Howdy folks. My 1st post - 1949 Silvertone console.
 

:thmbsp:

I guess I found this site while googling for some info on my family's first link to the vast wasteland, a 1949 Sears Silverstone console TV, that's been collecting dust, & maybe termites while stored away in a few garages over the years. This relic would probably have found a suitable landfill by now, except that it has one feature that I've never seen on another vintage set. The channel selector is a vertical row of 13 electro-mechanical buttons sitting to the right of its 12" screen. Below the screen are 3 knobs. Vertical, Brightness, & Contrast. Below the channel selector is the On-Off/Volume & Fine Tune knobs. The cabinet is mahogany with a cloth, criss-crossed in gold diagonal stripes, piece of material covering the bottom half of the set. Don't ask for pictures, as I'm digitally challanged. I have the original instruction book & repair parts list. The model is one of six in the 612 series. The exact model number tag on the chassic has long ago peeled off. The set no longer works, or at least it didn't when I last fired it up over 20 years ago.
So....is anyone here familiar with this technical wonder? Was it made by RCA? Is it worth enough to finance a nice trip to Tahiti, or should I give it a good burial. Thanks in advance for shedding light upon its creaking hulk.

Ron.

Hi Ron and welcome to AK!

Any round screen set from 1949 is worth trying to save, Silvertones are pretty scarce and this one sounds interesting with it's pushbutton tuner.
Perhaps it was made by Hallicrafters?

Sure wish we could see what it looks like, perhaps someone here is close enough to you to take a look?

Eric

Well, you ain'ta gonna finance a trip to Tahiti w/it, but you DO have a neat old set that I'd just about lay you even money can be fixed, & is worth keeping. Welcome to AK, you can prolly find somebody here who is willing to fix it for you, for a reasonable fee, or "Hold your hand" if you feel up to it yrself. Congrats on a neat score, & welcome aboard !! -Sandy G.

Well, you're screwed. :-))
It starts with just one set - NO MORE. Then you find that next one that you really gotta have. And another, and another. Till you have to buy the house next door so you have a place to put all your tvs and radios.
That is a nice find. Good luck with the restoration and welcome.
Fred

Oh, don't listen to him. I started with one set and now I have, hmmm...well, four.

Dang. Looks like Fred's right!

[QUOTE=fredh]Well, you're screwed. :-))
It starts with just one set - NO MORE.


Thanks for the welcome, guys. Fred, perhaps I wasn't clear. This box was in the family since day one. I'm not out to begin collecting more stuff - I want to bid adieu to this space hog, unless of course it IS worth enough to set me up in a beach cottage in a Tsunami-free zone. But, so far, no one has ventured a guess as to its value. My intent is to donate it a local vintage TV/radio museum, & I do have an interested party. I just hate to part with it not knowing its worth. I WILL keep my working Pioneer SX-780 tuner, my Akai CS MO1A cassette deck, & Sony 530 reel-to-reel recorder. At least they fit in a space smaller than a '59 Buick.
I've had a chance to snoop around in a lot of the forums. While I'm not really an audiophile, I do like "vintage" music & gravitate to obscure & eclectic rock/folk music, & this site seems to be comprised of nice folks of all ages & tastes. I'm glad I found this pub. Thanks old Silvertone for leading me here.

Ron (not screwed....yet).

Well...since no one seems to have a clue, I have since donated this relic to the TV & Radio Museum in Bowie, MD.

Ron.

Hi Ron,
It's always difficult to place a value on something like without seeing it but I'll take a stab at it.

Most 1949 floor models are valued in the range of $50-$200, it depends a lot on condition, brand name and how cool the set looks.

Donating it to the TV & Radio Museum was a nice thing to do, much better than the landfill! :thmbsp:

Eric

Thanks, Eric. As I said, the poor old thing wasn't working, & the guy who picked it up couldn't find it in his catalog. After I cleaned it up, it looked pretty good, but a good wood re-finish job on the top wouldn't hurt. The cool factor was the push button channel selector. At least I know where I can go for a visit now & then.

Regards, Ron.