Rca trk-12

[relaximus]

Originally Posted by me (relaximus)

... I can say that the decals on the Radio side are still there, yet very dark as though they were stained over.

My guess is that when the TV tuner was replaced, its new panel was stained in-place and the radio side was hit at the same time to try and make them match.

Dave

[Dave A]

RCA Factory Service ran around after the war converting these sets to the post-war channel 2-6 scheme. My 120 has the conversion. This set got a mod by someone else to get the continous tuner in place complete with the panel change.

This one got some good woodworking to get the new cutout right. A third party or the true owner is my guess. A timeline of the Inductuner introduction will help set the time of the change.

[Phil Nelson]

Originally Posted by relaximus

the garage is unlocked and I have permission from the home-owners) and it's still there.

If the lady is AWOL, I would contact the owners and politely offer to buy and install a sturdy padlock on their garage. Give them (or their local agent) all the keys, so they know you're not trying to pull something. Explain that you got your heart set on that funny old thing in the garage and it's worth the cost of a padlock to make sure it doesn't disappear from their property.

Phil Nelson

[Dave S]

Here's my TRK-12 on the left, in very rough shape which I found for almost nothing. But the nicer replacement cabinet on the right cost me almost $1,000 - empty! A modified, but restorable cabinet in good overall shape like yours with modified but probably restorable innards would have to be worth a lot more than an empty cabinet.



As Steve says, prices can be all over the place. You have no easy way of telling whether the picture tube in the set is good, but good CRTs had been bringing up to $2,500 - IF you could find one.

I'm over in New Jersey. If you need help moving it, just ask.

[John Folsom]

Phil Nelson is right. You need to do WHATEVER it takes to take possession of that set NOW!!! Don't wait for next week or next month. The longer you wait, the greater the chance something will happen to sour the deal. Quit talking about it and GO GET IT! :-)

[andy]

...

[Dave S]

Originally Posted by tubesrule

If the button is stuck to the HV socket, you run the risk of breaking the lead off in the crt, or at the worst, cracking the glass in that area and ruining the tube.

.

[Dave S]

I have a collector friend who has noticed a syndrome over the years: he used to post notices on the bulletin board at work that he collects old radios and phonographs. Often someone would contact him with "some old thing" that they'd be glad to give him to get it out of the house.

But, he says, on any number of occasions after he's gotten them thinking about it, they'd seem to decide that if someone was interested in it, it must be a good collectible. And then the offer was withdrawn.

So strike while the iron is hot!

--Dave

P.S. If you get the set, you really should consider keeping it. You'd be an instant "high end" TV collector. And it's a lot of fun.

.

[Dave S]

Originally Posted by andy

To put it in audiophile language, you're looking at a complete tube McIntosh setup (pair of top end monoblocks, tuner, and preamp) for $500, and you're not sure if it's worth it because there have been some hack job repairs. The only thing you should be struggling with is whether or not to practically steal it from the lady who's moving.

Yes. And although there's absolutely nothing wrong with buying it for $500 if that's what they asked (I paid $20 for mine!) the advice of another member here who'd legendary in "getting the deal done" (you know who you are!) would probably be, especially if things are moving worrisomely slowly at the free or $500 level, to cut your risk of the deal going bad AND perhaps do the honorable thing by taking $1,000 or $2,000 in cash over to the owner and making it happen NOW!

.

[relaximus]

Okay, an update. I was able to speak to the lady today. The television was her father's who has recently passed away. I told her that her fiance' had offered to sell it to me and asked if she'd like me to save her the hassle of having to move it by buying it. She said that she'd have to check with her sister, as she is the executor of their father's estate. When I first mentioned the TV, she said something like "one of the first ones", so she apparently knows that it may be worth something. As it stands now, she knows I am interested, but she is beholden to moving it unless she gets the OK from her sister to sell it to me. As it is now becoming obvious that this is going to get more involved, if she and her sister are interested in selling it I will now point out all of the problems with it (cut cords, modified radio panel, modified TV tuner and panel, unknown CRT ststus) in order to keep the price down. I know I still want to get it, but only if there's enough meat left on the bone to turn a dollar or 2. I don't generally buy vintage audio pieces with the intention of flipping them, but this is different. Call me a TV whore if you wish, but I really have no interest in keeping this. How high can I go (with what we know thus far) and still be able to make a few dollars? I realize how sleazy this might sound to you that are serious about this hobby, but I'm being honest. I'm driving 2.5 hours this weekend to pick up a '61 Fisher Custom Electra from the original owner with the intent of adding it to my collection. I only mention this to let you know that I'm a serious collector, just not of vintage TV's.

Thank you everyone once again, I'll keep you updated as events warrant.

Dave

[Phil Nelson]

Who knows, the cat may be out of the bag. It wouldn't take a rocket scientist to Google for "rca trk-12" and learn in 60 seconds that it's a historic and valuable item. Among other things, that search will reveal this very discussion, where TV collectors are wetting their pantaloons over the thought of buying it.

They may be wising up as we speak, in short.

Under the circs, I see two options:

1. Make a low-ish, but reasonable and fair, offer that would let you turn a modest profit by immediately flipping it. Be prepared for rejection. (Under similar circumstances, I have made offers that I considered quite generous; the sellers instantly got dollar signs in their eyes and decided to look for bigger fish elsewhere.)

2. Step out of the deal and tell them it's historic and valuable. Advise that they list it on eBay and direct them to this discussion if they haven't already discovered it.

It's hard to keep secrets in a forum that's visible worldwide a few milliseconds after you click "Submit Reply."

Phil Nelson
http://antiqueradio.org/index.html

[TubeType]

I really wouldn't be too surprised to hear that some enterprising collector in the northeast hadn't already deduced where the set is in Connecticut and is just now hauling it away.

[vts1134]

Originally Posted by TubeType

I really wouldn't be too surprised to hear that some enterprising collector in the northeast hadn't already deduced where the set is in Connecticut and is just now hauling it away.

Wouldn't shock me at all either.

[relaximus]

Originally Posted by TubeType

I really wouldn't be too surprised to hear that some enterprising collector in the northeast hadn't already deduced where the set is in Connecticut and is just now hauling it away.

Well if they are enterprising enough to determine where it is, they certainly deserve it! I realize that CT isn't a terribly big state, but there are a lot of little towns in it.

[TubeType]

Originally Posted by relaximus

Well if they are enterprising enough to determine where it is, they certainly deserve it! I realize that CT isn't a terribly big state, but there are a lot of little towns in it.

Is Canton a little town?