does recapping affect value?

[xwarp]

this is probably a total noob question, but, i'm asking anyway.

i picked up a beautiful magnavox console, can be seen in this forum. prior to buying it though, i had the seller plug it in. probably not the best idea, but, if smoke started billowing out, i wasn't obligated. fortunately, the unit powered up and played very well. picked up most of the major fm stations without the antenna being hooked up.

anyways, i'm considering recapping it, but was curious to know if recapping affects the value of the console. i'm guessing as far as the electronic components that make the radio work is probably not as important as having the original chassis, but a working one to boot. fortunately, i've been an electronics tech for about 15 years now, so doing this won't be to difficult.

any comments to this noob?

on a side note, i'm 33 and i love big band music. i don't quite understand the fascination with the 40's, but it's there and i enjoy it!

[Sandy G]

I don't think it makes a whole lot of difference. Some guys go to the trouble of removing the old caps, taking the guts out, inserting a new cap in the old case & re-installing it. I think personally that's much ado about nothing. If the radio in question was a Scott Quaranta or a Sparton Bluebird, well maybe, but otherwise, no. I think the thing most folks look for is if any work done was performed in a professional manner,obviously not done by a 10-yr-old kid w/a soldering gun.-Sandy G.

[Fisherdude]

Would we still be asking this question if a radio made in 1935 had been repaired in 1955 with all new capacitors?

Unless the radio is a true, irreplaceable rarity, like Sandy listed, then most collectors feel that repairs done to make a radio function correctly, as it did when it was new, do not reduce the value. Instead, those repairs keep the radio alive!

As long as it's not a "mod". That's different. That makes the radio different than it was originally.

There are three different levels of recapping:

1. Replace the cap with an exact, NOS, identical unit to the one that's in there, or else leave the old one untouched. In other words, if you can't find an original replacement, you don't play the radio. Even if you do find an NOS original, it's going to be 40-50-60 years old, so playing the radio at all would still entail big risk. This choice is usually only for museum quality radios.

2. "Restuff" the original cap with modern guts, but keeping the original outer paper tube/can for appearance's sake. Best of both worlds, if you really like to work with your hands! Can be a real challenge to find a new cap that fits in the old tube/can. Remelting the old wax, or adding new wax, and pouring it into that little paper tube requires a steady hand!

3. Replace the original capacitor with a new one. Sometimes when this is done the original is left in place, again just for appearance's sake, with the new one put under the chassis. Leaving the old cap in place is usually only done if the original is a can type on top of the chassis. Tubulars underneath usually get pulled and tossed. Especially if it's already tight for room underneath. Personal choice.

Number 3 is probably done in 90% of all restorations.
Dive in and have some fun!
Clay

[xwarp]

thanks for the info!

on this unit, i'm going to choose option 2 for those that can be stuffed. i really look forward to doing this.

i'm hoping that this radio set will be the only one, but i doubt it as i really enjoy electronics.

too bad that there aren't too many decent am and shortwave stations up and running.