21axp22a tube

[leadlike]

The Op's tube prices reminded me of my old Allied Radio catalogs. These are for B&W kinescopes but oh well:

A 3ap4 was $13.75 in 1941-your last chance to buy before the war tightened up our resources.

a 12ap4 was at the tops in '42, with a tag of $60.00

No 12ap4s in the '50 catalog, but all 12'' kinescopes were $26.00.

Now here is the stinger-and why I'm posting this-a 19'' Dumont 19ap4 was $75.00-and the 20" 20bp4 was on sale for $199.95! That really shot up, didn't it? Can you imagine paying $125.00 more for an extra inch(you were well on your way to buying another set with that kind of money) just to show your friends and neighbors that you had the biggest picture on the block?