I´m so sad

[Captain Video]

You americans are very lucky TV collectors. You get nice 50´s sets for cheap prices, and, sometimes even for free. Here in Brazil things are REALLY different. 50´s and even 60´s sets are scarce. Predictas are more or less common, they pop up every once in a while, I think that maybe it was one of the most sold set here in the late 50´s. However, because of their different design, you can't get a non-working Predicta for less than 500 dollars. Collectors of vintage TVs and stuff here really love the Predicta. I've been collecting vintage TVs and related memorabilia since 2000, and so far I´ve been able to collect seven TVs, four of them are 50's models, two are from the 70's and one is from the early to mid sixties. I do not have a Predicta yet, but I intend to have one, and I know that it will be more or less easy to get one, it's only a matter of getting the money. What really makes me sad is that all the 50's sets that I have are rectangular CRTs models, I would LOVE to have a round tube set, but those are the rarest of the rarest here. Brazilian television begun in 1950, which was the last year of the round CRT, right? By 1951 there were only 7000 TV sets here, in a population of 50 million people. I am here whinning, writing this post, because a beautiful, however in bad shape, GE round TV set in a radio/phonograph combo appeared in the local auction web site. It's in what looks like a very nasty place, a dirty barn, or something like that. I am really concerned about the preservation of such a rare set in that environment, because it won't find a buyer easily. Opening bid is at 2,500 dollars! If only I had the money, I would grab it with a joyful heart...