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Here are answers to some of the questions folks ask
me about the Radio Attic, and some answers to questions you should have asked! -- F.W. |
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Who?
- Who advertises at the Radio Attic? -- Anyone who wants their own space on
the Internet to sell old radios. Your Radio Attic page will always have the same URL
for you to use in printed ads, business cards, or whatever.
- Who doesn't advertise at the Radio Attic? -- People who have their own web
sites, sell their radios on online auctions, prefer to use the printed media, or don't
like the Internet (or me--but there are only a couple of them out there).
- Who is F.W.? -- F.W. is short for Friendly Webmaster.
That's me. Click here to find out how friendly
I am.
- Who do you think you are? -- No secret here. My
name is Steve Adams. I've been collecting old radios since 1993 and
helping others sell their radios on the Internet since 1996.
- Who can I get to fix my old radio? -- Not me! Check
out the Radio Attic's Links page for restoration
resources.
- Who is your web host? --
InMotion Hosting Reliable
service, first-rate
support.
What?
- What's the goal of the Radio Attic? -- Simple. To become
the best place on the Internet to buy and sell old radios!
- What happened to your old RadioGallery.com site? -- I sold it because I
had "designed" an advertising and billing system that took more time to maintain
than I had available. It has since closed down for good. You can
purchase the domain name from GoDaddy for $4,288.00 if you
really want it. Why did I start this site after that? Click
here for the answer.
- What happened to the Old Radio Classified (ORC) web site? -- People
did not want to pay the (very reasonable) fees for the ads. After a
while I got tired to telling people to read the site's Terms and dropped the
site.
- What happened to the Vintage Electronics Classified web site? -- I
thought it was a really good idea to resurrect the ORC concept of offering a
place for people to sell their old electronics that were prohibited at the
Radio Attic because of this site's Terms. I added many neat features to
VEC that weren't available on ORC and learned how to do some awesome coding
tricks. But I forgot to adequately promote the site, and eventually I
dropped it. There will be no future experiments with this concept.
- What does it cost to advertise at the Radio Attic? -- Five percent
of the radio's initial published selling price, minimum $5.00.
High-dollar (over $1,000) radio ads get a discount.
- What are the advantages of buying a radio at the Radio Attic? -- You
know who the seller is. You can see photos of the radio. Every radio has a
set selling price. This is not an auction site; you do not have to place a bid or
worry about an auction closing. You can contact the seller and get all the details
about any radio which you are considering to purchase. No pressure.
- What does "restored and working" mean? -- This varies from seller
to seller; I do not attempt to get this definition standardized. You
should ask specific questions about the cosmetic and operating condition of
any radio you like BEFORE you buy it.
- What's your return policy? -- Every seller has his/her own return
policy. All I ask is that their return policy follow basic Radio Attic
rules.
- What are the advantages of selling a radio at the Radio Attic? -- Your
radio is advertised world-wide on the Internet until it sells for one reasonable price (as
low as $5.00). You set the selling price. No auctions; no reserves; no
pressure. You have a permanent URL for all your radios to use on
business cards or print ads.
- What does the symbol mean? --
It means that the radio it marks was published for sale within the last
thirty days. All new radios are displayed on the "What's
New?" page. If you see this symbol by the name of an advertiser on the
main "for sale" page, it means that advertiser has added radios
for sale within the last thirty days.
- What web publishing software do you use? --
Microsoft's FrontPage 2003. Yeah, I'm a dinosaur.
- What's your track record? -- Pretty good, I think. Ask
my advertisers how they feel about their sales success. Most, if not all,
will give a glowing recommendation. Simply put: if you are advertising a nice radio
with clear photos, an accurate description, and a reasonable selling price, you'll sell
your radio at the Radio Attic.
- What's the best way to photograph my radio? -- My photographer
friend tells me to photograph in bright shade, against a neutral colored background close
to the shade (darkness) of the radio. Avoid brightly contrasting backgrounds. I like to photograph slightly to the side and
above the radio, but this really depends on the shape of the radio.
- What's my radio's model number? -- Please don't ask me that.
Look in the Archives for your
radio. If it isn't there, then neither of us knows.
- What do you think of eBay? -- Don't like it, won't ever buy
radios there again.
Click here for my humble opinion.
Why?
- Why is this a better place to buy old radios? -- With the proliferation of
internet auction sites and the other anonymous selling that goes on in
forums, newsgroups
and other free venues,
I wanted to provide a friendlier place where collectors could buy and sell their
radios. Every ad on the Radio Attic has the name of the seller and a
means for direct contact.
- Why aren't all the radios on Radio Attic restored and/or working?
-- As a community, antique radio collectors are basically cheapskates (don't
get triggered), and many want to do their own restorations. So it may be
to a seller's advantage to sell a non-working radio. Generally, this
offers a radio at a lower selling price.
- Why can't I get free shipping to East Slobovia if the seller advertises
free shipping? -- When a seller advertises free shipping, this means free
shipping to buyers in the continental United States (or the "Lower Forty" for
those of you in Rio Linda). If a seller offers free international
shipping (which isn't likely), the ad will say so.
- Why do you only publish new ads once a day? -- While some updates
(like radios being sold) are sometimes published at various times during the
day, new ads get published once a day so buyers can be sure they've seen
everything new without having to check the site many times a day.
- Why did you start this web site? -- (a) I had several
requests from former advertisers to provide a web site for them. (b) I missed the
fame and fortune (ha) that came my way as RadioGallery.com's webmaster. (c) I don't take
free wanted ads any more, so the site takes a lot less time to maintain. (d) Since you only
make one payment per ad until the radio sells, I don't have any renewal billing to do
(that was the biggest time drain of all).
- Why did you add the Archives? -- A visitor to the Radio
Attic (Dave Best, a fellow Alabamian) suggested I add an "index" page in
September 2000. I passed on the idea at first, but after a while it
sounded like fun. Radio Attic's Archives contain over 12,000 images of radios with known model numbers.
- Why did you stop adding new photos to the Archives? -- Because I'm
getting old, and tired, and vetting photos takes up time that I could use
playing with my grandkids or traveling. For every e-mail I get (or
positive comment on the Internet) praising the site, I get two from collectors
who either don't like the photos of a particular radio or who argue with me
over a radio's identification. Who has time for that?
- Why do you charge a fee for advertising? -- (a) My
web host charges me; (b) I have advertising, supplies, and postage costs; (c)
It takes a considerable amount of time to publish a web site, so you're paying
in part for my time, too; (d) If I have anything left over, I buy old radios!
- Why do you forward my request for information about a radio to someone else? --
Because you asked me about a radio someone else is selling. You must contact the
individual seller (whose name is at the top of each Attic page) to buy or inquire about a
radio. Click here for the disclaimer.
- Why do you hate eBay? -- Used to be, you only had to go to
an antique store to see a radio worth $30 selling for $250 and with a cut
cord, no less. Now you can go to eBay and see it
hundreds of times a day. Sure, there are some bargains there, but mostly
it's radios with unreasonable reserves chased by idiots (my opinion) who will
pay well over the radio's value. This prompts others to set higher
prices when they sell their radios, and leads to radio price inflation, which
is NOT good for the collector.
- Why are some of your sellers called "Featured Sellers?" -- The
Featured Sellers program is a way of showcasing those sellers who have made
the biggest impact on the Radio Attic through recent ads and sales. Fear
not, all the site's sellers may be found on the Site Map.
This distinction is calculated daily, so these names may change daily.
Plus I change the rules from time to time.
- Why are some of your sellers called "Premier Sellers?" -- The
Premier Sellers are the Radio Attic's "All-Stars" in different categories
calculated over the past six months. These categories include number
of sales, total amount sold, number of new ads placed, and others. This
distinction is calculated daily, so these names may change daily. Plus I
change the rules from time to time.
- Why won't the seller return my e-mails? -- Believe it or not, my
sellers don't sit in front of their computers all day (like me). Sometimes they go
to work, or take a vacation, or just don't check their mail but every couple
of days or so. If you have difficulty contacting a seller, send me an
e-mail and I'll try to help.
- Why won't my shortwave radio pick up stations? -- For several
reasons, actually, none of which have anything to do with the radio.
There are far fewer SW broadcasts and many transmitters are now operating on
very reduced hours, very reduced signal strength. An exceptional
increase in RF interference from computers, monitors, microwave ovens,
lighting fixtures, etc. can make shortwave listening impossible today.
Shortwave reception is completely dependent on so many factors beyond the
receiver (time of day, sunspot activity, weather conditions, antenna quality &
size, etc). If you live in a concrete and steel apartment building using
a 4-foot antenna wire during the day, you're going to be completely
disappointed.
- Why won't you tell me the value of my radio? --
Because I. Don't. Know.
Please click here for more info.
Where?
- Where can I find contact information for a seller? -- There is
usually an e-mail link at the top of each seller's Attic page, or an image or
card that you can click on to send an e-mail. If your computer isn't set
up to send e-mail by clicking on links, you can usually send an e-mail to
[seller's last name]@radioattic.com, unless it's one of the Andersons or
Martins. E-mail me if you have any difficulty contacting a seller.
- Where are you located? -- In the Heart of Dixie:
Shelby County, Alabama,
stars falling all around us...
- Where are the radios located? -- Radios are located with the
sellers. Click here for the disclaimer.
- Where can I find parts for old radios? -- Check out the
Radio Attic's Links page.
- Where do your advertisers sell radios? -- All over
the world!
- Where is your Facebook page? --
https://www.facebook.com/OldRadioAttic
- Where is your Twitter page? -- Don't have one. No one cares
about anything I have to say.
- Where are the Archives located? --
https://radioatticarchives.com/
When?
- When do new ads get published? -- New ads go "live" at the Radio
Attic at one minute after midnight (Central Time).
- When will you publish my ad? -- Within 72 hours after
receiving your submitted ad.
- When will my ad expire? -- It won't; not until your radio sells, anyway.
- When can I change my ad? -- Any time. You can reduce your
radio's selling price at any time. You can raise your radio's selling price provided
you pay the difference between the fee for the new price and the original fee.
- When will you stop doing this? -- When I'm dead, I guess. I
have a replacement webmaster selected already, so don't worry...
- Why is this question in the "When?" section? -- Just to see if
you're paying attention. Hey, I can be friendly and funny.
How?
- How do I contact you? -- Just send an e-mail to
. I
will not respond to e-mail verification services and will not be responsible
for unanswered e-mails from services that require e-mail verification. If you
want me to reply to your e-mails, whitelist my address BEFORE sending me an
e-mail.
- How do I buy a radio at the Radio Attic? -- Click
here for the answer.
- How can I find out about new radios added to the Radio Attic? --
The Radio Attic's server sends an e-mail shortly after new radios are
published for sale, with a photo and description. If you would like to
receive this automatic notification, just e-mail me and I'll add you to the
list. I will not e-mail you for ANY other reason than for this
notification. Honest.
- How can I get a catalog? -- There is no catalog; all the radios are
displayed on the web site.
- How friendly are you, really? -- I am
REALLY friendly, really.
- How do I advertise in the Radio Attic? -- Just read my Terms
and Conditions and send me an e-mail. Selling at the Radio Attic
is done by INVITATION ONLY.
- How long will my radio's ad stay on line? -- Until it sells.
Actually, 30 days after it sells; I like to mark sold radios SOLD
and brag about them for a while.
- How can I sell at the Radio Attic if I don't have Internet access? -- I
can display your phone number or snail-mail address.
- How many radios can I put on my page? -- As many as you want.
- How can I help to make the Radio Attic a success? -- (1) Tell your
friends; (2) Visit often; (3) Tell your friends; (4) Link to the Radio Attic from your web
site; (5) Tell your friends.
- How do I repair a radio? -- Your Friendly Webmaster is not
a technician. I buy radios because they're pretty. I can replace components and test tubes, but that's about
all. If you ask me questions like this, I'll just feel bad because I
can't help.
- How do I submit photos for the Archives? -- Please don't; I
am no longer adding radios to the archives.
- How do I make Baklava? -- Click here for
Steve's Easy Baklava recipe.
- How do I make blueberry scones? -- Come on, you have my baklava
recipe; what do you need scones for?
- How did the big database upgrade go on May 5, 2020? - I was
awesome!
- How do you manage to do such a great job with this web site? -- Awww,
shucks.
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Radios for sale
at the Radio Attic are offered by independent advertisers and not by the Webmaster.
Sellers are identified at the top of each page. You must directly contact
the seller to purchase a radio.
© 1999, 2024
the
Radio Attic