ebay seller has flair for the dramatic - Videokarma.org TV - Video

bre's dad · #1 08-20-2007, 12:46 PM

guy must really want to sell, or is long winded at the least...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Antique-Vintage-...QQcmdZViewItem

Estate item. In storage fifty plus years. Date on the back says Feb. 9, 1949. I'm sure you have heard an old timer at sometime say: "The first TV's were really tiny" or something like that. Meaning the screens were small. Well here it is. One of the first TV's. The screen is six inches corner to corner. Overall cabinet measures seventeen inches wide by seventeen inches long by nine and a half inches high. This was considered a portable television. It lights up, but no reception to any stations. See pics of set on and set off. No power plug, but I used the plug from an electric razor and it fit into the prongs in back and it worked. You can google this set. Type in "Motorola VT73" and you will get a few hits from the expert gang on old TV's. One fellow describes an elaborate and tedious restoration of an identical set. Hats off to him. My gut feeling is that the people that can fix these old sets are long retired and dying off. You may rue the very day you saw this posting if you buy it with the intention of restoring it. But still it can be done.

Otherwise the best bet is to use it as a decoration or prop for home or office or business etc. to get the conversation started. Bring this to a dull party and the ensuing nostalgic conversational roar as people gather around it will be deafening. For instance, see my pic of it next to my microwave. Caption can read: "Prehistoric microwave for very small meals next to giant screen TV of the future", or something like that. It is even more ironic, to me at least, because I never knew the Motorola name was that old.

This was a popular set in its day according to what I've read. It was a portable. The plastic piece in the middle of the antenna assembly cracked while I was handling it, and it has been re-glued. It only shows a hairline crack now. Also, one of the straps in the cover holding down the base for the antenna has torn. (see pic) With the cover on it looks like a neat little tan leather suitcase. The cover is leather I think, but not sure. It has a few stains. The picture tube gasket is saggy and droopy, like a wise old eye that just happens to droop. There are remmnants of adhesive from old tape or an old logo tag on the top and bottom of the screen. Thanks, and ask any questions. Many parts to this set so all sales have to be final. If international please accept shipping quote after auction.