Awesome RCA Color Roundie on eBay

[Steve D.]

Polaraman,

Sorry you lost the set. For the $5.00 difference it should have gone to a collector. As for parting it out or gutting it being stupid, these prop houses are in business to rent a period piece of furniture. In other words, they could care less if the insides of the set are working. They'll gut it and put in a new color set if the tv has to be in operating condition. If it 's only a static non-working set that is just "set dressing" it might survive intact. These rental houses don't have the time, expertise or money to invest in restoring this set to operating condition. If the script calls for a working vintage color tv and the 50 year old restored chassis craps out in the middle of a take, the producer and director and an entire crew aren't going to wait around for someone to fix it.
You get my point. I would have thought this clean set would have gone for more. The prop house will get back it's $405.00 + shipping by charging a hefty rental and insurance fee. I'm sorry that $5.00 was the difference between that RCA sitting in a loving collector's home and gathering dust in some wharehouse between being trucked from studio to studio.

Steve D.

[drh4683]

Steve D is correct all the way.

After the buyer won the auction, I got an email explaining what movie it was to be in and to look out for it. That never happend...

After the email offering the chassis back for free+shipping I went off on him. I was polite but wanted to know why he had to destroy such a mint TV with all its papers.

His responce was exactly what steve said. It would cost too much to take a risk of the set breaking down durring a take.

I had too many sets then thats why it went on ebay. If I had know that was what was going to happen, I would have certianly kept it.

Maybe you can email the buyer and ask what his plans are for the set. If however and hopefully not they decide to part out the chassis and CRT he will probably give it away.

If the zenith roundie goes back up, I will bid on it to save it from destruction of prop suppliers!

[Steve Hoffman]

You know, I would have bid on that TV but I thought one of you guys wanted it. Geez, it went for piddle money and it will soon cease to exist in its original form.

It went for not much; I've spent more on a dinner. Sigh.

Too bad.