What's it worth? (Zenith)

Zenith model #f33-50E 295 watts/265 amps super "Z" chassis I can email pics if anyone wants them. please feel free to email me with any questions at [email protected]

I really would like some info. Please

[Eric H]

Generally people don't like to answer first time posts about what something is worth.
These item usually wind up on eBay and we never hear from the person again, very frustrating.

That said a Super Z chassis is from the late 50's I believe, if it's in a floor model set that's anything other than a "Space Command"
model then it's probably not worth a whole lot, $25-$100 depending on style and condition.

If you want to send me pictures you can do so, you can E-mail me by clicking on my name and using the link.

Eric

[Tubejunke]

I have what may be a similar set only mine is a Space Command remote control set circa 1958 or 9. It seems to generate little or no interest but is a very beautiful set with a large 24" screen.

Your question is what is it worth. I have never found a cut and dry way to answer this question. I look at it more like what is it worth to you? Is it in good condition? Do you like it? If it is not working are you going to be willing to invest in new capacitors?

Eric hit the nail on the head as far as the sets possible value as is. Unfortunately right now late 50's sets are not bringing a lot of $$. Probably for a multitude of reasons. One being the fact that they made a WHOLE lot more sets in 1958 than in 1951. So they are not exactly rare.

I'm glad that they are not expensive because people like me who enjoy attempting to bring the things back to life can't afford to drop a C note in a set that needs all new capacitors and 8 or 10 resistors. The low prices allow us to keep the history alive without going broke.

Another thing is you never know what you are getting when you find an old set. You DON'T want to plug it in unless the seller knows that the set is OK to be plugged in. What I mean about OK is either the set has been checked out or repaired by someone who knows what they are doing or in some cases a set could have been in a family since new and retired to only occasional use and be known to work still. These sets are naturally going to be worth more as you have an idea what you are getting into.

The hard cases are the ones that someone has found in a tobacco barn keeping the mice warm for the last 30 years. This type find you want to give $5-10 for or maybe even try to talk the owner into paying you gas money to haul it off for them. There is no way to check it out to see if it is even feasible to restore it. It could have catastrophic issues such as a bad CRT, or power transformer, or flyback. Other than these three items for the most part you can fairly cheaply fix the rest.

I hope some of this helps you. If you are interested in old electronics 50s sets are a great and interesting hobby. However if you are trying to get rich on Ebay or something you probably want to say away from TV's. If for no other reason the weight and fragile nature of them hinders buyers from bidding if the set would have to be shipped. Simply the logistics are not worth the trouble.

Thanks for the info. Mine is a remote control, floor model. I have plugged it in and turned it on in the last week. The picture is good, ie...no lines, good horizontal/vertical, no snow. I would like to sell this if you know anybody that might be interested. I'm open to offers.

[Carmine]

Pictures will make all the difference in selling it. For the record, I have a Space Command Zenith from the same era that I've tried selling for $75, and no dice.

[Chad Hauris]

I have found the only people interested in buying old TV's are vintage TV enthusiasts like you find here...there seems to be zero interest among the general public in buying or repairing old TV's.
I wonder why hardly anyone seems to have any sentimental attachment to old TV's?
Antique radios, jukeboxes, phonographs and organs seem to have a much higher level of interest as far as people wanting to get them repaired.

[Tubejunke]

Originally Posted by Chad Hauris

there seems to be zero interest among the general public in buying or repairing old TV's.
I wonder why hardly anyone seems to have any sentimental attachment to old TV's?
Antique radios, jukeboxes, phonographs and organs seem to have a much higher level of interest

I have wondered what the deal with TV's is for years. I just don't get why I can walk in an antique mall/shop and find almost anything from the past with some ridiculous price tag but if I ask the owner if he has any old TV's he will likely say No or tell me about one that they put in a dumpster. This makes no sense at all!! The one thing that really CHANGED society as we knew it has no value at all?? At least a TV might actually be the one thing that you could get that actually DOES something. It just kills me to see all the Elvis crap, or old dishes, coins, furniture, gas station products, or even worse Coca-Cola "collectables" and a whole lot of other simply useless (but collectable), boring stuff hanging around that is soooo valueable and you can't give away the one thing that generated a whole heck of a lot of the memories that began the whole nostalgia thing to begin with.

One pittfall for TV's is size and weight to be honest. That is still not the answer though. An ESSO gasoline pump is large, heavy, dirty, and stinky. A big, red, Coca-Cola sign takes up quite a bit of space. As do juke boxes...I don't want to hear the same stack of 45 RPM records over and over personally. I CAN see why they would be interesting, nostalgic, or whatnot. Just not for me. You would not have much trouble getting a decent return on a Wurltizer juke investment.

I gave $5 for my Zenith Space Command to keep Goodwill from dumpstrizing it, or some redneck getting it to house his fish tank. I sure would like to have Jeepkings Zenith as mine pretty much stumped me on the repair end. I could swap chassis. I wonder if he is in reasonable driving distance. I don't believe he has disclosed his location.


Hey Jeepking, where are you at? Do you deliver??

Originally Posted by Tubejunke

I have wondered what the deal with TV's is for years. I just don't get why I can walk in an antique mall/shop and find almost anything from the past with some ridiculous price tag but if I ask the owner if he has any old TV's he will likely say No or tell me about one that they put in a dumpster. This makes no sense at all!! The one thing that really CHANGED society as we knew it has no value at all?? At least a TV might actually be the one thing that you could get that actually DOES something. It just kills me to see all the Elvis crap, or old dishes, coins, furniture, gas station products, or even worse Coca-Cola "collectables" and a whole lot of other simply useless (but collectable), boring stuff hanging around that is soooo valueable and you can't give away the one thing that generated a whole heck of a lot of the memories that began the whole nostalgia thing to begin with.

One pittfall for TV's is size and weight to be honest. That is still not the answer though. An ESSO gasoline pump is large, heavy, dirty, and stinky. A big, red, Coca-Cola sign takes up quite a bit of space. As do juke boxes...I don't want to hear the same stack of 45 RPM records over and over personally. I CAN see why they would be interesting, nostalgic, or whatnot. Just not for me. You would not have much trouble getting a decent return on a Wurltizer juke investment.

I gave $5 for my Zenith Space Command to keep Goodwill from dumpstrizing it, or some redneck getting it to house his fish tank. I sure would like to have Jeepkings Zenith as mine pretty much stumped me on the repair end. I could swap chassis. I wonder if he is in reasonable driving distance. I don't believe he has disclosed his location.


Hey Jeepking, where are you at? Do you deliver??

Sorry about location, profile has been edited. no I don't deliver.

[Dave S]

Originally Posted by Tubejunke

I have wondered what the deal with TV's is for years.

One of the nicest and most technically-proficient members of our local antique radio club refers to old TVs as "the work of the devil!"

[Tubejunke]

Originally Posted by Dave S

One of the nicest and most technically-proficient members of our local antique radio club refers to old TVs as "the work of the devil!"

From what I see on the screen nowadays I believe he may be right!!

[Carmine]

Since it was in Michigan, I grabbed it.

It was tuned on, being used when I got there.

More to follow.

[Tubejunke]

Good grab! Nothing like an already working set. Out of curiosity if/when you get a look under the chassis I would like to know if the set is working original, or working restored. I have 2 50's sets that are working original with the exception of normal service done when they were in common use. In other words never recapped. I find this an amazing thing.

The concept of a consumer product that lasted 50 years is almost unbelievable, especially by todays standards, or lack there of.

If you need a twin for the Zenith and are ever out around VA I would like to find a good home for mine. It is recapped but I had no luck at all in repair. The chassis and CRT was so clean, and most of the tubes were original, it led me to believe that my set never saw more than a year or two of service. No vertical sweep and hum for sound. Sounds simple but I never figured out what the problem is. Too bad I invested in the caps and resistors. I have no remote control but it is a remote set.

[Carmine]

I haven't had time to do squat with the set except take it out of the car. However I'd wager that this is a working original set. The can't be all that uncommon... The 1958 Zenith I use weekly-ish in my bedroom has never been recapped, nor have any of the other 50s-60s working sets that I have.

I think all of these sets saw semi-regular use, so there were no periods of time spent in a barn, etc. Now, ironically, they sit idle in my house because so much of what's actually televised is crap!

[Sandy G]

Whassamatta, Carmine, you DON'T sit glued to th' Tooob to see what part of her body Britney has buzz-cutted THIS week ?!? Or who is Paris schtupping this hour? Or what untalented bozo will get a super zinger from Simon this time? Why, there's ALLSORTS of innerestin' Schtuff on TV for yer perusal-it must be somethin' wrong w/YOU....<grin> You do realise I'm being as sarcastic as possible...