Travler portable tv
 

I decided I would start restoration on my Travler portable tv I got recently while I wait in parts for my RCA projection set. I like the colors and it should be a simple restoration. It's missing the back and two side control knobs, but in otherwise nice condition. Anyone else seen many of these?

VERY cool '50's portable TV. I was close to getting the same exact set from a collector friend a while back. The two-tone red, square-ish shape, round speaker opening, and "bulging-eye" look make it a classic "mid-century" piece. Having the "Trav-ler" adds to the uniqueness. They don't show-up often at all, but these metals sets still only have a mild desirability.

I worked on a lot of them. There was a $5 down, easy terms furniture store in the neighborhood, where I first lived that sold a lot of them. Priced at around $120 with UHF. Standard Coil tuner.
For a very inexpensive set, they were rather trouble free. A lot better than the Philco's the same store sold. :yes:

Finished this set today and it was a pretty simple restoration. The picture is pretty good and may become my daily watcher in my shop. It's missing a couple of white knobs on the side, but I've got a couple similar knobs that will pass for now.

Nice! The only 'Trav-ler' I ever remember seein' was just like this one, but the cabinet was all a single color, a brownish bronze (or bronzish-brown).

Looks great. Two-tone really adds another dimension.

The only other Travler tv I have is a 1949-50 16" pushbutton console.

That's probably the last model of the "boxey" style cabinet. The tuner was lower on the older models and the knobs were different. I didn't see too many of those. :scratch2:

Great looking set! Also nice to have something that's not a GE or an RCA though they are great looking too.

I love the metal portables from the late 50's, they were orignally the main focus of my collecting when I started out. It was really a very short period when such sets were made, 57-59 mostly, that pretty much applies to cars of the era too.

I suppose the ads for this TV might have gone like:
"You can travel with this Trav-ler portable TV!" :D

Believe this is your Trav-ler model in this 1957 ad.

-Steve D.

Great ad, cool to see!

Just noticed the tuner and other knobs in a different location than mine!

That's what I was referring to. The earlier models had the knobs as shown.
For a lower end set, they had a voltage doubler design.

May have been a year earlier or later model.

-Steve D.