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Well, I wouldn't want to piss anyone off or get flamed, but I really feel a need to defend Steve, Dave Abramson and the other volunteers.
INCOMPETENCE / MISTAKES:
I've been to every Early Television Convention since they started. It's always a whirlwind. No matter how much you prepare ahead of time the pace on Saturday is so fast, and the schedule so tight, that it often becomes impossible for well-intentioned volunteers to make sure that everything goes perfectly. Part of the problem is often that many people don't get to see what goes on "behind the curtain." I could NEVER criticize Steve, Bob Dobush, Dave A., Darryl or any of the other volunteers who put in long hours of often hard physical labor to support the Convention, without compensation or anything other than an occasional pat on the back. Dave, in particular, stepped in to serve as our auctioneer after previous volunteers weren't able to do it. I think he did a great (if perhaps not perfect) job and as with all of our other volunteers he did a heck of a lot better than "none of the above."
LEADERSHIP:
There has been a significant influx of "new leadership" over the past few years (a fully-filled formal Board of Directors, up from pretty much 'just Steve' until not too long ago.) These are people who care about the Foundation and put in time and effort (and occasionally money) to support it. New blood is always welcome, and usually in short supply. Some folks show up and the first thing out of their mouths is "how can I help?" Gotta love those people. (You know who you are!) My own philosophy is that constructive criticism is always eagerly sought and deeply appreciated. But UNconstructive criticism could mean that YOU are now in charge of whatever it is you were complaining about!
PRICES:
Regarding prices, virtually everything was a "good deal" this year if you were a buyer, or a young collector just starting out. And a "bad deal" if you were selling. In my neck of the woods, radios and TVs are selling for literally a few cents on the dollar of what longtime collectors paid for them years ago and think that they are worth. FYI a CT-100 in similar condition sold here last year for two or three hundred dollars. It's depressing, but there have been several occasions here lately where they literally have not been able to give radios and TVs away for free at auctions and estate sales. And I missed out on a couple of great buys myself because my bid was a millisecond too late. My bad.
One of my favorite quotes is "A thing is worth what you can get for it." For the record, I put a set in the auction this year for the first time ever. When the dust settled, Steve sent me a note that my net proceeds would be a dollar and sixty cents. I told him to keep it.
IMPROVEMENT:
We learn from our mistakes. The comments about the order of items in the auction are interesting, and my own observations are that is true. We are planning to do "iMag" (projecting the item being auctioned on a screen) next year, but that also adds another layer of complexity and more equipment and manpower demands on our already stretched-thin-to-the-breaking-point crew.
This year (as always :-) was "the best Early Television Convention ever." And next year probably will be too.
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