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You should definitely keep the set intact if at all possible. You're right that many of these old radios aren't "worth" much. But this hobby isn't about money - and ripping the chassis out of an intact radio console isn't going to get you any more money. Without the cabinet, the chassis becomes of relatively little use, unless you find someone else that has a cabinet and needs a chassis - which might just happen due to the number of people out there that think they need to seperate the cabinet and the chassis. All too often I run across an empty cabinet somewhere and curse whoever removed the chassis. "It doesn't work" isn't a good reason to part out a set. Most of these sets, in original condition, aren't going to work. Plain and simple. They've been sitting, unused, for 40 years or more. Components need to be replaced, and even if the set does work, chances are the same components need to be replaced anyway - so functionality is of little matter to someone that works on radios. Fixing it is half the fun anyway.
If you really don't want it, offer it up on the board here, or sell it on eBay. Yeah, you wouldn't get much, if any money for it, but you'd be preserving a piece of radio history by getting it to someone that can fix it, or would at least appreciate it for what it is. There isn't much money in the radio hobby - exept for those rare few really valuable models (mostly little bakelite or catalin sets). Consoles aren't worth a lot for the reason that you noticed - they take up space. People like me that collect consoles do it purely for the fun of it. I've even had antique dealers give me console radios because they couldn't sell them. I guess it's just a matter of appreciating the radios themselves, and enjoying working on them. And being a little crazy never hurt either.
-Ian
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