Saw a CT-100 for the first time

[Sandy G]

Just theu the Missionary Ridge Tunnels on US 11-64 in Chattanooga, there was a semi-funky area of town called "Brainerd". When I was there as a student at McCallie School, there was a used TV/radio sales/repair shop there, & in 1974/75 when I was a senior there, the guy had a PRISTINE looking funky old TV in the window, "!957 CT-100 Color, $200". From what I remember it looking like, it COULD have been a CT-100, & he was just off on his date. But $200 was a king's ransom for a broke boarding-school student in '75, much less where would I have PUT it, & how could I have GOTTEN it anywhere... I didn't make it back to Chattanooga after I graduated in May '75 for something like 3 years, & by then, the TV shop was long gone. Sigh...

[jr_tech]

Thinking wayyy back, one of the most amazing CT-100 events that I can recall, was a "clearance sale" of the sets. This was around 1962 or so, when an ad appeared in a local Sunday newspaper offering "Color TVs" for something in the neighborhood of $100 (perhaps $150). There was also a little note at the bottom of the page stating that replacement picture tubes were no longer available for these sets. I convinced my parents that we should go to the sale and perhaps buy something cheap that *might* last until rectangular screen sets became available (which is what they were waiting for). Mom grabbed the checkbook, and we drove to the sale in the pick-up truck (both promising signs).
The sale was located in a store front in an older small shopping center in the suburbs. The windows were covered with tarps, with a big homemade looking sign "Color TV Sale". It was almost pitch black inside, save for the dim glow of about 5-10 CT-100s sort of operating inside. Several others sat along the walls that were not in operation. A few of the sets looked fairly good and I pleaded that we should take one home, but my parents were VERY unimpressed. Most people just walked out, shaking their heads. We went home empty handed.
The next weekend the same ad appeared with the price reduced to $75. I pleaded again, but my parents did not want one of those "ugly purple tinted sets" at any price, and waited a few years to buy a 23" Sylvania. I suspect that many were scrapped after that second weekend sale.

jr

[Charlie]

Ya know, it is possible that you just might be able to find one of those ads on the web. There are those sites dedicated to old newspaper archives... I've come across some pretty neat items in old papers I've found on the internet. Sure, you have to pay a little bit for it, but if you know the name of the paper and approximate dates, you just might come across what you're speaking of.

A while back, i came across a local early-60's ad that had one of my RCA roundies in there for about 630 bucks.

[Phil Nelson]

Originally Posted by jr_tech

ad in a local Sunday newspaper

Do you know the name of the paper?

Phil Nelson

[jr_tech]

Originally Posted by Phil Nelson

Do you know the name of the paper?

Fairly sure it was the Oregon Journal.

jr

[Phil Nelson]

Originally Posted by jr_tech

Fairly sure it was the Oregon Journal.

If you ever get inspired to look for that ad, the University of Oregon has microfilmed archives of the Oregon Journal from 1902-1982:

http://library.uoregon.edu/govdocs/micro/papers.htm

Phil Nelson

[Steve D.]

Purchased my first CT-100 in the mid 60's for $50.00 at a used TV store in Burbank, Ca. I had the owner of the shop power it up. He did and a picture appeared. No color show on I recall, but there was color snow on an unused channel. He was glad to get rid of it. I had to rent a trailer to haul it home.
-Steve D.