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

[cadman]

No argument there. I had just never made the connection to the explosion of rectangular sets and the expiration of the patents until a presentation at this year's Early Television Foundation convention. It was probably also a smarter decision, business case-wise, for RCA to continue with the round tube as long as they did. They had basically shouldered the burden of color from camera to CRT and anything they could due to keep cost down for acceptance was smart. It was 1960 before they even broke even on color development!

Do you know how many '57 Westy rect sets are out there? I think I recall a story about one being rescued from an engineer's estate a few years ago. -Cory

 

[joeinfl]

I love the Zenith Colorvision and have always wanted one. My Aunt had one years ago. I'd keep that for sure.

 

[carmine]

cadman

I found this website from 1996 (kidding) while looking for that moto ad. Shows a Westy rectangular set.

http://www.wtv-zone.com/Stevetek/

 

[ovrphil]

$1200 in Living Color on NBC

Good link! Since color tv didn't arrive in our neighborhood until mid-1960's, I often thought (and didn't learn, obviously) that color sets began their life much earlier. I can see why people sat so close to the tv screen. LOL.
Cool sets to have in your collection.

Phil

 

[twintubdexter]

A comment that gets off track, way off...

All this talk about vintage round-tube color sets and members' memories of their experiences is great fun. Back when we got our first Victor television the carton it came in had these big color stripes under RCA to let you know this was a "fancy-schmancy" color set. Like precursors to Hyacinth Bucket, it was not unusual for proud new owners to leave the box out in the driveway for awhile as sort of an announcement that they had "moved on up."

Now why I remember this from many years ago is beyond me but I guess there's no harm in mentioning it since members already know I'm a little crazy. A song from Mad Magazine sang to the tune of "I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover"...

***********************************************************************************

We're really lovin our brand new oven that we bought the other day

It's real expensive with chrome on the door

It's so extensive it takes half the floor

Cakes we're not bakin no meals we're makin that's not what we bought it for

We can't deny it we had to buy it to outdo the folks next door

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time to go take my "crazy person" meds...[this post was last edited: 7/17/2014-13:37]

 

[rp2813]

Joe, just change the wording to include trophies like a new Tesla, some type of gadgetry or even an entire McMansion and that ditty would still be applicable here in Silicon Valley, particularly among third world technocrat immigrants who are obsessed with expressing their "arrival" through conspicuous (usually tasteless) consumption.

 

At least back in the day, a color TV was something that created excitement among the neighbors, not a sense of impending regurgitation.