Also about My Services: Restorations-{Flat-Rate, Specials }, Repair, and Maintenance, Pricing, Payments, Shipping shipping form, Packing
I’ve been electronically restoring antique electronics since back in the late 1960s. I’ll post more later. This Website has begun on May 21st. 2019. I have had a Website since the late 1990s.
Pricing
I Might make this a separate page but for now here’s how the pricing works.
I cannot possibly tell what problems a vintage radio has until I can see it and measure things in person and can get a count of capacitors, in order to say what the first step of the electronic restoration will cost. The first step is replacing all the paper and electrolytic capacitors in a radio, tv or other antique electronic item. I aways try to qualify items for specials or determine the best price.
Flat Rate Restorations:
Higher Voltage radios and Vintage TVs: $15.00 per capacitor replaced* This includes car radios with the DC-to-DC power converters.
Lower voltage radios: $10.00 per capacitor replaced.* This includes some transistorized or hybrid (tube and transistor) car radios.
Total Basket case radios and TVs: needing just about everything or a very high percentage of parts replaced: $20.00 per capacitor replaced*
*plus other parts (if any are needed) + 8% sales tax (NY State Only) + return shipping.
Specials
5 and 6 Tube Table Radio Restoration Specials
5 tube table radio special: $49.99 plus other parts (if any are needed) + 8% sales tax (NY State Only) + return shipping.. 6 Tube: $59.99 plus other parts (if any are needed) + 8% sales tax (NY State Only) + return shipping. Early qualifying AC-DC radio: $75.00 plus other parts (if any are needed) + 8% sales tax (NY State Only) + return shipping.Some radios fit into a combination of these specials. These are AM Broadcast band ONLY radios. AM-FMs that are AC-DC are one of those combinations.
Transistorized Car Radio Special
Transistorized Car Radio special: $65.00 plus other parts (if any are needed) + 8% sales tax (NY State Only) + return shipping. This special is for AM only transistorized car radios with or without 5 mechanical preset push buttons that do NOT have any type of seek/scan. Some later model AM/FM radios qualify for the special too.
Zenith Tube Type Transoceanic Radio Restoration Special
Tube Type Zenith Transoceanic Special: $200.00 plus other parts (if any are needed) + 8% sales tax (NY State Only) + return shipping.
Quantity Specials
Quantity specials: For each 10 radio 5-6 tube or transistorized car specials set at once subtract the price of one. As usual, the full amount must be enclosed with specials.
If a combination of 10 radio specials are sent, then only one of the lowest priced ones is subtracted from the cost.
Examples of combinations of 10 Specials
Example 1: If five 5 tube radio specials + four 6 tube radio specials + one Zenith Transoceanic special are sent, then one of the 5 tube radio specials is deducted from the price.
Example 2: If you send ten 5 tube table radios at once $499.90 – $49.99 = $449.91 + ($35.99 (8% sales tax) NY only) + return shipping would need to be enclosed with the radios.
Example 3: If you sent ten 6 tube radios it would cost $599.90 – $59.99 = $539.91 + ($43.19 (8% sales tax) NY only) + return shipping for all 10 radios would have to be enclosed. If ten car radios were sent, $650.00 – $65.00 = $585.00 + $46.80 (8% sales tax) NY only) + return shipping would have to be enclosed.
Finally, Example 4, I doubt anyone has 10 tube type Zenith Transoceanic radios to electronically restore. But if they do, then $2000.00 – $200.00 = $1800.00 + ($144.00 (8% sales tax) NY only) + return shipping will need to be enclosed. More than one USPS Money Order will be required because $1000.00 is the maximum for one. Please pack and ship each radio separately to avoid damage.
What’s included in Antique Electronic Restorations
All restorations include the paper and electrolytic capacitors and all the labor for the restoration, unless the item is a total basket case. Plastic insulated line (power) cords are included if any 5 or 6 tube table radios or flat rate restorations need one. Dial lamps are included in specials and flat rate restorations if a radio or TV needs them. It may be difficult to replace the cord on a Transoceanic with a retractable cord. A reproduction cloth covered power cord and plug will cost extra.
What’s not included in Antique Electronic Restorations
Other parts beyond the included paper and electrolytic capacitors a radio, tv, or other vintage electronics item might need are not included and cost extra. Sometimes customers order parts and have them shipped to me, that’s fine. I always add the $36.00 for the cost of the part that’s always needed in the DC-to-DC converter in tube type car radios that is always worn out. But most of the time no other parts are necessary that would cost extra except that part in car radios. There is a long list of parts that might need to be replaced beyond the paper and electrolytic capacitors: Tube(s), transistors, resistors, coils (inductors), transformers, disc or mica capacitors, switches, controls, knobs, dial glass, dial scales, dial cords, etc. Again, most of the time these items are working and do not need to be replaced. But if they do, the cost of the part is the extra amount.
Restoration or Repair, what’s the difference?
What’s the difference between a repair and restoration? A repair may get a radio or tv working for a short time. But an electronic restoration brings the electronic item back to its original operating condition or better by replacing everything that has suffered from age. The most likely components to cause the most problems are the paper and electrolytic capacitors. Like a battery, these components, the way they used to be made, expire after about 15 or 20 years. Even back in the day when these components were used, they’d fail a lot more frequently than today’s equivalent value capacitors. So replacing all of the paper and electrolytic capacitors is part of regular maintenance for a vintage piece of electronics. The same thing happens with rubber parts on chassis and idlers in record players and turntables. The lubricant in many old record changers becomes something like glue, making it difficult for spinning or sliding parts from moving. These all have to be taken apart cleaned and re-oiled. Once this maintenance is done, then other electronic components need to be checked for trouble. Everything that might fail should be replaced if the electronic item is going to be used again, or it will have to be sent back to be serviced multiple times. So that’s the difference between a simple repair and an electronic restoration.
Return Shipping
Return shipping: Whatever you pay to ship an item to me from the Post Office, I need that same amount to ship it back to you. When you present the box to the clerk at the Post Office, it will be weighed and measured. So you’ll know before you ship, what return shipping will be. You can seal the carton after buying and enclosing the USPS Postal Money Order. This is usually ok with Post Office clerks. The US Post Office charges for the shipping, I don’t. I just need that amount to pay the Post Office when I ship the item back to you. Some customers have sent stamps, which is OK. But it might require a lot of them.
*plus other parts (if any are needed) + 8% sales tax (NY State Only) + return shipping.
Payments
Payments are to be in the form of a USPS Postal Money Order. These are sold ONLY at a US Post Office. If you really want to pay with PayPal, The Post Office will accept your PayPal debit card to buy a USPS Postal Money Order. Please fill in the USPS Postal Order with the Ship to address you are shipping the item to, along with your name and address. Please do not leave the USPS Money Order Blank.
Shipping
Please ship to one of the “Ship-To” addresses below. Please let me know which you are sending your radio to so I know where to look for it. The top address is much closer to where I do my work, and is also easier to get to during the winter months. As I type this it’s late May. So either address is fine right now. Please ship via USPS. Priority Mail (Now called “2-3 Day Priority Mail”) is preferred but Express Mail (Now called “Priority Mail Express”) or Parcel Post (Now called “Standard Mail”) is ok too.
The total amount is required to be enclosed with each 5 or 6 tube table radio special, and transistorized car radio special. A minimum of $75 is required to be enclosed with all flat rate restorations, or Zenith Transoceanic Radio specials to show that you are serious about having the work done. A second Money Order will be necessary for a final payment for flat rate restorations or if other parts are needed in specials, quantity specials or flat rate restorations. The second payment is usually not due until I inform you that the item is ready to be shipped back. I’m working on a form to print out for listing radios and the amount enclosed with radios.
Prepayment Form
A link to that PDF file will be here when I complete the form. I’ll add that link here. The link will open in a new tab, so you can print it out. This form is for listing the items you are shipping to me for an electronic restoration and to indicate the amount you are elbowing in the form of a USPS Postal Money Order. I also have a PDF file with shipping labels to print out and tape to your package. I’ll add that soon. There also needs to be a single item form and an agreement form like I have been using when customers hand deliver their antique electronic items to me.
Packing
Please package your radio or tv well so it will not get damaged in shipping. Car radios, especially, and some large chassis have long soft control shafts and bolts that stick out of them. If adequate space is not provided inside the carton for cushioning between the item and the inside wall of the carton, that also has room for the shafts, they can pierce the inside wall of the carton and stick out. Then one bump and a control shaft can bend or snap off, or the entire control can burst apart, adding to the cost of the electronic restoration to get a custom control rebuilt. Trying to skimp on shipping could end up costing more in the long run.
If you have any questions. Please either send me an eMail message by clicking on the envelope in the black circle link at the bottom of the page, or Click on the black circle with the f in it to go to my Facebook page, and send me a private message. You need to be logged into Facebook to do this. Thanks.