I am going to purchase an all original Model 90 next week and have some questions about what the build date is and value. The serial number is B00712. Is it a 1931 or a 1932? Is it a mid run or a late run? Can't really find a solid way to date it. I posted some pictures of the actual radio. The cabinet is original finish that has only been oiled and the chassis was restored by David Boyle of the Colorado Radio Collectors Antique Radio Club. The gentleman is asking $650. Does that seem like a fair price for this radio? It is a single output #47. Any info would be greatly valued and appreciated!
Your 90 is a mid version. I believe it would be a '31. You can tell an early version at a glance buy the min-max switch on the back of the chassis. The mid and late version do not have the switch. It is also easy to tell a mid from a late version. The mid has a four gang tuning condenser and the late has a three gang. $650 sounds a little high to me but, maybe not, collectors kind of go nuts over the Philco 90.
Steve
Welcome to the Phorum!! Can't really comment on the price but you can look up 90s sold on ebay and gauge the price vs the condition of those and the one you are looking at.
Thanks for the info guys! I had been watching the Ebay sold listings for awhile and the most expensive one was a twin #45 original untouched and it sold the $540 back in March. I think I'm going to try and talk this guy down a little bit. Thanks for the help!
$650 sounds a smidge too high but: if this is original, it looks marvellous and does not seem to neee any restoration of the cabinet, the chassis looks exceptionally clean and if this is unrestored I would ask where it was kept, in museum or something. Thinking of how much effort the resto is, an extra 100 bucks will not set anyone on the way to bancruptcy.
The gentleman said that he bought it at an auction. He restores antique furniture and says the cabinet is near flawless. The only thing he had to do was wipe down the cabinet and oil it. The chassis has been restored electrically and cosmetically so from what I can see there is nothing that needs to be done but enjoy it! I hope that is the case. Definitely going to go over it with a fine tooth comb and listen to it awhile before I hand the cash over. Thanks for all the help!