1950s or '60s vintage Zenith TVs, Need some info - Videokarma.org TV - Video

vortalexfan · #1 10-15-2021, 02:26 AM

Hello everyone, on Monday I have the opportunity to pick up a couple of 1950s or 1960s Vintage Zenith B & W TVs for $120 for the 2. one of them is the famous "Bug Eye" model TV from the late 1950s and the other is an early to mid 1960s vintage metal cabinet 19" B & W Tabletop model that says "All Channel" on it.

My questions are, is the price I'm paying for these TVs fair, and what kinds of things should I look out for when trying to restore these TVs? And what time period are these TVs from (I'm just guessing on the time period, and I'm curious as to whether or not I'm close to the correct time period.)

Also if I for some reason needed to only buy one set over the other (which is an option with this person too) which set would be more worth my money restoring?

Any help or info on these TVs would be appreciated.

See Pictures below, which are taken from the original Facebook Marketplace posting.

init4fun · #2 10-15-2021, 05:22 AM

Hi Vortalexfan, the bugeye is 1950s and the newer one is 1960s, so you are spot on with your age assesment. In my opinion, $120 for both isn't too bad, considering how little $100 is actually worth these days, If I were looking for more TVs to restore I wouldn't balk at paying $60 for each of them

Notimetolooz · #3 10-15-2021, 08:38 AM

I think $120 is a bit high. Somewhat depends on how much you like them.
The 1960s model would not be as valuable as the older model. The 1950s model is missing a knob which could be hard to find.
It is always a good idea, especially when dealing with someone who does not know how to value vintage electronics, to see if he will take less. Say you will give $ 80 to take it off his hands, after pointing out the problems with them.

kramden66 · #4 10-15-2021, 12:28 PM

50's set has more value , the 60's set will have a superior image

Kevin Kuehn · #5 10-15-2021, 12:38 PM

If I'm not mistake the Bugeye's color is a very deep maroon, very nice looking set when cleaned up. Fair warning on cleaning those front knobs, the markings wash off very easily with something as mild as Windex. Probably best to be safe and dry wipe or brush them off. The sellers asking seems kind of high for the Midwest. Suppose it depends on your local market and how many collectors respond to such ads. Around here it's very much a buyers market.

AlanInSitges · #6 10-15-2021, 04:11 PM

Also don't turn them on again until they have been gone through.

vortalexfan · #7 10-15-2021, 05:41 PM

Unfortunately the guy already turned on the Bugeye set already and it showed a picture with a partially collapsed Vertical and a partially collapsed Horizontal (it looked like a pentagon on the screen).

As for the price I tried to talk him down and $120 was as low as he would go for both of them unfortunately, and sadly enough in my area people take these old TV sets and make fish tanks out of them, and I was hoping to save them from that fate.

dieseljeep · #8 10-15-2021, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vortalexfan

Unfortunately the guy already turned on the Bugeye set already and it showed a picture with a partially collapsed Vertical and a partially collapsed Horizontal (it looked like a pentagon on the screen).

As for the price I tried to talk him down and $120 was as low as he would go for both of them unfortunately, and sadly enough in my area people take these old TV sets and make fish tanks out of them, and I was hoping to save them from that fate.

They usually make fish tanks or pet beds out of consoles.
I don't think anyone is going to break down their door to buy them for that kind of money.

vortalexfan · #9 10-15-2021, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dieseljeep

They usually make fish tanks or pet beds out of consoles.
I don't think anyone is going to break down their door to buy them for that kind of money.

You remember my Meck Philharmonic? That TV was about to get made into a fish tank had I not came along and bought it, that's what the lady I bought it from told me, so yes, they do make fish tanks out of tabletop units as well...

vortalexfan · #10 10-16-2021, 03:58 AM

I think I'm just going to get the Bugeye TV for right now, and see if I can make a deal with him to let me buy the other Zenith TV when I get paid this coming Friday. The Bugeye TV is definitely older and more interesting than the other TV, plus the "Bugeye" TV will go well with my Zenith "Bugeye" Clock Radio.

dieseljeep · #11 10-17-2021, 03:37 PM

It's just a motorized channel selector with a regular turret tuner.
Zenith also made some color sets with that feature.

vortalexfan · #12 10-17-2021, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dieseljeep

It's just a motorized channel selector with a regular turret tuner.
Zenith also made some color sets with that feature.

So basically if I'm understanding correctly there should be a channel up and down button on the set somewhere and you push one of those buttons and it will engage a drive motor that will cause the tuner to change the channel up or down? That's kind of cool, I've never worked on or owned a TV like that before, that would be neat.

init4fun · #13 10-17-2021, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vortalexfan

So basically if I'm understanding correctly there should be a channel up and down button on the set somewhere and you push one of those buttons and it will engage a drive motor that will cause the tuner to change the channel up or down? That's kind of cool, I've never worked on or owned a TV like that before, that would be neat.

If you lucky there will be channel up and down buttons, but if it's anything like the motorized remote control "Space Command" 1962 Zenith I've got, the tuner only runs one way, up. As in , each push of either the channel button on the remote or the channel button on the TV advances it one channel. If your on channel 7 and want to go to channel 5, you must toggle it around the dial through all the channels after 7 till you reach 5, with no down function to easily go from 7 to 6 , and then to 5

vortalexfan · #14 10-17-2021, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by init4fun

If you lucky there will be channel up and down buttons, but if it's anything like the motorized remote control "Space Command" 1962 Zenith I've got, the tuner only runs one way, up. As in , each push of either the channel button on the remote or the channel button on the TV advances it one channel. If your on channel 7 and want to go to channel 5, you must toggle it around the dial through all the channels after 7 till you reach 5, with no down function to easily go from 7 to 6 , and then to 5

So how does the UHF band work on these TVs? I'm asking because the one I'm getting covers both VHF and UHF.

init4fun · #15 10-18-2021, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vortalexfan

So how does the UHF band work on these TVs? I'm asking because the one I'm getting covers both VHF and UHF.

Mine does not have UHF, and I've not run across one that has it so I don't know how they do that. Were I forced to offer a guess, my guess would be that the VHF tuner is motorized, and the UHF is tuned manually.