So, truth be told, while Collins gear was clearly the high priced spread, even Drakes were still out of reach for us average joes who made do with Heathkits...
Toward the end of its life, the R-4B + T-4XB was right at $1K. I can't imagine spending that during my teenage years in the mid 1970s. To me, it was like a car purchase. By 1975, what was the street price of the S-Line combo? I imagine Collins offered little in the way of discounts. I make this assumption based on the back pages of QSTs I've been reading from the late '50s. For example, every single dealer who supplied the KWM-1 advertised it for exactly $820 in 1958. It sure seems like Collins had strict terms and conditions on just how much a dealer could discount, if any at all -- much the same way other high-end products are sold today in order to retain an elite branding image. I imagine this was less of an issue with Drake.
Paul, W9AC
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