Hi everyone.

I'm new to this forum and I'm on a hunt for a good vintage television.

(My apology if I'm posting in the wrong thread)

I don't know very much about old tv's. I just have great interest and respect for vintage electronics.

I've attached (too many) pictures below.

Could anyone identify these TV's for me?

Maybe share some advice/experience about them?

1http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5108/5613071977_1c3b58013f.jpg

2http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2696/4168134880_50108c5efa.jpg

3http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2237/2156143569_82e5b7c076.jpg

4http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4112/5025199771_1932d44816.jpg

5http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3663/3561652866_b8981631fc.jpg

6http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5241/5282012072_facd3816ba.jpg

7http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3097/2638259492_f74c77c626.jpg

8http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5069/5663907420_c76e0092bd.jpg

10http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4020/4620419516_206824e368.jpg


Do you think I have a chance at finding any of these TV's?

Also, besides estate sales, craigslist, and e-bay, where can I get my hands on a vintage TV?

The second picture is a 13" Sharp Linytron color TV from the late '70's. This is a solid state set and I've seen some that were made for Western Auto under the Truetone name. They are good playing sets; but, I've seen a few with bad flyback transformers.

The third set is an RCA from the early '80's. Also solid state and a good performing set. In fact, many are still in use.

Fifth one looks like a Zenith B&W tube type set from the late '60's.

Sixth one is a Toshiba Blackstripe set, probably early '80's.

The seventh one looks like a 23" or 25" steel cabinet Zenith System 3 from the late '70's or early '80's. This set may also have the built in "space phone".

Number 11 is what is known as the Zenith Avanti. The one pictured looks like either a Chromacolor II or System 3 from the late '70's. This cabinet style goes back to the early '70's and was first used with a tube/transistor hybrid chassis, then with the horizontal solid state chassis that actually looks like a tube chassis, then the vertical fold down chromacolor II chassis, then with the printed circuit board based System 3 chassis.

The other sets looks like non-US models that I'm not familiar with.

If you live in the US, finding any of the sets that I identified should not be a huge problem; but, none of them are going to sprout legs and come to you. The best thing to do is hit the yard sales, estate sales, advertise on CL, look on ebay, advertise in any local papers in your area, and get the word out to everyone you know. If you are involved with a church or community organization where many senior citizens are present, get the word out to them. It's the older folks who will come near having an old TV hidden away somewhere.

In your search, you will find a lot of dead ends and you will end up with a bunch of '90's and newer sets that may not be of interest to you; but, it will all be worth it when that special set comes along. Obviously, '80's era TV's are still more common and easier to find than the older stuff; but, the older stuff is still out there. You just have to hunt for it. And, now would be a good time to start that hunt. I suspect that in 10-20 years, most the the pre-'80's stuff will be gone. Sometimes, I wish I could go back to the early-to-mid '90's, when the last round of '60's and '70's tube sets were starting to end their service life. Back then, I was all the time bringing home interesting sets; but, unfortunately, I was not in to saving old TV's back then. At that time, an old TV was nothing more than something for me to fix and make a few $ off of.

^ Wow, thank you for that very helpful post.

Too bad you didn't save any of your old TV's.

What sets do you have currently?

Also, do you think I'd find any vintage tv's at thrift stores or antique stores?

The private "for profit" thrift stores may yield some old sets, especially if you let them know of your interest. The charity stores are usually a bust because they often toss out anything that either does not work or is considered "too old". And, they are often "too busy" to save any of the old sets for anyone. Of course, it doesn't hurt to ask. One thing is for certain that if you don't ask, you certainly won't get anything.

Antique stores can go one of two ways. Most antique stores avoid TV's because they can't make mega $ off of them and the ones that do have TV's usually have an inflated "antique store" price on them.

I probably have 50 or 60 old TV's around the house. The two oldest ones are a 10" '49 RCA B&W with a round CRT and a '49 Admiral 12" round tube B&W TV/radio/phonograph console. I have some tube type B&W sets from the '50's (17"-21"), along with some '60's and early '70's color portable and cabinet model tube sets. I also have some solid state color and B&W TV's from the '70's and '80's. And, I forgot to mention the '66 Philco and the '65 Sylvania 21" round CRT color sets. Last, I have a 22" Sylvania solid state B&W floor model TV from '78. It was a NOS set that I got from a TV dealer. By '78, B&W consoles were almost at the end of their road and not many turn up today.

Ahh I see.

And wow, 50-60? Nice.

Do you ever plan to sell any of 'em?

I probably need to sell some. No, scratch that. I probably need to GIVE some away because I'm running out of room.

I probably need to sell some. No, scratch that. I probably need to GIVE some away because I'm running out of room.

I agree with that! TVs are like Stray Cats, once the word gets out you take care of them they flock to you and multiply. Two years ago I had 5, now I have 60.
Before you get into collecting old tvs a warning...you cant have just one

You can probably find some sets that would interest you from members here. It depends on where you live, since most of the stuff you are interested in would be a huge hassle to ship. These are not terribly difficult to find, at least not if you are trying to get the exact models shown.

Some comments on the photos: #1 looks like a "photoshop special" to me.
#4 is a from outside the US, there are some members from around the globe who could tell you just where it was sold. It is a National, a brand name of Matsushita-we know them here as Panasonic.
#8 is a Saba from Europe...darn, I used to know where they were based...Germany? Never sold here.
#9 is a pretty typical bw set from around 56-59 or so, could be American.

I probably need to sell some. No, scratch that. I probably need to GIVE some away because I'm running out of room.

If you ever give some away, please do contact me.

You can probably find some sets that would interest you from members here. It depends on where you live, since most of the stuff you are interested in would be a huge hassle to ship. These are not terribly difficult to find, at least not if you are trying to get the exact models shown.

Some comments on the photos: #1 looks like a "photoshop special" to me.
#4 is a from outside the US, there are some members from around the globe who could tell you just where it was sold. It is a National, a brand name of Matsushita-we know them here as Panasonic.
#8 is a Saba from Europe...darn, I used to know where they were based...Germany? Never sold here.


I live in Phoenix, Arizona.

Yeah, #1 does sort of appear fake after staring at it. Who knows.

I would love to get my hands on a Saba or National.

Do you know if any of the members on here own either of the two?

I think #9 is an Emerson, that looks like an Emerson symbol on the bottom of the control panel.

Any guesses for #5?

That's a Zenith b/w from the late 60s, I think radiotvnut already identified that one in a post up above.

5 is a late 60s black and white tube set. I have something very close to that. All metal and heavy.

Thanks. Guess I missed radiotvnut's comment for #5.

Is there a way to tell off the bat whether a TV is black and white or color?

Or do you all just know which models are b&w and which are color?

Trained and experienced eyes can tell the colors from the black & whites if it isn't obvious as with Roundies. Look at details like logos and trade-names You're asking the right bunch!

I have a few of the 70s sets out in a barn that leaks. I will try and pull them out and see what they look like.
IF they are still ok you are welcome to have them. They are headed for e waste anyways.

I have a few of the 70s sets out in a barn that leaks. I will try and pull them out and see what they look like.
IF they are still ok you are welcome to have them. They are headed for e waste anyways.

Wow, that would be great!

I have panasonic and saba tvs but I live in Italy... Anyway saba was a famous and trusted german brand. At the end of eighties saba was sold to thomson just like nordmende and telefunken and now it no longer exist.

I have panasonic and saba tvs but I live in Italy... Anyway saba was a famous and trusted german brand. At the end of eighties saba was sold to thomson just like nordmende and telefunken and now it no longer exist.

Do you have any photos of your Panasonic and Saba?

You'd probably stand a pretty good chance of finding a Zenith Avanti--I did. It was a 2.5 hour drive but only set me back 50 clams.

veg

You guys should check out www.mercadolibre.com.ar/ (http://www.mercadolibre.com.ar/)

It's basically an eBay for countries outside the United States.

There's a TON of people on there selling classic vintage TV's.

I've found a few that I want.

The problem is, I'm not sure if they ship to the United States.

You guys should check out www.mercadolibre.com.ar/ (http://www.mercadolibre.com.ar/)

It's basically an eBay for countries outside the United States.

There's a TON of people on there selling classic vintage TV's.

I've found a few that I want.

The problem is, I'm not sure if they ship to the United States.

Your link didn't work, perhaps this one will:
http://www.mercadolibre.com.ar/

I don't know how practical it would be to ship a set from Argentina or wherever this Site is? :no:

I don't know how practical it would be to ship a set from Argentina or wherever this Site is? :no:

Yeah, it's based in Argentina.

I guess I'm desperate.

It's the only place that has a TV for sale that I want to buy. (Saba Telecommander)

I can't shake the feeling that #1 is a fake, that it is not a photo of a TV set, rather art (a very good photo-realist drawing or a computer graphic simulation).

The National portable with the menu tuner was not for the USA market. Matsushita used the Panasonic brand name in the US, because National was already the name of a US-based electronics firm (Amateur radio equipment, in particular).

Yeah, there are several design elements in #1 that are way off. The crt is too large for the cabinet and a little too square, I feel, for the era. The tuner knobs look like late 70s/early 80s, while the legs/antennas are 60s. I commend whoever did it, because it's not bad for art, but it isn't real.

I first thought #1 might be one of those hollow plastic props you used to see in furniture stores, until I saw the legs and all. It looked suspicious right away.

#7 is probably among the last of the Zenith 23" color sets. It looks like it has a System 3 CRT and chassis and a digital display.

If you are not familiar with a particular set you can usually tell it's color if the cabinet is deeper, at least from the mid 60's-80's. B&W CRT's will not be as long as color ones.

The best place I have found to get old TV's/radios/phonographs is estate sales. Usually they are stored away in the garage or serving as a stand for something else.

I think Zenith was the last to make a 23V color TV. Just like they were the last, to my knowledge, to make a 22" B&W set. Zenith had quite a following among senior citizens and many of these folks had gotten used to older designs, didn't want to change, and Zenith was there to please them.

The newest 23V Zenith that I've seen was from around '82-'83 and used the 9-181/9-186 modules with an electronic cable ready tuner w/ infared remote. I think everyone else phased out the 23V sets by the mid '70's.