Crosley Question

[Ampico-kid]

Hi;
I came acoss this Crosley set, a Model #9-408 which is a 1949 model. Looks like it's in pretty decent shape, except that it's missing the rear cover/grating.

I haven't seen the set in person yet, but wondering what the general consensis is about this unit? The seller is asking $50.00 for it. I don't have any additional information yet like condition of the crt. How difficult are the 10" crt's to find?

What do you all think???

Thanks!
Bob.

[jpdylon]

The 10BP4 is not an easy one to find. Right on par with the 7jp4 and 12" tubes.

Best thing to do is to take a good CRT tester with you and see if the CRT is worth a damn. If not, talk him down a bit. The fact that its a nice looking set is a good factor, but unfortunately if its got a dud CRT then its going to be nothing more than a paperweight.

[Sandy G]

It looks like pretty much an RCA 630 carbon copy...

[Ampico-kid]

Originally Posted by Sandy G

It looks like pretty much an RCA 630 carbon copy...

This is very true.....but is that good a thing or a bad thing?

Bob.

[Sandy G]

Pretty good, I think..think I've read here that chassis design was used up into the '50s...

[bgadow]

Crosley was one of the biggest users of the 630 chassis. I have an RCA console that somebody swapped a Crosley chassis into. It fits so well that I think RCA must have made it. It will be a good set.

I tend to disagree on the 10BP4. There seem to be plenty of spares if you look around. Remember that they were used in a ton of sets, maybe more than any other crt. I've had good luck with them still being good, too. Among other places I think Harry Poster sells good used ones at a fair price.

[Aage]

It's amazing to me how good the cabinet condition is. Even the decals/labels are very clean in your close-ups. No need to re-finish that baby.

[Tony V]

I agree. Its well worth the asking price. I agree with Bryan in that the crt in these are still around and can be had. RCA used versions of this chassis for quite a few years and it was also used in many clones. Its a pretty durable chassis and the ones i've seen working performed pretty well.
Good Luck,
Tony

[Ampico-kid]

Thanks for the words of encouragement. I'm hopefully going to be picking up the set Friday, May 11. The owner has also informed me that she has found the original box that the set came in when it was purchased in 1949. I'm not really into old boxes, but since the box and TV have been kept together for all these years, far be it from me to separate them now.

I'm going to be testing the crt when I go to pick it up. I guess I'm not real worried about the condition of the 10BP4, since as you said they were a very popular tube.

I haven't seen the set in person yet. The pictures I've posted were sent to me by the owner. I'll let you all know how it looks in person when I have a chance to give it a once over.

Thanks again.

Bob.

[Eric H]

Hi Bob,
I think $50 for that set is a steal! Heck the box is probably worth that if it's in decent condition.

I have the same model but it's, oh what's that word, the one pros use to evaluate the condition of vintage items... oh yes, hammered!

It is a 630 based chassis, my set has a 10FP4 CRT, the aluminized version of the 10BP4, no doubt an aftermarket addition.

[Aage]

Originally Posted by Ampico-kid

Thanks for the words of encouragement. I'm hopefully going to be picking up the set Friday, May 11. The owner has also informed me that she has found the original box that the set came in when it was purchased in 1949. I'm not really into old boxes, but since the box and TV have been kept together for all these years, far be it from me to separate them now.

Well, I don't know how you can say no to a set like that, Bob. Please be sure to at least take your camera and get us some pictures of the box.

If you do decide to go ahead with it, I would be as gentle as possible with the clean-up. Those old decals aren't hard to dislodge or damage, especially if the lacquer covering them is going.

The grillcloth looks pretty grim, but who knows, I've seen some amazing work done on speaker grills that I wouldn't have even tried to clean, and that cloth only looks dirty, not damaged.

Good luck with it!

[Ampico-kid]

Hi;

I've just returned from my trip to White Plains (NY) to pick up the Crosley. It apparently comes from quite a well to do "family". As I approached this huge old mansion I was kind of hoping that it was going to be the right address, and sure enough it was. This is one of those old world places where you walk in the front door and your jaw drops. The house was nothing short of spectacular! There was a lot of hustle and bustle going on as the family was preparing for their mother's 90th birthday bash on Saturday May 12. They were very friendly and couldn't have been a nicer group of people.

The Crosley was everything I was expecting it to be. It does need some TLC for the cabinet. There was no sign of obvious abuse, just the normal lacquer aging process taking it's toll. I checked the CRT and it came right up into the mid zone of the acceptable level, so it doesn't appear there are any problems in that area. The chassis is spotless with not even a hint of rust or corrosian. All in all it's a very presentable example of this type of early TV.

The box is very interesting. If you look at the picture of the side of the box, the original packing slip is still imbedded in it's holder. They even left all of the original packing materials inside of the box. I also noticed a stamp on the top of the box indicating Gavan Woodcrafters Inc. I was wondering if that might have been the name of the company that made the wooden box for Crosley? This unit was owned by the mother of the lady celebrating her 90th birthday Saturday and was bought at a store just outside of Buffalo, NY.

I would have LOVED to explore their house, but in light of the fact they were in the midst of all the party preparations, I didn't want to impose on their hospitality.

It was a very pleasant and rewarding experience and I thank you all for encouraging me to make the move to buy the set. It was well worth the time and effort invested.

I'll let you know how it comes along when I start the restoration.

Thanks again.
Bob.

[Steve K]

Hi Bob:

Great find! And as Eric said, that box is probably worth as much as the TV. Let me know if you need the schematic and service info.

Steve

[Dan Starnes]

Wow!!! What a terrific find and story too!
Dan

[fsjonsey]

I'm rather new to vintage television, but wasnt the 630 chassis, or variants of it, used well into the 1950s with larger CRT's?