Take your pick, this one starting at $50

http://cgi.ebay.com/Curtis-Mathis-tv-all-in-one-8track-tape-record-radio_W0QQitemZ130143526066QQihZ003QQcategoryZ3638 QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Or this one starting at $700

http://cgi.ebay.com/Antique-high-end-American-made-Curtis-Mathis_W0QQitemZ180149116244QQihZ008QQcategoryZ363 8QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I'll be surprised if the $50 one sells much less $700!

I don't know anybody that would buy one of those for $50 let alone $700.

I don't think I've ever seen such a late model tv/radio/phono (+8-track and cassette) combo set before. I know they still make portable sets with radios, but I wonder what the last big combo set was with record player like these, these may be the last ones, with that cassette player they would have to be at least late 70s.

I've had a few of these given to me by the TV shops that I used to raid. All I did was toss them. I hope no one is dumb enough to give $700 for one!!

They used to have those at the rental places here in town way back when. Most of them didnt last until the rental contract was over. Definately wasnt the quality that the original Curtis Mathis sets were thats for sure. If i was going to shell money out for another combo it would be for the real thing not a cheap immitation.
-Tony

I have a Curtis Mathes Combo from 1989. The "stereo" in this is accessed thru a glass door on the front of the set. Has a cheap 2 speed turntable, radio, graphic equalizer, and dual cassette. Looks like they just built in a cheap tabletop unit in the cabinet. It even has it's own power cord. TV has a great picture but cheap tinny mono sound. Curtis Mathes was big in the rental market here as well.

$700 ?!? Oh, Prunella....I want some of what THAT dude's smokin'...

Novi, MI is a pricey area filled with nutcases, thus the $700 price.

That design looks an awful lot like a casket.:sigh:

I do like the wood-grained screen surround though, very "euro". :D

Who made that Curtis Mathes TV? Was it made by Magnavox, GE, or RCA?

Neither.... Not sure who made this one, but CM outsourced from Japanese makers. Many of their 70's sets were NEC.

They were buying Japanese parts by 1965. I have restored one of their sets from that era and it was full of Japanese capacitors.

One thing I noticed and DON'T like about these sets, is did anyone notice that you have to lift the WHOLE top to get to the stereo? That is poor design, because you can't put anything on top unless you want to move it ALL off to get to the stereo.
The stereo portion does look to be of higher quality then my 1989 Curtis Mathes Combo. However in my combo the design is much better because you can get to the stereo from the front which leaves the whole top of the set available to put things on.

They were made in the USA in Texas until Curtis died in a plane crash in the late 80s. They they went to pot. Cabinets were always cheap with a lot of plastic, so I never understood what was so great about them. Those two on eBay are junk, in my opinion.

They did have a very unique chassis for their B&W sets of the late 50s/early 60s. Fairly good design. Their 60s color sets were basically CTC-16 clones. Early 70s solid state sets were Texas-assembled with US CRTs, but had what I think were NEC chasses with modules.

Charles

One thing I noticed and DON'T like about these sets, is did anyone notice that you have to lift the WHOLE top to get to the stereo? That is poor design, because you can't put anything on top unless you want to move it ALL off to get to the stereo.
The stereo portion does look to be of higher quality then my 1989 Curtis Mathes Combo. However in my combo the design is much better because you can get to the stereo from the front which leaves the whole top of the set available to put things on.


I agree that is a bad design. The old tube type B&W Maggie combo I used to own had a solid center with sliding doors on each end. One end had the turntable and the other end had the radio. The TV had sliding doors to cover the screen when not in use. I would still have it if I had some room. I bought it for $20, used it for years, and sold it for $20.

Hi,

While it didn't have a TV in it, I saw a 1990 Magnavox which had AM/FM radio, a 2 speed belt-drive TT with magnetic cartridge (Audio-Technica) and a top load CD player in it. Sounded nice too for a console.

Hi,

While it didn't have a TV in it, I saw a 1990 Magnavox which had AM/FM radio, a 2 speed belt-drive TT with magnetic cartridge (Audio-Technica) and a top load CD player in it. Sounded nice too for a console.

Magnavox sold a console in 1990?

Hi,

Most of these late model consoles were slow sellers then and usually were bought by older folks. I saw some of these unsold in stores into the early 1990's. This may well have been 1986-1989 era when it was actually made. You are probably right.