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Old 05-18-2011, 03:25 PM
JCFitz JCFitz is offline
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What's with GE Wildcats on ebay?

Is it the nostalgia factor maybe? Maybe the generation that had these is waxing nostalgic now and wants their childhood record player?I had one of these players as a kid and actually had another in recent years that had issues and I sold cheap to a fellow jukebox collector.The recent one was a goldenrod color arm as the one I had but a different overarm and spindle.

My kid one had a round top spindle and full closed overarm like the ebay one but the one I sold had a flat top slightly shorter spindle and a slotted overarm.I did not have the headphone jack which would definitely be an advantage with these as the amp and speaker setup are crap.

I can tell you its definitely not the sound that's making these Wildcats desireable. Even as I kid I was never impressed with the sound.My mom's crappy particleboard Electrophonic console sounded better...lol.

Wonder if one of these has showed up on and one of those shows like Pawn Stars and the value is suddenly inflated because of that. A similar thing has happened with certain jukeboxes and they're talking about it over on jukebox list.

I saw another one go for $149.00 recently.


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...:B:WNA:US:1123
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Old 05-18-2011, 04:07 PM
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This has been going on for years and all I can say is people have more money than brains. I'm sure some of it is due to people, with deep pockets, who feel they must own their childhood record player at any cost. Then, there are others who are probably not aware of how these things sounded when new and end up paying out the rear end for one because they want to get into records or think the record player looks cool. Then, I'm sure they are very outdone once they get the thing and discover that it sounds like crap.

Believe it or not, there was a lower end model under the Wildcat line. It was a cheap mono player that had a small front firing speaker with only a single volume control. The changer was basically the same as the one used in the Wildcat line. I've also seen these mono cheapies go for big money.

What amazes me is that many of the cheaper low end record players often sell for more money than the better quality units.
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Old 05-18-2011, 04:39 PM
JCFitz JCFitz is offline
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Originally Posted by radiotvnut View Post
This has been going on for years and all I can say is people have more money than brains. I'm sure some of it is due to people, with deep pockets, who feel they must own their childhood record player at any cost. Then, there are others who are probably not aware of how these things sounded when new and end up paying out the rear end for one because they want to get into records or think the record player looks cool. Then, I'm sure they are very outdone once they get the thing and discover that it sounds like crap.

Believe it or not, there was a lower end model under the Wildcat line. It was a cheap mono player that had a small front firing speaker with only a single volume control. The changer was basically the same as the one used in the Wildcat line. I've also seen these mono cheapies go for big money.

What amazes me is that many of the cheaper low end record players often sell for more money than the better quality units.
I know about the mono GE one. I sold one of those too a few years ago. It worked perfectly and I think it brought around $50. Funny thing is I just picked up a Mickey Mouse player I owned in childhood for $10.50 on ebay. I will make it work properly but probably just display it as they really don't sound great. I bet those mono Wildcats share the same amp circuit as GE made the Mickey Mouse record player around the same time period(Early-mid 70s). I took apart the Wildcat stereo I had as a kid and the amp didn't have any transistors bigger than a TO 92 case. Not much power there for sure.Sadly that one never got put back together and it went to the dump.

On the other hand I have a Magnavox suitcase solid state stereo micromatic changer from the 60s I got dirt cheap at an auction. It has nice rich full sound and will blow a GE Wildcat out of the room. On the other hand it's heavy as lead and ain't exactly as portable as that GE.

Last edited by JCFitz; 05-18-2011 at 10:04 PM.
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Old 05-18-2011, 08:32 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by radiotvnut View Post
Believe it or not, there was a lower end model under the Wildcat line. It was a cheap mono player that had a small front firing speaker with only a single volume control. The changer was basically the same as the one used in the Wildcat line. I've also seen these mono cheapies go for big money.
That would be the "Mustang". I had one with a fluorescent orange changer in a dull brown cabinet many moons ago (sold it in '73).
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Old 05-18-2011, 10:32 PM
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I recently sold a GE Partymate, which I think was even cheaper! Not a changer, impossibly cheap little chassis, sounded terrible. This one was very clean as it had been kept on hand at a local civic organization back when they might have a program to listen to on record. It probably never saw 6 hours of use. I got $14 for it.

We had a Wildcat when I was a kid, a hand-me-down from an older cousin. It never seemed to work right. Everything we had back then was GE and that sort of bored me.
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Old 05-18-2011, 10:37 PM
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The amp in my Wildcat has a sticker that says "Made in Ireland." Wasn't expecting that.

And I'd gladly take $150 for mine
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Old 05-18-2011, 10:57 PM
JCFitz JCFitz is offline
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Originally Posted by bgadow View Post
I recently sold a GE Partymate, which I think was even cheaper! Not a changer, impossibly cheap little chassis, sounded terrible. This one was very clean as it had been kept on hand at a local civic organization back when they might have a program to listen to on record. It probably never saw 6 hours of use. I got $14 for it.

We had a Wildcat when I was a kid, a hand-me-down from an older cousin. It never seemed to work right. Everything we had back then was GE and that sort of bored me.
Mine came from an auction.Wish my prior stepfather had brought home the Magnavox instead. Mine worked fine after it got a new needle but never had the 45 adaptor. Putting all those little clips in every 45 was a pain.Never could get the right adaptor for it.I turned it backwards during cycle while I had it apart trying to fiigure out how it worked and broke a piece off the cycle cam. It never got put back together and to the dump it went.At least it's replacement a Longines Symphonette BSR mini changer w/ separate spkrs and separate bass/treble controls from a yard sale had better sound. Not a lot but better for sure.That player had 2 problems though and they were finally fixed years later when I was able to fix things rather than just take them apart.The most excasperating one was it always moved in to land on a 12" record instead of the rest when it shut off which meant it landed the needle on the motor board if you were playing 45s.There was a sorta shelf worn on the shut off stop and it was slipping by to go to 12" at the last second.2nd was a simple bad ground connection causing an annoying hum that a slap on the side would make go away.

At least he got rid of the awful GE 19" tv in our living room that snapped all the time and brought a nice 25" console with him even though it was a Sears /Warwick set it did have a nice picture when it worked right.

Last edited by JCFitz; 05-18-2011 at 11:11 PM.
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Old 05-19-2011, 12:16 AM
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It's also interesting to note that when GE stopped making record players in the mid '70's, Emerson continued to make the Wildcat stereo players and the Swingmate mono players. The only major difference was that the Emerson models used a BSR changer. The case design was basically the same as the older GE's and they still carried the Wildcat name. Actually, I don't think these were built by Emerson. I think they were built by Interstate Industries with the Emerson badge slapped on. Years ago, I actually owned the Emerson version of the GE Wildcat. It used a two speed BSR changer and had the same terrible sound quality of the old GE's. I think I sold mine to an old man for $10 and he seemed happy to get it.
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Old 05-19-2011, 12:47 AM
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I have a white one of the mono GEs with front fireing speaker had it since I was a kid (back in the mid 90s). Did not think they were worth any thing, go figure.

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Old 05-19-2011, 09:47 PM
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I had forgotten about those Emersons! I don't remember where, but I know when I was a kid I spotted one and it really puzzled me.

The Partymate also had an Irish made chassis-surprised me, too!
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Old 05-20-2011, 09:35 AM
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I owned one at one time, not all that good. Changer in it was Glaser-Steers US made. Mine was an Irish made chassis. Tracked too heavy for comfort but was reliable for the few years I owned mine.
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Old 05-22-2011, 11:19 PM
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I've had several wildcats in the past that I found dirt cheap,you're right,they are NOT good sounding units,and they are rather poorly made.

I have absolutely no idea what the big deal is with these on eBay,but it makes absolutely no sense for a wildcat,mustang or mono automatic to bring over $100 while there are trimline 500's that end at $45-$75.

I guess if people are stupid enough to buy the Chinese Crosley record players sold at wal mart a wildcat might seem like a real quality piece of equipment.
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Old 05-23-2011, 12:21 AM
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I just remembered another Wildcat knock-off that I used to own. This one was a Westinghouse from about '69-'70. It was about the size of a Wildcat, was all plastic with similar sized speakers to the GE, and the changer was a 4-speed BSR. The sound quality of the Westinghouse and the GE's were very similar.

Actually, my first "somewhat real" record player was a big late '60's Westinghouse plastic cased portable. It was a hand-me-down from my Mother, who used it as a teenager. It was one of those ultra-cheapies with no tone control, seperate L and R volume controls; and, it also sounded like crap. I gave it away in the early '90's, when I "upgraded" to a mid '70's Electrophonic "all in one" radio/8-track/BSR record changer combo w/ the matching air suspension speakers. I know Electrophonic is still considered junk; but, that unit sounded loads better than anything I owned up to that point.

Speaking of higher end portables, I have a late '60's Sylvania Exponent suitcase style radio/phonograph combination. That model uses a Garrard changer with a Pickering magnetic cartridge. It was a NOS unit when I got it; but, 40+ years of it sitting unused took it's toll on the caps and the mechanics of the changer. One day, I'm going to overhaul it.
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Old 05-23-2011, 05:55 AM
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I remember having some of these GE players (plus some other cheap ceramic cartridge record changers) that I got at the flea market when I was a kid. I never knew records could actually sound good until I finally got a magnetic cartridge Garrard changer when I was a teenager. Back then I thought the tinny sound of these GE portables was as good as a vinyl record could sound.

One time back when I was 12 or 13 I heard a Rowe jukebox that really sounded great and I figured it must be using cassettes to play the audio as there was no way that much bass could come from a record! (of course I know better now!)
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Old 05-23-2011, 09:52 AM
JCFitz JCFitz is offline
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I remember having some of these GE players (plus some other cheap ceramic cartridge record changers) that I got at the flea market when I was a kid. I never knew records could actually sound good until I finally got a magnetic cartridge Garrard changer when I was a teenager. Back then I thought the tinny sound of these GE portables was as good as a vinyl record could sound.

One time back when I was 12 or 13 I heard a Rowe jukebox that really sounded great and I figured it must be using cassettes to play the audio as there was no way that much bass could come from a record! (of course I know better now!)
Ceramic cartridges can sound quite good if they are halfway decent ones and fed through a decent amp and speakers. My 1960 Magnavox console and mid 60s Micromatic suitcase w/ detachable speakers sound great and Wurlitzer used it in their 60s-early 70s jukes and the sound quite good.

I do agree that Magnetics have the best sound and are easier on records but just because it's ceramic doesn't mean it sounds tinny. I think they just cheaped out on all portables and consoles by the time the Wildcat came out.Everything made of plastic on the portables and plastic and and particleboard on the consoles,cheap amps, more compact and thus smaller cheap speakers that sounded tinny.Some of those amps and speakers aren't much more than a portable transistor radio would have.
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