The PHILCO Phorum

I think I might have mentioned this radio in the phorum before, but now I am the owner of it after the previous owner and friend got hard up for cash. The radio in question is a Crosley model 179 tombstone, the art-deco tombstone Crosley made in 1934. Believe it or not, this radio almost ended up in the landfill last year because it no longer fit the decor of a suburban home that had just been remodeled!
Story goes that a relative of my friend was taking out his trash and looked over towards his neighbor's driveway, only to see his neigbor plunking an old radio into his trash can for pickup the next morning. He asked about it and got the radio for free, turning it over to my friend as a birthday gift. I can remember it because my friend called me late at night about the find, waking me up from a sound sleep! It is electronically rebuilt and aligned, and works fairly well with rather good sound. The cabinet needs refinished to bring to back to full glory and two of the knobs are wrong. I think the tuning plates might be rubbing right at 550 on the dial, but it is not an issue around here. Hard to believe that such a radio could still end up in the trash these days, but it still happens.
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Congratulations on your find; if you can fix the veneer issues on the side, you will have a very nice radio! It certainly wasn't worth throwing in the trash, I don't think.

I wouldn't think someone would toss a radio like this nowdays, but it's the second 'trash' radio I have owned the past few years. Sometimes people are ignorant, other times they just don't want the hassle of selling something that isn't working. It appears all done back up that this radio is worth a decent bit to the right person. Personally, I am glad to have it. I was looking for a Philco model 20 or 21 for my next Cathedral or Tombstone.

It may have a knob or two missing but the best part is that the tube shield is still intact, many of those types that cover the chassis get lost or tossed out because they get in the way of tube changes and whatnot and people become too lazy to remover them and put them back.
Regards
Arran

Dang. What a surprise that must have been!

I'm going to go down the street looking in the garbage cans!

That's a pretty cool radio, and like Arran mentioned not many of the Crosley backs survived from that era. That is one set I regret trading off several years ago......... when restored or in nice condition they are very striking radios with their deco styling and Nyssa wood veneer.

It's sad that folks are just throwing these old girls away. I rescued this Air Castle 932 from a scrap metal recycler a few weeks ago.

Wow! Neat radio!

Should you need a plastic dial cover for it Mark Palmquist at Retro Radio Repair should either have one or can make one if you send him your escutchion.