Advice wanted... What tv(s) should I let go of?

[classiccaprice]

I'm debating thinning the herd... I own 7 vintage sets, the house is small, and I may be getting a roommate or moving. Either way I could use some space. I have my favorites, but I want others opinion. What would you suggest I get rid of?

1) 1959 Zenith- works well, only needed one tube replaced and never had an issue otherwise
2) 1962 Zenith b/w- my newest set, not working, but close
3) 1962 Magnavox- keeping this one as it is my tv stand. Not working, but close.
4) 1963 Zenith color set- never had a lick of trouble
5) 1969 Zenith space command- worked when I got it, but no longer. A little lost on it, but not beyond hope. Hybrids are a different beast.
6) 1975 Zenith Colorvision 2- mod cabinet, works fine and has a matching small stereo.
7) 1981 Zenith- my childhood family set, works though it needs a new picture tube...

I know the choice is mine. It's just a tough one... I like them all! Thanks everyone![this post was last edited: 7/15/2014-19:56]

 

[turquoisedude]

Oh, I know what you mean Will...  I am going to have to make some very tough choices soon, too and it's not easy... 

 

My gut feeling would be to not let go of a working set. Unless you know you can get a non-working one up and running again with a minimum of work, I'd lean toward picking a non-operational set. Of course, this from the person who won't even think about getting rid of the no-longer-spinning 58 Dominion washer... 

 

Just my 2 cents.

 

[davey7]

It looks like you've got an even newer one lurking.

Myself, I like the Space Command sets.

 

[classiccaprice]

Yes, I have a flat screen too, but Dr. Crusher insists that is not on the leaving list. Lol.

 

[ovrphil]

Happy Trails to You....

Like I said, Will...you have great taste in electronics. I would have a hard time giving up anything, especially if they worked, as Paul mentioned. But, if pushed to let go to the trails with another rider ...in the order of what I would let go first to last...and remember this is such a personal thing, and I'm doing it strictly on my visual preferences of least loved(beauty is only skin deep, I know).....

1)1959 Zenith

2) 1969 Zenith space command (but what a cool name and time in electronics , but I'm pushing myself here)

3)1963 Zenith color set - but I'd be clawing, scratching and biting behind a locked cage as I watched it leave...but your other sets are by far the better looking....

As a substitute though, for #3 above, I might give up the Colorvision...nah, it's a real classic, though I'm not a big plastic tv case fan...it's mod-cool.

Again, nice taste in tv's - if you're this lucky Will, I would think, in the future, other goodies will come your way without much effort.

Phil

 

[rp2813]

The '59 Zenith looks like it takes up less space than the '62.  I like the look of the '62, but if space is the issue, it probably needs to go.

 

The '69 Zenith does nothing for me.  I'd have no problem giving it the boot.

 

Same for the '81, but I understand the sentimental value, and it's small enough to fit in a closet or be otherwise stashed away.

 

[wayupnorth]

The 63 Zenith color with the round tube is identical to the one in our living room growing up. I always thought it was cool to see the channel number light up in the center of the selector. That would be a keeper in my opinion.

 

[pcasa]

1953 stromberg carlson

I actually remember mom & dad buying this set in 1953 - I took out the guts after they gave me the cabinet and replaced it with a sony trinitron from the 80's

 

[twintubdexter]

well, to each his own

I'd dump that round tube color set first. I'd definitely keep the Zenith white pedestal television. I've seen them pop up on ebay at sky-high prices. The stand is easily cracked. I remember how popular that set was. We sold a ton of them along with it's larger counterpart. White & modern were the "in-things." The corner "Panorama" set was another major seller from Zenith.

 

[classiccaprice]

Joe

Those two sets are on my "I want if I get a bigger house list." My house looks like a 1960s time warp, so I tend to go for sets that were built then. Though that colorvision 2 set has a mod feel carried over from the late 60s. Thanks for the advice everyone. Keep it coming!

My family always bought Zeniths and I have the brand loyalty. The main reason I have the Magnavox is that I love the cabinet and it's cool that I, most likely, met the original owner. She was very proud of that set and I understand why![this post was last edited: 7/15/2014-19:54]

 

[carmine]

Keep the Zeniths!

Not much help am I? lol.

 

[norgeway]

KEEP THE ROUND TUBE!!

No color set since has had as lifelike a picture!!

 

[supersuds]

I agree with everything Ralph said.

Seems to me that sets like the '69, being so popular then and so unfashionable now, would be easiest to replace if you ever decided you just couldn't live without one.

 

[carmine]

the '69...

Ironically because the rectangular tubes are less unusual (and less loved) that is the problem with dumping them. People save the round tube ones now because they're more unusual. Years from now the first rectangle sets will be harder to find than the lower-production Roundies... Just like there are probably more Hemi 'Cudas on the road than 4dr sedan Newports.

If you're really into these things for the "guts" rather than just the hipster appearance, it's tough to part with a late 60s/early 70s Zenith. They're built like tanks (and weigh accordingly). The first solid state Zeniths are built like the tube chassis... Point-to-point wiring on a thick steel chassis with a big power X-former. Way overkill for a solid state set, which means they are a cockroach of the TV world... After the Neutron bombs fall, mutant cockroaches will be driving Dodge Darts and 80s 5th Avenues, come home to a warm meal from a Radar Range and fall asleep in front of their Zenith TVs.

 

[tolivac]

I would say keep the TVs that are favorites to YOU!Vintage Zenith were the best-as some say overbuilt-but thats what made them LAST-and the tubes and other devices in them ran at conservative ratings-so those parts lasted-often the life of the machine!Most older Zenith sets I have encountered or worked on had their orig "Zenith" marked tubes.I have had an Admiral that was old -it was built like a Zenith.My Moms older Zenith still worked when she and my Stepdad traded it in on an RCA "Accucolor" set some time in the later 70's-Only worked on the Zenith once-clean the tuner.Wonder if it still works??It was in a metal tabletop cabinet.

 

[neptunebob]

I would say to let the Magnavox go. The Zeniths appear to be better finished.

Also a question: Is a "roundie" TV picture tube totally round, that is, if it were taken out of the cabinet would the top and bottom parts be lit up? Maybe that is one of the reason the cabinets were big was to cover up those parts,[this post was last edited: 7/16/2014-07:19]

 

[carmine]

Yes and Yes. At first Cathode Ray Tubes were funnel shaped, being largely hand-blown experimental pieces. This continued even into the mass-production of CRTS and B&W sets. At that point it wasn't even certain what shape would become the accepted standard so you had some companies "masking" them to appear square and others going for the circle shape and bragging about a larger picture.

Zenith was in the minority with their first sets from '48-'50. Some even had a switch to display a square picture on a round screen, the largest being 19" which I show below. Ultimately this never caught on and Zenith joined the crowd with their first rectangular sets in '51.

When color sets came along, they had the added complexity of bending 3 electron beams (vs. one in B&W). The edges of a rectangular CRT presented a problem for getting all three beams to land accurately. Because few people were buying color sets (and they lost money for the manufacturers) very little priority was given to solving this problem. Manufacturers got by using the old masking techniques from the late 40s/early 50s. No one tried a full-circle (unmasked) color set, but it would have been cool!

Finally Motorola came out with the first practical* rectangular color set around late '63, right about the time color really took off. By '66, the round tubes were considered old-fashioned and dropped by the bigger manufacturers... They lingered on into the later 60s as budget sets.

*There was a rectangular Westinghouse set offered in '57 but it was problematic and quickly dropped. I've only seen photos of 2-3 survivors as long as I've paid attention via the internet.

 

[cadman]

Color Rectangular

My understanding is also that since Westinghouse developed the '57 rectangular tube in partnership with CBS-Hytron, RCA (the king of color) preferred to push round CRT development rather than pay patents/royalties to rival CBS. Since they were the chief source of color tubes for most major manufacturers, they could get away with it while developing their own rectangular tube on their own schedule.

 

[carmine]

cadman

I don't doubt what you are saying, but I think the weak acceptance of color + the additional pincushion circuitry required for a rectangular tube (more cost) certainly didn't help the business case. It was also Motorola that offered the first practical rectangular tube, so RCA was really caught with it pants down.