I was in the pacs thrift store on about ne 108th and halsey in portland oregon today.

I have no connection to the store other than I buy stuff there


I spotted a hoffman easy vision tv in the furniture section of the store.

model 21p359

A black and white floor model tv - the glass on the front was colered green.

from the outside this tv is in super condition no missing knobs doors or covers.

it has a gold door covering 3 controls in the front of the tv.

the crt is 21 or 23 inches or so across

the blonde ( I think ) wood cabnet looks pretty nice to me

the knobs doors - etc look great - no cracks or chips

they want 50 bucks for it

I thought you tv guys might want to check it out

I could use my cell phone and get a picture of it tomorrow

Mark D.

I'll be in the Portland area in about a week - hope it's still there - this one could be like one a friend's parents had back in the '60's.
I once wondered if Hoffman is why the Lafayette catalog used to say "green glass duds not accepted", but I thought it was always the safety glass they had tinted?

I have some early Hoffmans, and on these it is only the safety glass that is tinted. And it is safety glass. It is made just like car safety glass with two glass layers bonded with a layer of plastic between.

yes it is the safety glass that is tinted


why would it be so green ?

this tv looks like it is in great condition so I thought you
guys might be interested


the gold door over the vert hold type controls looks like it
would be a part that would be easy to break and loose and I
am amazed it is still on the tv


Mark D.

I have a Hoffman Easy Vision set... without the little door you described. It, too, has that weird green tinted glass. Found mine in a local antique shop.

your tv is different

the tv at the pacs thrift store has the volume control near the bottom right corner of the crt and the channel selector knob on near the bottom left corner of the crt.

the gold colored door is in the center between the knobs

this is what I remember anyway

I can not find my cell phone or i would go get a picture of it

your tv looks newer or fancier

In the fifties TV was new and people started to watch hours and hours in darkened living rooms. There was all sorts of concern that "you're going to put your eyes out, kid" with all that flicker and contrast. You were supposed to turn on a table lamp in the room to lessen eye strain, but that often put a reflection on the screen. So then there was a profusion of TV lamps that cast their light on the wall behind the set to lessen the contrast between the picture and the dark room. Some sets then tilted the safety glass down to deflect the reflections. The green tint was Hoffman's gimmick since green is supposed to be easier on the eyes.

Reece

It sounds like you're describing an early-50's set... mine is late... 57 or 58 I think.

I'll be in the Portland area in about a week - hope it's still there - this one could be like one a friend's parents had back in the '60's.
I once wondered if Hoffman is why the Lafayette catalog used to say "green glass duds not accepted", but I thought it was always the safety glass they had tinted?

I live about 3 blocks from the SA and about 3 blocks from the PACS as well...
let me know when you'll be around and I can take to to a few other "hot spots" near by :smoke:

Most of my Hoffmans are 1954 or older. I do have a later 1950s Hoffman portable. All except the portable have the green safety glass.

I heard a story (I do not think it is true since the glass is safety glass) about the glass. It goes that in the late 1940s, there was a building with green glass siding going up in Los Angeles(Hoffman's home town). For some reason, the owners decided that they did not like the green glass and had it removed. The owners of the Hoffman corporation saw all this cheap green glass become available and bought it for their TV safety glass. It also gave them their gimmick.

FYI, Hoffman(video systems) is still in business in Los Angeles.

thanks for the info - I was wondering why it was so green.

this tv would make a great fish tank conversion - ha ha :D

there was a profusion of TV lamps that cast their light on the wall behind the set to lessen the contrast between the picture and the dark room.

There was also Halolight- I have one, and it really does make darkened room viewing easier. Plus, it's a neat feature!:music: