Incredible Mint In Box 1964 Zenith TV find!!!
 

Today I got a phone call from a lady who runs estate sales in the chicago area about a zenith TV that is supposedly new in the box. It was a 1960's set from her description and I got the model number L2109-J3. I looked it up and is a 1964 model 19" black and white set known as the "Longbeach". I got a nice deal on it, $40.00.
The set was in the north side of Chicago (right by the zenith plant actually). There really is no history other than "the TV was bought and forgotten about". It was hidden in the walk up attic in the home since bought new. The lady spoke with the wife of the man who bought it new and she claimed it was put in the attic the day it was bought. For why, is unknown. The power cord is still factory wrapped! The TV comes complete with everything, hang on tags stickers etc. The TV was bought from allen TV in chicago on 1-30-64. Robert Zak (orignal owner) filled out all the information on the form on back of the zenith manual.

Opening up this box was like stepping back into 1964. (It was already opened before) The entire contens of the box is complete, packaging materials and all. There is a neat tag inside the box "This Quality zenith TV has been completely inspected for your satisfaction by inspector '73A' ".

I powered the set up and works perfect. Didnt need to adjust a thing. Whats also interesting to note, this TV having NO dust in it has a different smell once its warmed up. It doesnt have that "hot dust" smell like we a used to. Its a "new TV smell" considering what year this set is.

Ive never seen anything like it and want to share some pictures as to what a BRAND NEW 1964 Zenith TV is all about! Definitly a great peice of the past.
The TV is being stored in the box to preserve its condition.

Remember, you are about to see what this set looked like THE DAY IT WAS MADE 42 years ago!

My gosh!

You have definitely blown my mind with that one. That is really a one-in-a-million find, at ANY price.

I truly hope you enjoy this little "Way Back Machine" :yes:

Rich P

Speechless. What a find and what a price!!!!!! :tresbon:

THat is simply amazing! I got my 1960 SC300 set in box with the remote for 4 bucks, but it didn't have the brochure, manual, and it was used and was in need of repair.

That is truely an awesome find! Congrats!!!:yippy:

Wow, that is incredible, a truly once in a lifetime find!
Facinating to see how they were originally packaged.

I have a slightly earlier version of this set, well used of course.

Unbelievable ! You lucky dog ! <grin>-Sandy G.

Daaaammmmmnnnn!

veg

Wow.Don't think I've ever seen one of those old metal chassis so shiny.Looks as clean as one made in 2005 or 2006.

That is DEFINITELY the most significant thing to be shown here in awhile!!!! That could give somebody an o&ga$m (Oops, this is a G-rated website)... Now here's what I'd do: Put it back in the box, put the box in a green plastic bag, and don't let any air attack it! This is one of only 3 or 4 total ever, new-in-box vintage TVs I've heard of. I once owned a new-in-box Tele-King 1948 10-inch set, which now belongs to Gary Miller.

What makes this so much more special than the many '60s Sony small TVs that have been on eBay "new in box", is that those boxes were often kept to store those expensive little Sonys in conveniently since they weren't always in use. But your Zenith, on the other hand, just DOESNT show up new in the box!!!! The box was big, ugly, and useless in the day.

You are the object of my envy!

Charles

That is amazing. It's not likely any of us are ever going to buy a TV and put it in the attic when we get it home! :yikes:

Terry

Rare find
 

:yes: A true top notch quality TV!!!!!!!!!!! Gonna display somewhaere with box, paperwork, etc???? Uses same expensive & complicated number projecting knob as my Roundie. Just beautiful chassis!!! Gold colored, IS this brass plated chassis, solid brass or some other alloy?? Looks to be a Service Saver chassis too! Fantastic score DRH!!!!!!!!!!!!

:thmbsp:

...

That is one great find. It is interesting to see what these old sets looked like when they were new. My only new in the box finds have been some CRTs and a UHF converter, I never thought I would ever get to see a whole TV like that.

Drool, Slbber. You lucky son-of-a-gun!! If you get tired of it, email me. I'll geve you a good trade... To answer top question, that is plated. Nice set. Must have been early '64, as that year saw fiirst all channel tv's, and this looks like last of '63 models sold in early 64. I think that makes it even more interesting. No UHF, and cabinet is beutiful.. Whole set is..... Can we see a picture of it playing??Nice set!! :banana: :yes:

Hey, Douggles, I just remembered--you're the one who found the MIB DuMont (from hell) and the Emerson.

Wow--you sure have the Magic Touch.

veg

That set is amazing! What really struck me too is how good condition the interior wires are. You could probably build some kind of a dust proof enclosure like out of Plexiglas to keep it in so it is out of any dust but you could still see it. The house it was in probably was air conditioned and there was no major air pollution in the area.

WOW, There is still hope for folks like me to one day before I die to find something similar. I would take Kaye- Halbert's advice and use a several ply plastic bag and fill and purge the bag with dry nitrogen and even toss in a few BRAND NEW Silica gel packets before I seal it back up. Then pick an appropriate day once a year and take it out and run it for 12 hours or so to reform all the caps and dry all the windings then pack it back up in dry nitrogen again.
Richard.

I don't understand all this talk about preserving the set under glass.

It's a Zenith--it'll be around long after the rest of us are gone!

veg

How is that even possible!?! Congrats drh!

Hey Doug,

That Zenith is an amazing find. I think there must be a fair amount of undiscovered "new" old tv related stuff lurking in attics, old tv shops and wharehouses. Forum member Steve Hoffman's '64, never turned, on Packard-Bell color roundie comes to mind. I came across a 1960 RCA WR-64A color bar generator new in the box in 2003. It had been shipped to a video supply dealer in So. Dakota and never opened. I won it on e-bay for $9.95.It can be seen (hopefully) here:

http://community-2.webtv.net/StevesCT-100/doc/


-Steve D.

At antique radio conventions they have contests; maybe someday there can be an old equipment contest at the ETF convention where that could be entered. If it were mine I would leave it in the box & display an identical used set next to it. There will not be many more finds like this.

Doug... that's really cool! Talk about a true time capsule!

How does someone spend the money on a tv (even a 60's b&w) and forget about it???

Thats exactly what I said when I read the post.
Especially when you consider that buying a TV set
wasnt exactly a small thing at that time.

That Is a sweet find. Thats the first one ive seen in that condition. The ones Ive worked on had 3 inches of dust or were burned up.

what a wonderfull find, wish I could find a tv in that condition

Absolutely amazing find!!! I've never seen a 40 year-old chassis that clean. I bought a set just like that one at a thrift shop for $1.00 about 10 years ago, but it was well-used. Some guys just have all the luck!


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Kaye Halbert, I dreamed we found some 27 Inch models in the box.This story is giving me hope. Some folks did buy 2 or 3 TV's if one would go bad. Storage was a problem. I always loved the smell of the color sets when New. It made the whole house smell good. I fogot the B&W did to....My 1962 CTC R.C.A. set come from a mans office. We thought he got a new set at home & would bring old ones to his office. Wrong...He got two new sets one for home, one for office & only watched it durring his lunch. It is like brand new inside & out & still has a bit of that New smell.....