1960's RCA Vista Color Console
 

No affiliation - Pretty cool (for someone near California)...

http://cgi.ebay.com/VIntage-1960s-RC...item3f0005b38b

RCA Entertainment Center
 

Talk about local pickup only! Those things weighed a ton! They were nice though, had neighbors with one one time. There were many family squabbles around who would watch TV, listen to the phono or the radio and when.

And with a lot of room (and money, if they are anyplace outside California or, within the state, even any distance from the seller, since the Los Angeles area is huge -- on a par with New York or Chicago). This console is very large and heavy; if anyone outside the L.A. area or nearby states, or even on the opposite coast (!) wants it they are going to have to pay dearly in shipping charges, unless they are willing to drive out to California with a large truck to pick it up. If they choose the latter they will pay a fortune just for gasoline, as it has gone past $2 a gallon in many parts of the US (at a local gas station here in my town, it is $2.69), and most trucks are not very fuel-efficient.

Personally, I wouldn't take the chance. If I wanted a TV this big (and had the room for it, which I don't), I'd wait until I saw one on eBay or CL within, at most, 20 or thirty miles of where I live. I would not risk having a set that size shipped 3000 miles; too much risk of it arriving with a smashed CRT or worse. I have a Zenith MJ1035 radio that was sent to me by a VK member about three years ago. The man lives in Arizona and had shipped the radio to me via UPS. Well, when the radio arrived here, it worked, but two controls had broken loose from their mountings on the chassis. I later found out that the radio had been thrown around, maybe kicked across floors, etc. in various UPS terminals between the Phoenix area and my apartment near Cleveland.

Personally, I am amazed the radio worked at all when it finally arrived here. However, later on, when I read (online, via email between the person I got it from and myself) the horror stories of all the mishandling it suffered along the way, I began to have second thoughts about shipping anything via UPS any appreciable distance. If UPS can damage a radio through manhandling, I hate to think what could happen with a console television as big as the RCA being discussed here. I would hate to think of anyone any distance from the seller (meaning 500 miles or more) spending a lot on shipping charges, etc. only to have the set arrive with a broken CRT or worse. Sellers of anything this large and/or fragile almost always insure the item before shipping, but it is still a bad feeling to have something you won in an eBay auction or bought on CL arrive at your door smashed to bits because of carelessness on the part of the seller, shipper or both.

That's interesting. Was this the only TV or phonograph the family had? :scratch2: Most people today have at least two TVs in the house, and as for music, most kids have their own iPods, mp3 players, stereo systems, etc. so there should be no arguments over who will watch what on TV, etc.

back in the day there was generally only one TV and one (if any) hi fi equipment. Of course we spent little time at home anyway, outside playing ball, getting into trouble etc...

some fun stuff

tie a wallet to a fishing line, put in street yank out as car stops to pick up (best done at night)

play war (anytime deserted orange fields were best)

hang out in the underground camp (dig seriers of trenches, cover wood and dirt, bring in decorate posters and use flash lights)

Sneak into drive in movies in the trunk of a car

hassle the guard (long story, lived in a hood that had one entrace with a private security guard, involves donning a monkey suit costume).

The only hi fi we had was car stereos just not much time hanging out in the house. Not like today, kids never seem to go out much and with all the goodies in the house I can understand why.

Wow. I paid $3.03 a gallon here in Seattle area. :sigh:

Too bad the Plymouth won't run on crude - I could drive a few miles from home and scoop up all my heart desires...

yes the great old days hot outside but we had a great time...... steve

It was hot here today, and yes the good ole days when you had to gettup off your fat can and turn the channel by hand. But my can wasnt fat back then,I rode bikes on family property from Sun up to sundown and weighed 123 lbs until I was 23, today I cant even get on a bike LOL to ride it would be instant heart attack, and the good thing is I now own the family property but none of the original tv's that were here.

To Jeffhs re: color console
 

This was the early 1960's and that was the only TV in the house. The son who was a friend of mine did have his own phonograph and radio but when mom and dad wanted to listen to records or the radio on the console that meant no TV. The console had FM stereo (relatively new then in a lot of areas) and the father was a big fan of that. Two TV houses were not that common at that time. Maybe we were better off then.

You only need to boil it, then collect the condensate. Sort of like moonshine.

solid state??? for real? looks like a ctc16 to me. its exactly the same as my 17 in the front except round. im thinking about it......

Only the stereo is SS, the tv is all tube.

My ctc17 combo has exactly the same tuner and tv mask. Only the amp is solid state. The tv and tuner are all tube.

A monster! It is virtually theft proof though. When I was in high school, I worked at a TV shop and remember picking those up and putting them in the Ford Econoline mid engine van! It was a riot!
If I remember, that stereo section is germanium transistors. Lots of dried out electrolytics in amplifier and tuner sections.
Once done, it can be a good performer.

I think that is the same tuner I have in my RCA console. looks like a pita to work on, its bolted together in a box config with a couple main boards IIRC.

Have not touched mine yet but its coming.

Dear Kind Friends here on AK: PLEASE bid on that huge set, and save me from the fate of having to bid on it myself and packing it into some place where there's no room for it.... Looks like it ends around lunch time Sunday, CA time. If there aren't any bids by Sunday morning, I'll put a bid of $51 on it, so you can still save me from the fate, if you bid $52. I won't rebid. They no longer show the username of high bidder, but they do show the feedback number next to the made-up high bidder ID... Mine's 1927 today, but might go up a point or 2 since I just paid for a bunch of things today. If you see a high bidder with a different feedback than that, it's somebody else.

Charles

I was thinking exactly the same thing. I was going to put a bid on in and go down there and get it. Already got the van out and ready to go.

I have a similar one just in this week sitting in my storage area, I hope it works out so you can get that one on Ebay.

Well right at the end someone poped out and snagged it. Im just glad it got a home and hopefully not some hollywood movie rental studio who wont restore it and abuse it. I was going to get if not.

Was it someone here at least? I'd like to see this one up and running, all shiny and clean.

It wasn't me; I already have a very nice one just like that but in a different-style cabinet.

Gladly it's not me either. I sure hope it's someone who wants to restore or keep it as-is; not convert it to something.

Charles

would have loved to gotten that one.the right cabinet for a combo.again,way too far for me.hope it goes to a good home

RCA Vista Color TV for sale
 

My parents recently asked me to look into selling their television set -- a vintage RCA that they originally purchased in (they think) 1962 or 1963. It's in great condition.

On the back, it reads "RCA Victor New Vista Color" with the model number GF661w, along with other numbers (specs, serial number, etc.) I believe it's a CTC-16 from looking at some pictures of other sets online. Anyway, the TV set (with legs) is in perfect condition aesthetically, still turns on/off and functions, although my parents haven't used it in about 20+ years. I've included a picture herein.

I'm hoping one of you will (1) be interested in purchasing this TV, (2) may know someone else that would be interested, or (3) could direct me to an auction site where vintage TV enthusiasts, collectors, etc. would be able to bid on this vintage product.

I've been snooping around online as well and found a few blogs here and there dedicated to such televisions. What do you think such a television (in great condition) is worth?

Thanks in advance!

I'd love to have that set, where are you located? Welcome to VK too.

I think it is a '65 model

That TV looks exactly like the ones we had when I was in grade school, though ours were black-and-white sets in metal cabinets on carts. Cleveland's educational TV station had just gone on the air in 1965, and the sets in my school received the station on channel 4 (a downconversion within the master-antenna TV system in the building, since the station actually broadcast on UHF channel 25). I doubt that the UHF tuners in these sets were used at all--in fact, I don't think these TVs were used for anything else but educational programs, so the VHF tuner was probably set on channel 4 and left there. There was a notice, however, on the sides of the TV cabinets stating "to watch channel 25, turn to channel 4", so the sets may have been used for early-morning network newscasts as well.

My reference does not show a "GF661w"... A "GF641w" is a "Longport" a "GF665w" is an "Edinburgh" and a "GF681w" is a "Driscoll"... All are CTC16E.
jr