Ham Radio Bargains
My Station Inventory & Wishes
Filled out by the operator, while he's the one who knows what everything is. Keep with your will and important papers. Review once a year.
If you are reading this because I've passed: I'm sorry you're dealing with this on top of everything else. This sheet is my attempt to make it easier. It lists what my equipment is, what each piece is honestly worth, who I've asked to help you, and what I'd like done. Nothing here has to happen fast. The gear kept its value for years; it will keep for a few months while you grieve and think. Anyone who pressures you to sell quickly is telling you something about themselves, not about the equipment.
Operator name:
Callsign:
Date last updated:
Station is located at:
Keys / access held by:
The Equipment — and What It's Honestly Worth
Values are fair market value: what each piece realistically sells for, based on actual sold prices — not what I paid for it. (Free check: the Price Checker at hamradiobargains.com shows recorded sales for most models — no account, no login, no callsign needed.) Serial numbers prove ownership — worth writing down for that reason alone.
In the condition column, don't write an inspection report — write what you know from living with the piece: whether it's the rig that's on the air every night, the last thing you checked on it, any quirks it has. Nobody else can write that down after you're gone, and it's the closest thing to a guarantee a buyer will ever get on used gear.
| Item (make & model) |
Serial # |
Condition & accessories included |
Fair value |
Wishes (sell / give to / donate / keep) |
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| Total fair value of the station: | | |
Overflow: attach extra sheets in the same format. Antennas, rotators, and the tower belong on this list too — see the tower note on page 2 before letting anything leave.
Who I've Asked to Help You
This is the person I trust to stand between my family and the buyers — to answer questions, check offers against the values above, and help sell pieces if you want them to. They've agreed to this. If they're unavailable, my local club is the next call.
Two things worth knowing about my helper. First, he knows this station firsthand — he's sat in this shack for years, run these radios, and heard me talk through every quirk they have. When he tells a buyer a rig works, that's not a guess; buyers in this hobby know the difference, and it sells. Second, this sheet protects him as much as it protects you: the values and wishes here are in my own hand, so nobody can ever wonder whether he priced something low for his own benefit. He's doing this because he was my friend — the least I can do is leave him this cover.
Local radio club:
Club contact:
My Instructions
What I'd like done with the station overall — anything not covered piece-by-piece above:
The tower and antennas (who should take them down, anything promised to anyone):
My logbook, QSL cards, and computer (passwords are kept where indicated — never on this sheet if it might be shared):
Anything promised, loaned, or borrowed — gear of mine in someone else's shack, or theirs in mine:
Anything else my family should know:
For My Family: Selling Without Getting Taken
- Use the values on page 1 as your yardstick. Prices drift over time; you can re-check any model free at hamradiobargains.com's Price Checker, which shows actual recorded sales.
- Selling piece by piece brings the most money — close to the total on page 1 — but takes time and effort. That's what my helper and my club are for.
- A single offer for everything at once will be lower — the buyer takes on the work and the risk, and a discount for that is fair. But measure it against the page-1 total. An offer at half the total or less deserves a second opinion before you say yes.
- You don't need to know whether it works — and don't guess. Nobody expects you to judge radio equipment, and an honest "untested" is a normal thing to say. Fair warning, honestly given: untested gear sells for less, and part of that discount is legitimate — the buyer is taking the risk. Two things close most of the gap. My own notes on page 1 say what I knew about each piece. And my helper can power up the valuable pieces and check the basics — in this hobby, saying exactly what was checked ("powered up, received well, transmitted on 20 meters") is normal, honest selling, and it earns back real money compared to "untested." A rig that was on the air every night is a known quantity, not a mystery — that's worth money too.
- Get offers in writing, and take a day to think. Honest buyers wait. Anyone who says "today only" has answered your question about them.
- If someone claims a piece of gear was "theirs on loan," ask for paperwork and check with my helper before releasing anything. It's a known trick.
The tower rule: don't let the radios and easy gear all leave before there's a firm plan — ideally a signed commitment — for taking down the tower and antennas. Removal takes a licensed, insured crew and can cost real money; a leftover tower can complicate selling the house. Tower first, or tower promised in writing, before the shack empties.
- Unsellable items are normal. Old magazines, homebuilt projects, and parts often have no market. Donating them to my club or a charity (some give tax receipts) is a respectable end for them — not a failure.
- My callsign and license: my family or club can notify the FCC and ARRL of my passing, and a close relative may be able to request my callsign. The ARRL also prints Silent Key notices in QST if you'd like that.