[Eliot Ness]

Yeah, it's far from NY but pretty darn close to Chicago.  If you really wanted a 38-690 you could check and see if any collectors near Chicago would pick it up and hold it for you.  Then you could arrange to meet them part-way, or perhaps plan a mini-vacation and drive to the Radiofest meet (Chicago area) the end of July and pick it up.

I bought a rare Pilot radio in NJ a couple of years ago and they were kind enough to hold it for a few months and I swung over and picked it up after the Kutztown meet.

All I'm saying is if you found a nice high end radio like the 690 in Chicago, and you really want one, there are ways for you to get it.  Now if it was in CA that would be a lot more difficult logistically..... but Chicago looks very doable to me from NY.

Edit: I just remembered a friend in Dayton, OH bought a BIG 20 tube Stromberg Carlson acouple of years ago from Goodwill out in Colorado, and he wound up having it shipped to him.  An outfit called Pack Mail packed and shipped it to his door for $500.  There were cheaper options but Pack Mail had worked with Goodwill before so that is what he choose.