Buk Auction

[Steve McVoy]

I visited Elli years ago at his place in Lower Manhattan, where much of his TV stuff was stored. The sets were stacked floor to ceiling, with aisles about 2 feet wide. It was hard to see what he had, but he knew where everything was, and I suspect he knew every item he owned.

[bandersen]

The first Clifton just went for $3,250 and not to me

[bandersen]

Only $900 for the CT-100.

[rld-tv01]

Both Viewtones sold really cheap. The one in identified cabinet $900 and other in factory cabinet $450 with the Sparton mirror in lid.

[bandersen]

That Viewtone for $900 came with a nice looking RCA 621TS

[rld-tv01]

I can remember a Viewtone going for $4k on eBayin the last couple of years. There are only about 8 sets totalout there spread across 4 cabinet combinations.

[Stromberg48]

Originally Posted by kwalsh2328

As I watch today’s auction items waiting for the TV auctions to begin, I am wondering (and I mean this in a nice way) whether collecting and hoarding are related?

How did Elli Buk amass so much stuff, where did he keep it, and how did he know what he had?

He and Andy Warhol must have cornered the market (iin their different fields) on collectibles.

I see all this stuff and it doesn't make me feel bad when I trip over a few things at home. The way I see it, the world needs some hoarders to warehouse the past. Warehousing is expensive and time consuming, but just imagine how much is lost to wars, natural disaster, and the disposable society. The disposable society is not just a thing of the present.

Did anyone happen to catch what the Rochester's sold for?

[earlyfilm]

Originally Posted by bandersen

Did anyone catch what the Gray sequential monitor went for ?

Originally Posted by vts1134

$3,000 hammer price.

Well, I'll be! I must have turned two pages at once, cause I never saw it.

Was that one of the three known ones, or a newly found monitor?

James

[Tim]

Here is a Buk anecdote about his beliefs on preserving technical history.

Years ago Elli posted somewhere (I think on the old ETF classified page) that he was looking to communicate with any Dumont Clifton owners. I wrote to him that I had one that I found on the curb about 20 years ago but unfortunately it was missing the power supply. We traded several e-mails. He thought the Clifton was the merging of an important historical cabinet design and a technical milestone. He wrote at the time that he had 3 Cliftons in his collection. I wrote that someday I would restore mine and he responded emphatically that historical artifacts should be left in their original state with all original parts intact and wanted to know if I wanted to sell mine so he could save it. I responded that since he was not going to restore his would he consider selling me a power supply so I could restore mine. That was the last I heard from him

(Still looking for a power supply)

[Stromberg48]

Originally Posted by Tim

Here is a Buk anecdote about his beliefs on preserving technical history.

Years ago Elli posted somewhere (I think on the old ETF classified page) that he was looking to communicate with any Dumont Clifton owners. I wrote to him that I had one that I found on the curb about 20 years ago but unfortunately it was missing the power supply. We traded several e-mails. He thought the Clifton was the merging of an important historical cabinet design and a technical milestone. He wrote at the time that he had 3 Cliftons in his collection. I wrote that someday I would restore mine and he responded emphatically that historical artifacts should be left in their original state with all original parts intact and wanted to know if I wanted to sell mine so he could save it. I responded that since he was not going to restore his would he consider selling me a power supply so I could restore mine. That was the last I heard from him

(Still looking for a power supply)

Ah, the ole "don't fix that thing, give it to me"

[bandersen]

Well I know of one Clifton that's going to get restored. Assuming it is restorable that is...

[Phil Nelson]

You bought one?

Phil Nelson

[bandersen]

I did indeed - the second one bundled with a National and Emerson I figured I needed one flagship set to finish off my collection. As my friend put it - "welcome to the four figure club". I'll just eat Top Ramen for the rest of the year

The plan is my friend in NY will pick it up during the week and deliver it on his way to the West coast in late June. Fingers crossed they make it here in one piece.

[rld-tv01]

I got the Clifton auctioned first. I had been looking for a Dumont Clifton for over 10 years. I got a Clifton advertisement off eBay this past year which advertised winning a new Clifton so I knew one was coming my way. I wanted to get one without the other tvs since I just moved back to Southern Ca this month and still have a load of tvs to haul from storage in Virginia. Your Clifton only has 5 small knobs in the center versus the six knobs on the other two. I wonder what the difference is?

[David Roper]

You are the proud owner of an early model, which lacks a focus knob in front.