straight Key Night I figured I would throw in a couple of interesting items I watched sell on eBay the last couple of days … both of which were microphones.
ASTATIC D104 X 2?
Maybe its the fact I was introduced to CB radio when I was 11 years old, but I have always had “a thing” for Astatic D-104 microphones. I always wanted one but my grass-cutting budget wouldn't allow for such an extravagant purchase. Plus I didn't know where to find one locally.
I own a number of them now, several left over from my first rigs once I got my ham ticket. I used D-104s on my Hallicrafters SR-150 as well as my Heathkit SB-102. They work well on Swans too.
Anyway, the microphone at right was custom built by a guy in nearby Shelbyville. It appears he did a good job of fabrication on the modified mic, as well as finishing it out. It's certainly one of the most unusual ones you'll ever see, truly a one-of-a-kind. And yeah, had it not been so expensive I **might** have pursued it (I'm just that kinda redneck, lol!). It sold for $127.50.
Both of the heads are live, and the mic features the usual D-104 preamp. The mic base and the “y” are finished in a blue metallic basecoat/clear coat finish. The guy really did an excellent job with it, though its not something you would likely see in most ham shacks. Since its introduction in the 1930s, the D-104 has been a popular mic in the Amateur Radio market; its only since the last couple of decades have the D-104 fallen in popularity — though I think most hams today own one or have owned one in the past.
I have a pair of D-104 desk lamps, both of which I found on eBay. These were built by different people, and to buy the mics and make them would have cost a good deal more than the price I paid. D-104s sell at hamfests in the $25-50 range, depending on the hamfest. They're worth about $30 if they're working and in decent shape. The bases usually need refinishing if they've been used much at all. The factory hammertone finish always seems to get stained from handling.
SEX SELLS? YES IT DOES!
I'm a retro kinda guy, and I love old microphones (see above). I just bought a classic Cardax 930 mic that I may retrofit with a Heil HC-5 cartridge; first I'll try it as-is. In the shack my main mic is an original Shure 55S, and I have a Lafayette clone of the Astatic 77 as well as the Electro Voice “Mercury” 611 mic and the Shure 51A on a desk stand. Lots of classic stuff I've accumulated through the years.
The Astatic 77 is the real deal, however, and very much in demand. The final selling price of the microphone at right proves that, as well as the title of this section. I pored over the sellers listing, trying to determine what his wife or girlfriend's breasts have to do with the microphone. Other than eye candy, I can't determine any significance. The seller had seven photos for this 77, which if you look at the microphone, is mounted on a D-104 base. Fortunately, for those of us who are interested in the mic, two of the photos did not include his wife. But in two of the photos he includes her dressed in a black evening gown, so perhaps he's allowing her to inject some class into his redneck microphone hobby? Naaaah!
The final selling price again proves my headline correct — the mic sold for $300.50. I've asked my wife if she was willing to help improve my sales on eBay. Good thing I can still duck quickly!