A friend is selling an old Zenith radio. It is a model X334 . It says it was made in 1958-1961 I believe. It is tube and works perfectly. The price is 50 dollars. It has a wood body in good condition.

Should I buy it.
Thanks

I don't know that model number off hand...it is a table model or console? I would usually pay $5-$20 for a Zenith AM/FM table model and up to $40 or so for a console. I have seen some cases where people tried to sell a Zenith table model for $50, but with some more looking I found one cheaper.

It also depends how rare these are in your area...$50 may be worth it if you really want this radio and don't think you can find any others near you.

If it's a Transoceanic those tend to be more pricey, $50 would probably be a good deal.

Whenever someone asks such a question I am puzzled because I don't see how someone else can climb into your own head, know what your personal needs are for a radio, your expectations, etc. Don't forget, if you need a radio there are much newer ones available, and for less money.

If this radio gives you a woody, and the purchase of it won't leave other family members wanting for food, clothing or shelter, I'd say yes, grab it! You cannot put a monetary value on personal gratification.

On the other hand, if you are just looking for investment counselling because you heard something about vintage radios being valuable and don't give a crap about the radio itself, I feel sorry for you because you are completely oblivious to the real return one can get from collecting such 'treasure' IMO.

Sorry about the rant but when someone asks this question it always hits a nerve. ;)

Rob

Well said.

Originally posted by Rob
Whenever someone asks such a question I am puzzled because I don't see how someone else can climb into your own head, know what your personal needs are for a radio, your expectations, etc. Don't forget, if you need a radio there are much newer ones available, and for less money.

If this radio gives you a woody, and the purchase of it won't leave other family members wanting for food, clothing or shelter, I'd say yes, grab it! You cannot put a monetary value on personal gratification.

I agree with you 100 percent, Rob. I have two Zenith radios I won in ebay auctions. These are the start of a very small collection. The older one works but has things wrong with it I have yet to fix (bad speaker, frayed cord, likely a few bad caps), but I got it because I like the design of that model (Zenith H511-Y, black bakelite, 1951). The newer one is my Zenith K-731 AM/FM of 1963 vintage. This one is a real find because it was in near-mint condition when it was delivered here by UPS, with only minor and nearly invisible imperfections in the finish of the cabinet. The set works well too, as it did shortly after I plugged it in after it arrived here. The sound is excellent, the cabinet looks great--in short, it was well worth the small price I paid for it after the auction ended. There are no words to describe the feeling I get when I listen to my favorite AM oldies station in suburban Cleveland (or a big-band station some 50 miles from my present residence) on this radio; the sound, with an electrostatic tweeter and 6x9 oval speaker, not to mention the heavy walnut cabinet, rivals the performance of almost every other radio I own (with the possible exception of my Aiwa bookshelf stereo system).

I wouldn't say my Zeniths give me woodies, but as I said, I like the style of the 1951 H511 and the sound and cabinet of the '63 K731, so, again, both these sets were well worth what I paid for them on ebay. ;)

But jeez, NOONE answered the guy's innocent question. I am curious too. Is the Zenith X334 cool? I will confirm Jeffhs comment about the K731, and amplify it. That's a great SOUNDING radio, and one you can really listen to. I too am curious about the Zenith X334 and this thread will not give the answer!

I agree with you other posters, though. There aren't any money makers in this arena - cool AM-FM jobs. I've made a killing on communications receivers and shortwave radios - Zenith Transoceanics, Drakes, and such - I even sold one to Joe Walsh. But the market sucks for these - they are for LISTENERS! I'll put my K731 up against a Bose radio!

Blurghy,

The X334 looks to be a typical, wood cased (might be veneer) Zenith table radio. It might date from the late 50s but most likely early 60s, judging by its vertical tuning dial and styling. I've heard Zenith did really well with radios styled like the popular console TV sets of the time...

I don't have one, or my research info in front of me, but I'd guess it is a standard 7-tube, Zenith 'hand wired' chassis with a dual speaker (5x7 plus an electrostatic tweeter) set up. All this means it'll most likely work well, sound excellent and play reliably for years. If it doesn't, it's fixable, so don't pay too much. The styling isn't my cup o' tea (I like the horizontal 'slide rule' dial) but it you like it, deal done.

$50.00? You can probably get one cheaper. This radio is on eBay now and it's sitting at $5.00 with four days to go. No bids.

It was sounding sweet until its plastic based two prong cord input dried out and cracked into pieces. Check the cover of the dial face. It's thin metal and the glue dries out behind it, making it come loose.

It's comparable in sound to most wood tube tabletops that zenith turned out, which is to say it sounds pretty good. The bass is better than the similarly configured plastic table models. $50 seems a bit steep, even for a working unit. I'd try and negotiate around $35. That way if something goes out or you need to do a little repair, you wont feel like you got ripped off. :)