Another find in New Jersey

[Dave S]

A sharp-eyed club member saw this set at a house sale yesterday. He wasn't sure what it was. He called me and I drove over to the house sale to look at it. I wasn't sure either. It wasn't like anything I'd ever seen before, but it looked interesting. (This is, of course, a trick question, but can anyone guess what it is?)

[jwharris]

It looks similar to something I saved from the office of my boss 10 years ago.



Its not a TV which I assume the one you posted is but your "trick question" comment made me think it could be something else.

Either way, thought mine would be cool to throw in since it looked similar.

-Jason

[Eric H]

Is it a Seeburg Home LP player?

[Dave S]

OK, I'm glad I'm not the only one who totally couldn't guess what it might be. JWHarris, it is pretty amazing how much it looks like your office item. That first picture was just to yank everyone's chain. This one, with the tambour doors open, might help a little (or a lot) more.



/

[jwharris]

It was hard to tell if those were tambour doors or if it was just a design element on the doors. Seems hard to tell that its even a tv with the doors closed. Much like its hard to tell mine is a Springer-Penguin bar fridge.

Still interested in knowing more about the set.

[Eric H]

4 or 5?

[ohohyodafarted]

CTC 4. First one of that style I have seen. Quite rare. Fantastic find. I am "VERY jealous Dave!

[Dave S]

Sharp-eyed Bob, you win the prize! (with a major honorable mention to Eric for coming so-o close.) There wasn't much to go on there and it sure didn't look like anything familiar. (I was just being a brat by only showing you the "first impression" pictures. Once we pulled it out from the wall it was built into and found the model number on the back things started to make more sense.)

First thing we saw was the model number 21-CT660U. That would have cinched it for you early color experts, but not having played around with any of these it didn't ring a bell other than to convince me that it was surely at least "very interesting." We weren't really sure what we had on hand until we took the back off and saw "CTC-4" stamped on the chassis. My friend Darren who was the one who found it realized that it was built into a custom cabinet of a type which he's found to be fairly common in the New York area. It may have even been done a few years after the set was new. The cabinet looks very "Mad Men", certainly more recent vintage than the stock cabinet.

Don't be too envious of me though, I didn't have any room for it, and neither did Darren. We called Steve and he was interested so he was the actual buyer and you'll be able to see it in Hilliard next spring.

[old_tv_nut]

Originally Posted by Dave S

... you'll be able to see it in Hilliard next spring.

Looking forward to it

[Dave S]

Here's a preview:


The back of the set: the first clue


1956 date + 21AX = second clue. Isn't it interesting how they included the original installation date of the set (maybe the date the CTC-4 was built into the custom cabinet?) and the date the CRT was replaced on what had to be a 1961 sticker for the repair?


1967 Service tag. Likely an RCA Factory Service job; note the "Cherry Hill, NJ" on the tag. This may have been for a second CRT replacement. If so, this tube is probably pretty "low mileage."


A view of the innards.


Another view of the insides. You can see how the cabinet was extended laterally to allow for storage of the tambour doors when opened.


And finally a closeup view of the neck of the CRT. It looks pretty silvery under all that dust. <crosses fingers>

[miniman82]

Nice find, I like!

Good luck finding a replacement CRT if that one isn't any good though...

[ohohyodafarted]

So it's actually the cheap bottom of the line CTC4. The one with the masonite cabinet with the faux printed fake wood grain finish, and then stuffed into a custom made cabinet.

Very Cool. But not as cool as Folsom's full door ctc4 Gainsborough. That John Folsom, he's gets all the best stuff.

[John Folsom]

Dave, that is a really cool find. Look forward to seeing it at the ETF. Interesting the various dates on the tags, from '56 through 67! Quite a history.

Yep Bob, I am a luck dog. :-) But I think its the Cheltingham... unless I have my models mixed up. How 'bout those fake photograph book-matched doors?

[Phil Nelson]

Boy, some guys have all the fun!

I was going to ask where they put the speaker, but your photos answered that question. I guess the tambour doors ruled out putting it on the side, not that that's my top pick, either.

Nice find.

Phil Nelson

[Steve McVoy]

The 21CT660U was the Haviland 21 model:

http://www.earlytelevision.org/rca_ctc4_haviland.html

It has a nice wood cabinet.