Are these TV's Roundie's Rare?

[tubesrule]

The set is back home, and I took some pictures to post while I have it. It was in a very upper end part of town with large mansions all around. The house was built in 1951, so the custom built in Dumont was original to the house. The Sentinel looks like it was purchased by them in 1956, placed in the game room, and never moved. It still has many original Sentinel tubes with 43rd week 1955 and 13th week 1956 date codes. The crt is the original 21AXP22 with a date code of 17th week 1956. I was surprised when one of the workers for the sales company told me they plugged it in and the set worked with a good picture. Sure enough they had a set of rabbit ears from a modern portable set sitting on top.

Darryl

[zenithfan1]

Absolutely beautiful! The condition is as close to flawless as you can get. Also, too cool that it still works well after all this time. Thanks for the great pics!

[Sandy G]

Wow...Just wow... Talk about the proverbial "Duesenberg-in-the-Barn"...That OTHER set could very well be the elusive Royal Sovereign, if it was installed in '51...

[Steve D.]

Just to add to the discussion. This Sentinel set (SAMS set 344, 1-57) with slighly different circuitry and in an identical cabinet, was sold by Montgomery Ward and had the Airline badge on it (SAMS set 324, 7-56). The Airline version seems to have been on the market first.
Even many misc. parts such as knobs ect. share a common part number for either Wards or Sentinel.

One of the photos on Darryl's post shows a label that gives patent credit to RCA. I would be curious as to who manufactured these sets?

-Steve D.

[bigolds98]

Gees I hosed myself. Are you guys glad I was stupid. I really wanted to go get that but did not know it was a super rare set. I am just glad Steve got it and it going to the museum. Man! I am still bummed. Anyways I am glad it did not go to the trash.

[Sandy G]

That's the main thing-that it DIDN'T go to the Dumpster...

[tubesrule]

I'm not going to try running the set, that's for Steve, but I did check the crt, and after only 1 minute of warmup, all three guns were at the very top of the scale on my Sencore with the red slightly higher then the other two! This set could not have seen much use over the years.
I'll be looking forward to see how good of a picture it produces when Steve gets done with it.

Darryl

[zenithfan1]

Originally Posted by tubesrule

I'll be looking forward to see how good of a picture it produces when Steve gets done with it.

Darryl

ME TOO!!!!!!

[stromberg6]

I like the way Sentinel "rolled their own" as to certain chassis and circuit designs. The RF/IF section is interesting, as it features four IF amps. The audio and vertical sections also differ from CTC-4 clones. Have to look this one up in Sams to compare to others.
Congratulations on a great find!!!
Kevin

[Carmine]

I'll chime in on this too... Dave (Big Olds) contacted me about the set and gave me a heads up. I told him the blonde set was certainly a color TV, and mid-late 50s at that.

The problem with this estate sale was they had the STUPIDEST hours ever! Thursday from 10-5pm, and Friday from 10-2pm. So much for people with actual jobs! Also the sale was held in Flint, MI about 70 miles from where Dave and I live.

However I work with a guy who lives in Flint... turns out he lives pretty close to where the sale was held. He was nice enough to call his wife and have her go over to the sale for me on Thursday... I wasn't driving to Flint just to find it was either sold, or priced at $10K.

She got there pretty close to when the sale opened, but the set was already sold. She says the people running the sale wished they had one for everybody who called asking about it!

Oh well, glad to hear it at least went to a good home.