This is on my local CL

[tvcollector]

And boy it's nothing but a run around.. First I ever seen a color roundie in my area, the ad says looking to sell quick.. Ad was posted on the 22nd I caught it on the 24th.. I called 3 times today leaving a message the first time. The guy finally answers the call.. He says well I don't know if it's there now, he mentioned he's into real estate, and that the set may still be there or may have been taken out and sold another way.. He says there's a problem right now, that he's in California for a week. I questioned about him getting a hold of someone to find out.. He was about to give me the address to the place and then decided not to.. He said the place has those big pad locks now.. Maybe a foreclosure or eviction? Well here's what the set looks like, I'm in a anxious attack literally pulling hair out.. Guy never called back of course. He mentioned he needed it out fast during the process, making me think he is hiding something from someone or something is being done illegally..

[mstaton]

Sounds a little fishy.

[Sandy G]

What I was kinda thinkin', too..

[tvcollector]

I don't think the ad is fake. .There's no other collectors I know of around these parts.. Only other people that would be interested is someone who may want to fish tank it, or something like that.. There was a Magnavox on the Yahoo recycle group about a year ago, I got to it too late, after it was given away, and months later an ad pops up on Craigslist of a list of used vacumm tubes that were taken out of a Magnavox TV.. Humm I'm sure it's the same TV and the TV was gutted for other reasons..

[wkand]

I wonder if it's been "necked" given the appearance of the shadows in the one photo taken at an angle. What I'm trying to say is, I don't think you missed much!

[Jeffhs]

The TV is in bad shape. The CRT looks like the neck was knocked off or the tube was otherwise relieved of its vacuum (the phosphors are blown off the center of the screen), the tube has a cataract, and who knows what else may be wrong with the chassis. I don't know, however, whether the seller is just anxious to get the set out of the house or if there is some reason he has to have it out quickly. Or perhaps, as another poster mentioned, there may be something very fishy going on.

In any event, I don't think this TV will be good for anything much other than spare parts. I wouldn't even put in a new CRT -- given the set's condition, this might and probably would be throwing good money after bad, if the set has more serious problems such as a bad flyback, power transformer, or.......? The cost of a rebuilt tube for this set may very well exceed what the TV is worth in its present condition; since this set is well over 40 years old (no UHF, which dates it pre-April 1964) the power transformer, flyback, etc. may be NLA or very difficult to find these days.

[tvcollector]

I can't really tell if the CRT just has a bad cataract or has been necked.. As far as him wanting to get it out, I have no clue, maybe he thought he was going to get quick interest minutes after he posted the ad, and to make a quick few bucks while in the process of cleaning the house out.. I wish he could have gave me the address, at least then I can drive by to see if the TV is still in the house, or maybe even outside under a carport or something.. I'm hoping not to the side of the road.. I have to go through the game of trying to get a hold of him to get any kind of info out.. He'll probably see the number come up on caller ID and not answer..

[ChrisW6ATV]

It doesn't looked "necked" to me at all, just a bad (and therefore easier to fix) "cataract".

[Kevin Kuehn]

Looks like just a bad cataract to me too.

I'd just be patient. If no one else wants it, it'll likely be there when he gets back from CA. I can understand him not wanting someone stalking the place while he's out of town. Bad timing on his behalf to advertise and leave town.

[Electronic M]

If it were necked the center would be black and the outside green not the other way around like it is....I say bad cateract, and if it is that bad it may not take much if any effort to fix.

I think Jeffhs is jealous or biased against most collectible sets. The issues he mentions (other than the CRT) are all possibilities on most collectible sets, but tend to be the exception rather than the norm. As many have said TV collecting is a hobby, and not a business and if you are in it to make money then you are in the wrong place. We put money in to these sets to enjoy them not to turn a profit. And by his logic nearly EVERYTHING I enjoy and have restored (for fairly reasonable parts cost BTW) is not worth it, a bad investment, and good only for parts. People restore 20's radios and motorcycles that have little left other than a conglomeration of rust molecules held together by dirt for Christ sakes! Something in that decent of shape should be easy, cheap, and fun by comparison....a pinch of howards on the cabinet, new lytics, replace paper and drop caps, some adjustments and it should be as good as new.

[tvcollector]

I can see some point of views on here.. Jeff maybe saying that just to help my OCD on this set, and I agree with Electronic M about the condition and some of other posters about it only being a cataract.. Well lets just hope I get this set in my hands..

[DavGoodlin]

Originally Posted by tvcollector

I can see some point of views on here.. Jeff maybe saying that just to help my OCD on this set, and I agree with Electronic M about the condition and some of other posters about it only being a cataract.. Well lets just hope I get this set in my hands..

I agree there are always drawbacks you can focus on if you miss out on it.

This is a true hunting expedition. Maybe would make a good story if you got yer hands on it.

Reminds me of the runarounds i have gotten when trying to rent a house in Texas once, some people are just not honest

[ctc17]

I have dealt with a few of these realitor deals before. They don't get back to you then the set appears again a few weeks later double the price. Sounds like a foreclosure or tax seizure.

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by tvcollector

I can see some point of views on here.. Jeff maybe saying that just to help my OCD on this set, and I agree with Electronic M about the condition and some of other posters about it only being a cataract.. Well lets just hope I get this set in my hands..

That was the TOTL RCA that year. It has UHF. Don't remember if it's a 15 or a 16. Worth picking up, if it's reasonable. Buying these old sets is always a gamble. The CRT and the flyback could be bad.

[DavGoodlin]

Originally Posted by dieseljeep

That was the TOTL RCA that year. It has UHF. Don't remember if it's a 15 or a 16.

I was not even sure that was an RCA, but the knobs look familiar, like its a CTC16X from late 1965.

That explains why I have never seen one, folks in this area were too CHEAP to buy TOTL anything.