Saw this today, nearly drowned in drool...

[Raddion]

Saw this at a local antiques barn here in CT today, pulled all the knickknacks piled on top of it off for a photo shoot - don't think management was amused. They're asking $150 for this beauty. All the knobs click nicely, btw. Tempted!

[decojoe67]

Cool "mid-century" set with the metal legs. $50-$100 would be a better deal. $150 is tip-top retail, but still not a huge investment if you like it. The key point is if the CRT tests good. These '50's metal sets used to be shunned by TV collectors, but have become more popular in recent times especially if in original eye-catching colors.

[Raddion]

Well, my handler (wife) was with me, so anything more than $50 surely wouldn't have been approved by the bank ;-) nope. It looks pretty solid though, dammit.

[decojoe67]

Originally Posted by Raddion

Well, my handler (wife) was with me, so anything more than $50 surely wouldn't have been approved by the bank ;-) nope. It looks pretty solid though, dammit.

Sets from that era play so well too and are a fun to watch classic TV on. I have several. It's getting tougher to find them in really good shape and complete too.

[zeno]

Looks like its in a rent-a-booth shop. Have management contact
the dealer with a CASH offer. If its still around a year
from now & it will try again. It takes up a lot of real estate & I
am sure he will come down a lot.

73 Zeno

[Username1]

Raddion - Cool avatar ! Love lost in Space ! ! !

"my handler" - HA HA HA HA ! ! ! love it ! - Yah, got one too......

If I didn't, I would need a shed with a bed to live in.....

.

[BigDavesTV]

Ha ha, I agree with the Squirrel, I'd be in much worse shape without "my handler" she's also my careful banking consultant / adviser! :-)

[Tom Albrecht]

The Raytheon brand makes this one a little more interesting as well. Not many Raytheon sets out there, especially from this later time frame. I'd also be tempted by one like that (don't worry, I'm 3500 miles away!).

Tom

[Raddion]

You guys are killing me. I was and I is unable to stop thinking about this TV set. Do you think I should go back and throw a lowball offer for like 60 bucks in the hopes of landing at maybe $75? I'm not a cheapskate, but I'm already embroiled in a 1953 Philco resurrection, and my handler is VERY touchy with the mortgage due and the electric bill tilting the mailbox. Damn. Damn it all to hell!!!

[decojoe67]

Originally Posted by Raddion

You guys are killing me. I was and I is unable to stop thinking about this TV set. Do you think I should go back and throw a lowball offer for like 60 bucks in the hopes of landing at maybe $75? I'm not a cheapskate, but I'm already embroiled in a 1953 Philco resurrection, and my handler is VERY touchy with the mortgage due and the electric bill tilting the mailbox. Damn. Damn it all to hell!!!

All us collectors have felt that pain many times! Your idea sounds great. IMO $50 sounds like the right price, but likely they will not go down that far. $75 may be enticing though! Tell the seller that in red, pink, or turquoise it would be worth more, but the darker color holds the value down - and it's dicey as to the condition of the CRT.

[Kamakiri]

I just started restoration of a '53 Raytheon Vu-Matic. I shuddered to even pull the chassis and figured I'd find all kinds of low-budget crap like you see in most Crosley sets. Much to my surprise and delight, it's really a decently built unit. Should be nice once done

C'mon, jump in the pool!!

[rca2000]

Hot or cold chassis ?

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by rca2000

Hot or cold chassis ?

Series, parallel heater design. Voltage doubler selenium B+ supply.
This model, I'm sure off.
Around a 1955 model year. Upright chassis. IIRC, a Standard Coil strip type tuner. Should be a 21YP4 CRT.

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by Tom Albrecht

The Raytheon brand makes this one a little more interesting as well. Not many Raytheon sets out there, especially from this later time frame. I'd also be tempted by one like that (don't worry, I'm 3500 miles away!).

Tom

Belmont was in business for many years, but when Raytheon took them over, they went out of business around 1957.
It seems, they built more private label products, than they did with their own name.

[drh4683]

Originally Posted by dieseljeep

Belmont was in business for many years, but when Raytheon took them over, they went out of business around 1957.
It seems, they built more private label products, than they did with their own name.

Yes- Belmont Radio Corp. was the original company in Chicago, they were literally across the street from Zenith at 5921 W. Dickens Ave. They were working on their own television design right after the war like a lot of other companies. Belmont was customer of Raytheon for tubes for their radios which is how that relationship got started. With Raytheon's interest in television, they looked to Belmont and the two companies merged in 1945. Raytheon televisions were made in Chicago at the Dickens Ave Plant. This was known as the "Belmont Division of Raytheon".

In 1954, Raytheon built a second TV plant which was primarily a metal fabrication plant for cabinets and chassis' in Chicago at 8311 W. North Ave.

Raytheon actually didn't shut down the TV plants when they wanted to pull out of the business. Admiral stepped in purchased the division from Raytheon on May 28, 1956 and utilized those plants for manufacturing their own products. Admiral also maintained the same naming concept and called it the "Belmont Division of Admiral" and that all lasted until Rockwell International bought out Admiral in April of '74.

So that old Raytheon TV has a lot of neat history behind it.