Howard W. Sams Library - Videokarma.org TV - Video

jshorva65 · #1 08-21-2002, 09:24 AM

I just landed the score of the Millennium here in Warren, Ohio!!! I had the unbelieveable good fortune of scoring a complete Howard W. Sams Photofact library (Sets 1-2284) complete with 11 filing cabinets! Once I've cleared space for storing them, I will be picking them up from southern Ohio and bringing them here in two trucks. How much did the $34,260 worth of literature (2284x$15.00) and $550 worth of cabinets (11x$50.00) cost me? Anyone care to guess? I'll tell you after I've seen a few guesses posted here. The only downside to this is that I'll eventually need to build a medium-size building to serve as a library for them.

ChuckA · #2 08-21-2002, 10:20 AM

John,

The last time I saw an almost complete set at auction, this was a few years back, the auctioneer worked real hard to get $100 for the load. I was tempted but wasn't heavily into TV's and didn't have a place to store that much. Instead I went for the 20 volumes of Riders TV books ($3 each). I remember it well as it was 90+ degrees and I had to carry them down 3 flights of stairs.

My guess is they paid you to take them away.

Chuck

jshorva65 · #3 08-21-2002, 11:02 AM

I got them for $100. Considering the high volume of tv work I expect to do in the coming years, I think I got a decent deal. I plan to restore all of the 18 sets in my current collection, sell them, acquire more sets, restore and sell them, and take on as many customers' restoration projects as I can find time to complete. This has the potential to keep me as busy as a 9-to-5 job and be much more enjoyable, plus pay more than any of the minimum-wage jobs this ghost town has to offer. Six months into this new business, it's still paying the bills nicely for us. The best part is making a living at something I enjoyed enough to do as a hobby for 20+ years.

Lefty · #4 08-21-2002, 11:08 AM

Wow, it's great to hear from someone with a plan for self reliance and doing something that they enjoy doing.

Great to hear about your documentation score and I understand how important that would be for your endevor.

Now you just have to use the internet to make your services well known and you should be set for as lnog as you want. Nice nich that should keep you busy.

Lefty

ckelly · #5 08-21-2002, 11:32 AM

WOW! That is the score of a lifetime!

I have a DUMB question... are the Sams documents only TV? or or is it audio too?

jshorva65 · #6 08-21-2002, 12:11 PM

As I understand it, the Howard W. Sams Photofact numbered volumes cover consumer electronics in general. Volumes before #1074 covered ALL types of devices. Later, Sams introduced the "AR" series for Auto Radio, the "MHF" series for Modular High Fidelity, "TR" series for Tape Recorders, "TSM" series for Transistor Radios, followed by several other series such as ComputerFacts and VCRFacts in the 1980's.

The library that I'm purchasing DEFINITELY covers --

Televisions -- 1946-1984
Car Radio -- 1946-1960
Hi-Fi -- 1946-1969

Some Hi-Fi gear is likely still covered in the folders 1-2284 well into the 1970's since Sams wasn't perfectly consistent in its classifications. For example, I've seen several devices covered in 1500-series Sams volumes that probably should have been in the MHF-series literature. If you have questions about a specific make and model, please consult a Howard W. Sams Photofact Annual Index to find the correct Sams volume that corresponds to it. If the index identifies a numbered folder between 1 and 2284 then I will have it in my library. If the index identifies an MHF volume from MHF-1 to MHF-242 then it will not be part of my library.

For those items in my library, I have not yet decided whether I will offer Copy Service as some people do. I want to fully research any copyright ramifications and determine what would be a fair price for such a service in the event that I do opt to offer it. Please be patient while I research the pro and con of this.

Big Dave · #7 08-22-2002, 04:21 PM

A few years ago, I scored SAMS folders from one of the techs jshorva mentioned in another post. I got the 500's through the 700's with a few folders missing. I am originally from the same town as jshorva. The lack of good jobs is the reason I left. I apologize for going slightly off topic.

jshorva65 · #8 09-03-2002, 09:08 AM

We went yesterday to get the Sams library from southern Ohio. What I discovered after we had finished unloading them was that I actually had TWO libraries. The first was in seven standard 4-drawer cabinets and was sets 1 to 2284. The second library starts in the 100's and continues to the 1600's in several single-drawer interlocking file units. I will be listing the second set and my collection of Servicer binders covering most of sets 11-300 in bound volumes of ten consecutive sets (11-20, 21-30, 41-50, etc.).

Dude111 · #9 06-19-2025, 01:38 PM

Wow and he got all that for $100??

Some people dont realise how precious this older stuff is and they just give it away at offensive prices!! (Dirt cheap)

I would expect someone on ebay to get MUCH MORE for all this......

$100 is a steal,its very good but the stuff is MUCH MORE VALUABLE than $100!!

He was lucky

Electronic M · #10 06-20-2025, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dude111

Wow and he got all that for $100??

Some people dont realise how precious this older stuff is and they just give it away at offensive prices!! (Dirt cheap)

I would expect someone on ebay to get MUCH MORE for all this......

$100 is a steal,its very good but the stuff is MUCH MORE VALUABLE than $100!!

He was lucky

You realize that's 30-40 large filing cabinet drawers, right. You could stack 2 eight foot wide 60s color TV stereo combo consoles and then some in the space it takes up.

A few years ago I got the collection of Indian Head electronics of Eau Claire Wi for free they had been picked by dozens of vintage electronics collectors and the Sam's were all that was left. I left the cabinets and barely fit the 30+ drawers in my Chevy suburban.
They were a distributor so some sets there were multiple copies of and others there were none. I tried to give away the duplicates at several radio collector swapmeets and except
for one drawer they all went to recycling as nobody would take them. "I only want the radio folders not all the other equipment covered" was a common complaint of prospective buyers.

bandersen · #11 06-20-2025, 09:22 AM

It's also a post from 2002 - 23 years ago.

Dude111 · #12 06-21-2025, 08:46 PM

Ya so??

Who cares when it last was replied to,its still a good topic

Quote:

Originally Posted by Electronic M

You realize that's 30-40 large filing cabinet drawers, right. You could stack 2 eight foot wide 60s color TV stereo combo consoles and then some in the space it takes up..

Yes I suppose so...... That sure is alot!!

bandersen · #13 06-21-2025, 10:44 PM

I was getting at the value. $100 23 years ago is not the same as today. Also it's a lot easier to get scanned copies of service info now that back then. That impacts the value

Dude111 · #14 06-23-2025, 01:02 AM

Im sorry Mr. Andersen,I thought you were cutting me down like alot do..

Electronic M · #15 06-23-2025, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dude111

Ya so??

Who cares when it last was replied to,its still a good topic

Necroposting (posting a reply on a topic that's been dead several years) is fairly universally frowned upon on most forums. The exceptions being restoration threads where the owner has had a new development (creating multiple threads on your device is also frowned upon so bumping your own dead restoration thread is acceptable to avoid multiple threads) or someone else has a question about the restoration, and discussion threads where some new info is posted. Most of what you do is necropost inane reactions to dead topics. Nobody cares what you think about something that happened over 5 years ago. The "putting down" you get for it, and for not getting the hint is deserved.