Good day fellow TV collectors.

I did what I am sure alot of us have done. I have been told by my girlfriend other not to bring home anything else. I did well for awhile. Until today. . .

I never check craigslist. Well in the Portland, OR craigslist was "59 Majestic console" - - - - Free . . . . It was sitting in a closet of most likely the origional owners house. I've been wanting a 5U4 powered TV for a couple months now so I decided to check this set out. Its got one. . . . . Its model Majestic 21D59. Presumably a 59 model. Doing research though, it seems they stopped produciton in 58??

Its sitting in my Vw bus now, it might stay there for a bit. . . My apartment is already to small and too cluttered. The set is actually really well built. 3 video IF's and diode detectors. TWO 10 inch speakers(might be two 8 inch though). Chassis is complete and only dusty. Plenty of replaced tubes. Don't know what brand they should be to be origional. CRT has NO brightener attached and flyback looks good. CRT is supposed to be a 21ZP4(I think) But a brief look at the tube looks like **EP4B. The numbers are blocked by the ion trap. Horizontal output is one of those without the plate cap.

Cabinet needs to be refinished. Its scratched up real bad. I've never had to do a cabinet before. I'll need help because I know nothing about refinishing.

Here are pictures. Kinda hard to take a picture of the front, because of its location in my Vw.

My girlfriend is kinda cheesed off. . . . She is still at work and I told her . . . I know I can recap this baby in a couple hours, but the refinishing the cabinet should be a priority.

Anyone else with Majestic TV? I know nothing about them.

Best regards,
Matt Davala

Let's see Matt...How to phrase this? When she comes home and sees it for the first time... just say that the beautiful, magnificent, front doors on this priceless empress of the airwaves...somehow...reminded you of her...and therefore you couldn't let any other man get his hands on it.

Really, that model does have a very classy look and the inside looks "built" too.

Roger

Hello Matt,

Nice catch. When I saw the name Majestic, I thought this might be
related to the Canadian built Rogers-Majestic sets, but I don't think
so. You said you read they (whoever they may be) stopped Majestic
sets in 1958, where did you read that? I don't find Majestic listed in
my circa 1980 Thordarson cross-reference guide, which does include
a number of obscure makes. Good luck.

This looks like one fine set. It appears to be using the 6AV5GA horizontal
sweep tube (one of the few without a plate cap). Sincerely hope you
can get to keep and restore it. Regards.

Here is the brief info I got on Majaestic.
http://www.tvhistory.tv/1950-59-MAJESTIC.htm

Hi Matt,

Beautiful TV. I was in your shoes last week. I decided to check the Cincinnati Craigslist and found "Vintage Electronic Collection $125" I couldn't pass this one up. I got eight items, two TV's including a nice 1950 Philco combo and six radios. The little lady is very tollerant of my hobbies but this one hit her a little hard. I got the "We don't have room for any more of these". So I agreed to slow down alittle on my collecting....................Unless something came along that I just had to have.:D

Good luck with your new TV.

Lucky dawg !! Tell her you COULD be out, drinkin' & chasin' other women...No, that one never worked w/me, either, but...(grin)

Nice set! It hails from 1955 and the sam's is 280-5.
Terry

Hi!

I'm glad the TV is a little older than I expected. The model 21D59 is kind of misleading. Well ... ...

I get to keep the TV!!!! The only condition is that I have to sell three others that I have to keep this one. Its ok I have thought about listing them on the "bay" for awhile.

So the TV waits in the Vw bus until the others sell on Ebay. Who knows if they will? Its hard to put prices on these TV's because of personal value.

Best regards,
Matt Davala

Matt, Matt, Matt... You're going about this all wrong. You're not supposed to come out and _say_ you brought home another TV set. Never say "Look what I just bought". Here's what you do:

Keep your collection in a semi-orderly yet poorly space-utilized fashion. It's also a good idea to have a couple of "spacers" in the form of junk sets or junk cabinets.

"Organize" once and a while, moving things around. Possibly make the collection take up more space by poorly storing things.

When you get a new set, "organize" things, and shuffle the new set underheath and behind existing ones. Stack things in better, so it looks like there is less stuff.

A month later "organize" again. Throw away one of your "spacers". If you don't have spacers, drive around on garbage day and pick some up.

When the new TV comes to the front, and you get asked "Is that new?", you can proudly reply. "No, I've had it for months. See, I've been cleaning - I threw away two sets!"


And _that_ is how you collect televisions.

-Ian

I have to sell three others that I have to keep this one.
That may be a blessing in disguise. Everyone has some kind of space limit. When you reach the limit, you have to either quit collecting or start making choices.

In the last few years, I've been following a "one in, one out" rule. If I want something new, I have to pick something to get rid of. This has the effect of upgrading your collection, if you dispose of junkier/commoner things to make room for better ones.

When I was a beginning collector, I tended to grab anything I found and could afford. I ended up with a lot of common, boring things, duplicates, etc. Most of those are now gone, replaced by a smaller number of more interesting items.

That's a very attractive TV, with the cool front doors and the wild aqua knobs.

When you get around to the cabinet, post a couple of photos of the scratch damage, and I can help you get started. A good beginner's book on refinishing is "The Weekend Refinisher" by Bruce Johnson. Note: old TV cabinets were finished in lacquer, so you'll be working with lacquer.

Phil Nelson
Phil's Old Radios
http://antiqueradio.org/index.html

When I was a beginning collector, I tended to grab anything I found and could afford.


I've kinda got the same problem at this point in my collecting. Now that I've brought one back to life every TV has potential. What brakes my heart is the fact that alot of these sets will end up in the trash if I or we don't save them. I know we can't save them all but we can sure try.:D

Is it worth it to lose her ?
Your passion for your hobby may seem like a junk collection to her.
Tell her purses and shoes take up too much room
Tell her it is worth big money, if she says sell it, dump her.
Or go rent a small inexpensive storage locker for your hobby, and keep her out of your hobby, but make sure YOU ! are responsible for the storage fee, cause she will "forget".
If she is bringing home more money than you, and she is paying the rent, YOU are on borrowed time.

[QUOTE=eberts;1813065]Is it worth it to lose her ?QUOTE]

My opinion, NO!!

No hobbie is not worth it unless you've got somebody to share it with.

Several good point brought up here. I am lucky to have an understanding wife. (and the understanding is, I have 2 rooms in the house to do with what I want...and that is IT.) I am starting to practice what Phil suggested. I also spent many years dragging home any and all sets, basically anything that fit my wallet. I basically looked around one day and realized I was operating an orphanage for old TV sets. I wish it was easier to share the surplus.

I have become adept through the years at sneaking stuff into the house. The first one was when I was 14 years old and managed to have a 21" RCA bw console delivered by a local antique shop. They brought it in the half hour between me getting off the bus and my Dad getting home from work. Just enough time for me to drag it back to my room. It was weeks before Mom & Dad found out! Nowadays, unless my wife is with me when I pick up a set, I don't bring it up. Why worry her? :)

Wow, out of the twenty tubes(including the CRT) only two are origional! I was surprised to see two labled Majestic!!

Definatly a high hours Tv. Flyback still looks ok, and CRT is a replacement and no brightener. I still have to wait to bring it inside. Maybe this weekend. Then I can test tubes. Caps are waiting until I get the Sams.

Is it unusual to have the CRT come out during chassis removal? It seems like to pull the chassis, the CRT comes with it! I'd rather it stay inside, where its less likely to have me bump it. Oh well, the TV does need to be recapped no matter what! I'll just have to be super safe.

Best regards,
Matt Davala

Is it unusual to have the CRT come out during chassis removal? It seems like to pull the chassis, the CRT comes with it!
Not unusual for early TVs, especially those with smaller CRTs such as 7JP4s.

Some are anchored better than others. I award the National TV-7 an A+ for securely attaching the CRT to the chassis in a round metal bracket cushioned with felt. I give the Hallicrafters 505 (aka T-54) a D- for anchoring the CRT only at its socket and letting the bell float free except for the rubbery front gasket attached to the cabinet.

Look carefully for things like speaker wires, etc., before sliding the chassis out, but you probably know all about that.

Phil Nelson

Is it unusual to have the CRT come out during chassis removal? It seems like to pull the chassis, the CRT comes with it!

Not really. A lot of sets are built this way, even the large screen sets. The set currently on the bench is a 21" Zenith. The huge 21" picture tube is mounted to the chassis with metal straps. I always remove the tube from the chassis to work on it - you don't want the picture tube to have to support the weight of the chassis strapped to it. Remove the tube, then put a soft cloth down on something solid and out of the way, and put the tube, face down, on the cloth. Avoid putting tubes on the floor - too easy to bump, unless it's in a closet or something. And be sure that whatever you put the tube on is good and solid, and not going to tip.

-Ian

Congratulations on a beautiful console! Cleaned up, repaired, oiled, etc... even your wife should appreciate that one. It's very nice looking! :yes: :thmbsp:


Matt, Matt, Matt... You're going about this all wrong. You're not supposed to come out and _say_ you brought home another TV set. Never say "Look what I just bought". Here's what you do:

Keep your collection in a semi-orderly yet poorly space-utilized fashion. It's also a good idea to have a couple of "spacers" in the form of junk sets or junk cabinets.

"Organize" once and a while, moving things around. Possibly make the collection take up more space by poorly storing things.

When you get a new set, "organize" things, and shuffle the new set underheath and behind existing ones. Stack things in better, so it looks like there is less stuff.

A month later "organize" again. Throw away one of your "spacers". If you don't have spacers, drive around on garbage day and pick some up.

When the new TV comes to the front, and you get asked "Is that new?", you can proudly reply. "No, I've had it for months. See, I've been cleaning - I threw away two sets!"


And _that_ is how you collect televisions.

-Ian

This is hilarious! I thought it was only we "audio" guys who did all this creative "re-organizing" to hide new acquisitions. Guess TV people are just the same! :D

Atually, I would be more of a TV person, too, if I didn't live in a modest apartment in Hong Kong. Love the old CRT beasts, too, but even creative re-organizing cannot hide a console in a place like this. An amp, yes, sometimes even a pair of speakers, but a big old floorstander? Just no way...:no: :tears: Besides, just don't see them around here. Occasional odd portables and a few Phillips Discoverers and such, but nothing like what is shown in this thread.

The problem with this strategy, of course, is that it only works for a couple of years. At some point, every place that had a "spacer" has been filled with something good, and all the stuff is packed in cheek-by-jowl with no more "give" in the spacing. At that point, she starts to notice how, even though you keep "cleaning up" the area and "getting rid of" stuff, the total volume just keeps growing. She can't recognize WHAT is new, but just knows something has to be.

By that point, if you are lucky, you start to burn out on the obsession, and are willing to actually pare back the collection and keep less, getting rid of the earlier acquisitions and only hanging onto what is really "special" to you. I'm finally at about that point.

Several good point brought up here. I am lucky to have an understanding wife. (and the understanding is, I have 2 rooms in the house to do with what I want...and that is IT.) I am starting to practice what Phil suggested. I also spent many years dragging home any and all sets, basically anything that fit my wallet. I basically looked around one day and realized I was operating an orphanage for old TV sets. I wish it was easier to share the surplus.

I have become adept through the years at sneaking stuff into the house. The first one was when I was 14 years old and managed to have a 21" RCA bw console delivered by a local antique shop. They brought it in the half hour between me getting off the bus and my Dad getting home from work. Just enough time for me to drag it back to my room. It was weeks before Mom & Dad found out! Nowadays, unless my wife is with me when I pick up a set, I don't bring it up. Why worry her? :)
Totally the same situation with me, I also got pretty good at sneaking stuff in. I also have two rooms and thats IT! {everything else is in the garage until I can figure out what the hell to do with it..HE HE} All in all, my little woman is very understanding of my "hobbies" which is pretty hard to find if you ask me!

I'm glad I'm not married. I had a friend, lady, from church yesterday.
She looked at my hallway, and, complained, "Get rid of this junk!"
What did I have in there? One tv chassis, an antique clock, my clothes hamper, two un restored tv sets still together, and, a restored record player.
Hmm. Glad I'm not married....... She's a nice kid, but, I'll keep me junk, thank ya.....
Bill Cahill

Wow. What an evening. You know I had to keep the Tv in my Vw bus temporarly. Well the Vw is my daily driver. Guess what happened today. My right rear break locked up. I managed to get into my apartment's carport. I need to get the Vw towed, but not with that TV in the back!! No one around to help me, so I had to pull the chassis and 21 inch CRT and walk up 3 flights of stairs. . . . avoiding all the metal railings around each bend!!! Then to my door . . . nudging the handle with my elbow.!!!

Its sitting peacefully in my living room. I'm releaved that I'm not blind with glass shards in my face! Not cool. Not at all. . . .

The TV was too heavy for me and my girlfriend to get up 3 flights of stairs. With the chassis pulled now I think she and I can manage the cabinet.

Hey, at least now I can test the tubes and possibly reform the electrolytics with my variac. I'll replace them once I have my Sams schematic, but for now I'm gonna have a little fun. Both the TV and variac are fused, so I shouldn't smoke a tranny.

-
Matt Davala

Hey Matt, I locked the keys in my car in my garage , with the car full of tv sets, had to have the police unlock it, which it still do here, they never even noticed the tv sets from an aft of garage sales and curb finds. I did manage to get a tube radio going before bed which kind of made the night. I have a little red Quasar 'cube' tv, its bright red and as square as can be. Its in a tv shop but found an identical one at a second hand store after I bought mine on ebay. Hope to learn a bit from all of you. Scott in Wisconsin BTW I live with my retired Dad and so far he hasn't said anything about the house and garage turning into my shop which is great. The couple of women I have had over they have no interest in this stuff whatsoever!

Hehe... this reminds me of an interesting story myself.
I repair laser printers for my job. I do a lot of on site service at various office buildings, as well as at some state buildings, among other things.

Well, one day, on the way to work, I found a Zenith B&W console, a 23", looked to be early 60's. A short, wide console, tube type. I loaded it into the back seat of my Camry.

Later that day, a service call came in, so I went out to the Empire Plaza - a large complex with many state offices and buiness offices. This plaza has an underground parking garage for visitors, and I routinely park there when I go on calls. There's a guard shack as you enter, and you have to show your driver's license - there's also a police car there at all times. I think they also sneak a peek at your registration stickers too. So, I drive into this garage, and hand the guy my license - and of course he sees that the entire back seat of my car is filled by a 50 year old console TV. I got several questions about it, and some suspicious looks too... I think they wanted to see inside my trunk as well. (Full of tools and printer parts, suprise, suprise.) Anyway, they let me in. Looking back on it, it's kinda funny - but not at the time!

-Ian