It's nice to have the mail man deliver your latest purchase from eBay.
Today, the mailman brought my new Vibroplex bug (seen in the photo). This is the one described below — the one that had the very dark photo which hid the fact it was a much more desireable Blue Racer Deluxe.
I've been very, very curious just what the bug would look like. Even after I lightened the photo in Photoshop, I still couldn't tell a great deal of detail about it — the finer details. For example, just how pitted is the chrome on the base? The auction copy mentioned it, but it was hard to figure out how good (or bad) it might have been. Of course, the dark photo worked to help hide that, but it also meant the guy selling it sold it for less than half its average eBay value.
No, I'm not complaining!
The bug is very nice, and with its serial number of 199,012, it was built in 1957. For a 50-year-old key, it holds up very well.
The base does have a number of very small pits on it. I suspect its from the chrome itself deteriorating. The key's parts are in mint condition. They really look like new. If I wanted to refurbish this key, all I would do is replate the base. The rest of it is pretty much good to go!
Lord, is this key fast! Man alive, with the jeweled bearings, it runs a streak of dits before my slow hand can stop them. I clipped on my extra “bug tamer” weight on the existing weights, and that helped slow it down to under 20 wpm.
I cleaned and polished it quickly using some Flitz, and it came out nice. I could put the key back on eBay and easily get 75 percent more than I paid for it. If I owned another Blue Racer De Luxe, I might consider doing just that.
A later T.R. McElroy bug got away from me today on eBay. Macflick again beat me out. Frankly, I lost because I bid too low. I just can't go $300 for a bug these days. I want a McElroy bug, but that's too rich for me blood, at least for now.
I'm off to bed, so 73 and GUD DX! …. SK …. dit dit …..