How many tvs do you have?

[Rob]

I thought Dave A's post discussing his collection in the "Show Us Your B&W TV's" needed presence here.

Rob, Vintage TV Moderator

Originally posted by Dave A
Having spent a lot of time on the very good AROL website, I am new to here via the good fortune to know Chuck A. I jumped in on the thread about “Lesser” televisions and got quite a nice response. My CTC9 and Sightmaster can be seen over there.
Ok, here is the list of sets in the Dave A. collection in SE Pennsylvania in a very small house. They have all been gathered since 1985 when I decided that as a television director, I should pay attention to the history of what pays the mortgage…and my retirement. Not all have model #’s as they are buried and the numbers are not to be seen any time soon. NW=non working. W=working.

Pre-war sets;

Baird T-5 (1936,) NW
Baird T-23 (1937), NW
HMV 900 (1936), W modified to 525 (barely)
RCA TRK-120, W (daily viewer)

Post-war sets;

Philco 48-1000, W (daily viewer)
RCA 621TS Blonde, W
RCA 621TS Mahogany, W
RCA 630TS Mahogany, W
Emerson AM/TV portable, NW
Air King 630 type, NW
Crosley 7” suitcase, NW
Philco 10” Blonde Radio/phono/TV console, W
Philco 701 7”, NW
Philco 702 7”, NW
Pilot TV-37, W
Admiral 17” Blonde console, W
Fada 730 10”, W
Fada 890 projection, NW
Sentinel 7”, W
Sightmaster 15-S-2, W
Radio Craftsman Chrome RC-200 (chassis & tube only), NW
Natalie Kalmus “Combination” 24” Radio/phono/TV, NW (just arrived)
Various RCA metal sets, W & NW
Various RCA and Philco 50’s consoles

Round color sets;

RCA CTC-100 under restoration
RCA 21CT55 under restoration
RCA 21-TMD 21” Studio color monitor, W and connected to my computer video editing
RCA CTC7 “Pensbury”, W
RCA CTC7 “Abington”, W
RCA CTC9 “Caulfield”, W (daily viewer)
Philco TV123 21” color 1956, parts set
Philco TV123 21” color 1956, not delivered yet

All the other stuff;

Zenith/RCA/Stromberg console radios, W
Atwater Kent Model 84
GE G-95 “Pianoforte” console radio (no dial), W
Assorted 20’s battery radios, W
Bendix 526C Catalin, W
RCA 19” tube color portable (last tube version), W
Assorted tabletop “All-American” radios, W & NW
Fisher 500B stereo receiver, W and restored
Peter Yanczer Mechanical Camera/Television reproduction, W
Col-R-Tel Color converter, W (not dedicated to a B&W set yet)
RCA TK-31 field B&W camera, modified for CCD image/LCD viewfinder, on loan to
Sarnoff Library in Princeton, NJ

If you noticed, most of the sets are unique for one reason or another. Having collected televisions since 1985 and radios since 1968, the one thing I learned is not to buy every/any set that came along. Old though they may be, not all of them are special. And I am allergic to vaporizing veneer and mundane mahogany. Slow and easy wins the race. The best thing any television collector can do is get very involved with your local radio club. The radio collectors want nothing to do with sets and will take pity on you and pass on all sorts of leads, not to mention hundreds of free tubes and parts that they do not want. I’ll post pix as I can find time to display the sets.

Stay tuned,
Dave A