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I can definitely use some AI in my life.

Out of curiosity, I started asking ChatGPT about some of my deceased folks antiques and "treasures" and what their values might be. Lots of surprises. I will use this when I someday liquidate these unique items.

I have a highly collectible running 1950s Lawn Boy 2-stroke gas lawnmower with open recoil and metal canister gas tank on top. ChatGPT says collectors will pay $450 or more for pristine running examples. Who'd have guessed?!

Partial list ... copied from ChatGPT for your entertainment ....

Item Description Estimated Value Range
Union Civil War Medical Officer Sword & Sheath (Model 1840, excellent) $1,200 – $2,500
Union Ammo Bag w/ Brass Emblem, Paper-Wrapped Shells, Caps, Mold & Cutter (VG) $800 – $1,500
Original Civil War Union Brass “US” Belt Buckle (Fine) $150 – $300
Antique Bamboo Fly Rods (Fair condition) $50 – $200 each
1950s Spanish Leather Women’s Handbags $40 – $150 each
1950s Lawn Boy 2-Stroke Mower (Fine condition) $200 – $450
1948 16ft Old Town Wood/Canvas Canoe (Very Good) $2,500 – $4,500
1930s 12” Industrial Wood Planer w/ 5HP Single Phase Motor (Fully Operational) $2,000 – $3,500
1960 American Architectural Standards Reference Book Set (Complete, Excellent) $400 – $900
Zane Grey Hardcover Collection (25+ books, mixed editions) $500 – $1,875
Complete Set: The Happy Hollisters w/ Dust Jackets (Excellent) $600 – $1,200
1940s Philco Model 48-482 Multi-Band Radio (Good) $250 – $450
Delco R-1227 Radio (Very Good) $150 – $350
Jotul 602 Green Enamel Wood Stove (Very Good) $1,200 – $2,200
Nulite 5MW Gas Lantern w/ Intact Mica Globe (Fine Original Condition) $400 – $650
Mid-Century Blonde Winged Bookcase Headboard + Frame & Footboard (Very Good) $600 – $1,200
Turn-of-Century Maine Fly Fishing Creel w/ Mica Patina (Pristine) $500 – $1,200

Yesterday and today I've been modeling a 60 lot subdivision on acreage I already own. I've discovered a few weak spots in ChatGPT's knowledge base but I point out its errors and it thanks me, agrees and incorporates the corrections in logic or assumptions from that point forward... and it has introduced me to alternative options/effects during the process I was not aware of.

What a slick tool. When it takes ChatGPT most of a minute to respond, you know you are challenging it. Incredibly powerful as a modeling tool to help make the most profitable decisions.

I can definitely use some AI in my life. Out of curiosity, I started asking ChatGPT about some of my deceased folks antiques and "treasures" and what their values might be. Lots of surprises. I will use this when I someday liquidate these unique items. I have a highly collectible running 1950s Lawn Boy 2-stroke gas lawnmower with open recoil and metal canister gas tank on top. ChatGPT says collectors will pay $450 or more for pristine running examples. Who'd have guessed?! [Here's one just like mine, but mine is a better example.](https://www.ebay.com/itm/205010270387?_trkparms=ni_actn%3Anav%7Cni_nt%3AWATCHITM_GTC%7Cni_apos%3A1%7Cni_sg%3A1%7Cni_pos%3A1%7Cni_st%3AREAD%7Cni_wh%3A1%7Cni_nid%3A652599187302%7Cni_nsid%3A205010270387%7Cni_bn%3A1&_trksid=p2380424.m570.l5997) Partial list ... copied from ChatGPT for your entertainment .... | Item Description | Estimated Value Range | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------- | | **Union Civil War Medical Officer Sword & Sheath (Model 1840, excellent)** | \$1,200 – \$2,500 | | **Union Ammo Bag w/ Brass Emblem, Paper-Wrapped Shells, Caps, Mold & Cutter (VG)** | \$800 – \$1,500 | | **Original Civil War Union Brass “US” Belt Buckle (Fine)** | \$150 – \$300 | | **Antique Bamboo Fly Rods (Fair condition)** | \$50 – \$200 each | | **1950s Spanish Leather Women’s Handbags** | \$40 – \$150 each | | **1950s Lawn Boy 2-Stroke Mower (Fine condition)** | \$200 – \$450 | | **1948 16ft Old Town Wood/Canvas Canoe (Very Good)** | \$2,500 – \$4,500 | | **1930s 12” Industrial Wood Planer w/ 5HP Single Phase Motor (Fully Operational)** | \$2,000 – \$3,500 | | **1960 American Architectural Standards Reference Book Set (Complete, Excellent)** | \$400 – \$900 | | **Zane Grey Hardcover Collection (25+ books, mixed editions)** | \$500 – \$1,875 | | **Complete Set: The Happy Hollisters w/ Dust Jackets (Excellent)** | \$600 – \$1,200 | | **1940s Philco Model 48-482 Multi-Band Radio (Good)** | \$250 – \$450 | | **Delco R-1227 Radio (Very Good)** | \$150 – \$350 | | **Jotul 602 Green Enamel Wood Stove (Very Good)** | \$1,200 – \$2,200 | | **Nulite 5MW Gas Lantern w/ Intact Mica Globe (Fine Original Condition)** | \$400 – \$650 | | **Mid-Century Blonde Winged Bookcase Headboard + Frame & Footboard (Very Good)** | \$600 – \$1,200 | | **Turn-of-Century Maine Fly Fishing Creel w/ Mica Patina (Pristine)** | \$500 – \$1,200 | Yesterday and today I've been modeling a 60 lot subdivision on acreage I already own. I've discovered a few weak spots in ChatGPT's knowledge base but I point out its errors and it thanks me, agrees and incorporates the corrections in logic or assumptions from that point forward... and it has introduced me to alternative options/effects during the process I was not aware of. What a slick tool. When it takes ChatGPT most of a minute to respond, you know you are challenging it. Incredibly powerful as a modeling tool to help make the most profitable decisions.

(post is archived)

[–] • 3 pts

Use it for reference only, double check everything it says.

If you trust it blindly you'll end up like those people that drove off a pier because they followed Google Maps.

[–] • 1 pt

Lol! I've come across a few errors already with the subdivision stuff. It finds roundabout ways to summarize/extrapolate data values it needs from various data sources and can come up with some obviously outrageous numbers. I correct it and tell it how/why it's assumption or approach was wrong ... it thanks me, praises me, starts considering me an expert ... throws more extreme platitudes, accolades and praise at me with each item I correct it. Must be a built in human reward system when you do this, it is a learning model and each correction you give it is like feeding it candy or something it craves. I find many of it's assumptions on the optimistic side.

[–] • 1 pt

I know a guy that used to do his taxes. You can imagine how that went.

[–] • 2 pts

might be interested in those radios

[–] • 2 pts

I mentioned the multiband to him a few months ago.

Conversely, I might be interested in fixing the multiband and I'd give him the other one and/or cash or some arrangement if interested.

[–] • 2 pts (edited )

I'd price the Philco closer to $100-150, maybe $100 more if it worked well. The Delco, maybe $50-100. Old radios of this nature don't always sell well - people certainly try to get big bucks out of them at antique stores, but they don't sell because they're just not worth it in unknown condition. I see fully working cathedrals and tombstones at shows for 3-400. I usually use eBay as a guide - eBay is 2x the price of a show, but you need to be really careful with the stuff you find there, and of course shipping and other charges make a lot of that not worthwhile.

The Philco would probably be harder to fix than it's worth, especially if there's anything wrong with the FM circuit. Some of those tubes can be pricey or hard to get. In particular, this uses an obsoletium tube called the FM1000 - Philco made this for their radios and it's been obsolete since the war. I don't know if I'd bother with this one unless you really want a working device. If it's in good physical condition, it's a shelf queen.

The Delco unit, on the other hand, is an interesting beast. It's a 6-tube "AA5" style radio - that is, it has a tuned RF stage before the IF stages, it was designed to be a long distance receiver. It uses older octal tubes, but these are generally easy to fix - but they can take a lot of time to fix properly. Chances are every part in there is bad and/or leaky. If I were doing this for myself and I wanted it to work, there's probably $100ish in parts and 20 hours of labor over the course of several days to fix. To make it "just work" it probably just needs filters.

I sent you the philco link before, I believe, here's one for the Delco: https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/united_1_r1227.html

Radiomuseum does require an email account to download, just use a temp mail. I contribute enough to the site so you can use my cred.

[–] • 2 pts

I started to question if you really are a stupid bird

[–] • 1 pt

it's a shelf queen.

As it has been since about 1975. It looks so cool, wish it worked. I remember the speaker was heavy on the base and virtually non-existent treble, that unique sound you get from.the old radios.

The Delco is far less visually appealing to me, although the black bakelite case is intact and everything externally generally appears to be in good shape. I vaguely remember the Delco in my folks kitchen when I was about 4 y/o. I don't remember if/when it stopped working. It's been stashed away on a shelf in the basement ... which sometimes gets a bit humid.

Sounds like they both will remain shelf queens. Maybe someday I'll replace the filters on the Delco but I can think of 10000 things I need to get done that are in front of that project.

Thanks for the professional insight!

[–] • 1 pt

Niche products won't be liquidated all at once. Don't let selling that shit take so long you die beforehand.

[–] • 1 pt (edited )

Lol! I know. There always seems to be more pressing issues at hand than getting organized and selling off some of the clutter.

[–] • 1 pt

I never thought of using AI for this

[–] • 1 pt (edited )

It's like having a buddy that is a pseudo expert on everything. Trust but verify. Fun when you task it with things you are an expert at.

Beware of ChatGPT's accolades, platitudes and praise ... it can make you overly confident/ambitious to go tackle more than you might want to chew on! The more information and direction you give it, the better the results.

[–] • 1 pt

Jotul 602 Green Enamel Wood Stove (Very Good)

Great stoves! Their foundry is in Fredrikstad Norway.

[–] • 0 pt

My mother loved that stove, it is still sitting on the elevated brick hearth in front of the fireplace in the living room. It could use the 3 replacement heat plates on the inside but the old ones will do for now. I investigated new ones, only appear to be available from Britain and the shipping cost is almost as much as the plates.

It still looks like new except the back side under where the 6" pipe exits has lost a patch of enamel from the extreme heat. I doubt I'll ever sell it. Small and uber efficient with 16" wood.

[–] • 1 pt

Jøtul used to make cast iron cookware too, but stopped in the 1980s. It's good stuff!

[–] • 1 pt (edited )

Real quality. Like the enameled heavy cast iron French cookware, the brand name escapes me but I bet you know what I mean. If you find one at a thrift store for a few bucks it's like hitting the lottery!

Edit - Le Creuset is the French version.