My Museum Quality Philco Console 37-690 Radio - Printable Version
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My Museum Quality Philco Console 37-690 Radio - Sam samuelian - 08-19-2015
This is not meant to be an ad but an exposition of my set. This set has an original finish that is amazing and shiny and has never been touched, which is why I say it is museum quality. The grille cloth is perfect and all the wood is. All dials operate properly and smoothly.The factory shine is fully intact. The electronics were completely rebuilt to a high standard about five years ago. It sounds amazing with it's huge 18 inch woofer, two real tweeters and four acoustic clarifiers. Any defective or weak tubes were replaced as well as full recapping and resistor replacement as well. I would say there is not a finer example out there. I am always amazed at the great sound this puts out. as it should being Philco's finest moment in the console radio market in 1937. Some people prefer the style of the similar radio made a year later (the 38-690), which is electronically much the same but completely different in style with its more traditional console shape and the stand out roll top desk door that covers the top area.
I am curious what people think here of the current value. I paid very high at 4,000.00 and would like to get my money back since we are in great financial need still-- even after some very good radio sales. Being one of my favorites I hate making this move but must. I hesitate putting it on ebay after the disaster I had with my Stratosphere.
Any sound advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Sam
RE: My Museum Quality Philco Console 38-690 Radio - Eliot Ness - 08-19-2015
Well Sam, there is a pretty nice 38-690 currently on eBay so you can follow that and see what it brings:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/MONSTER-fully-restored-20-tube-Philco-38-690-shipping-available-/121730396894?hash=item1c57b272de
You might have problems getting 4K out of it with the way the economy is today, but if you find the right buyer anything is possible...... Good luck!
RE: My Museum Quality Philco Console 38-690 Radio - Sam samuelian - 08-19-2015
(08-19-2015, 07:06 AM)Eliot Ness Wrote: Well Sam, there is a pretty nice 38-690 currently on eBay so you can follow that and see what it brings:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/MONSTER-fully-restored-20-tube-Philco-38-690-shipping-available-/121730396894?hash=item1c57b272de
You might have problems getting 4K out of it with the way the economy is today, but if you find the right buyer anything is possible...... Good luck!
EGAD Elliot!! I had the wrong model. Mine is the rarer and more refined looking 37-690. I sure HOPE that is more desirable. The one on ebay sure does look lovely and I will follow it with interest. I will surely have to take some kind of loss on mine, but if a true collector sees the finish it should add to the positive "points" it has. Thanks for allowing me the correction!! Sam
RE: My Museum Quality Philco Console 38-690 Radio - morzh - 08-19-2015
It is not more desirable, both are about the same value and are very close electronically. $4,000 is too much for this set but then who knows, maybe it is fully and properly restored and a right buyer will come along. I doubt he will be from this forum though. I have seen these on eBay go for close to 2,000 though having looked at the bidding I could not be sure there was no shill going on. I think for an unrestored set in good shape today it should be 700 to 1200. Fully restored - 1500 to whatever a customer who is after this very set is ready to pony up.
RE: My Museum Quality Philco Console 38-690 Radio - Steve Davis - 08-19-2015
In order to get a good price on Ebay, there has to be two buyers that really want it.
Steve
RE: My Museum Quality Philco Console 38-690 Radio - morzh - 08-19-2015
Or one buyer and one poet (Schiller will do).
RE: My Museum Quality Philco Console 38-690 Radio - Bob Andersen - 08-20-2015
The 38-690 mentioned above went for $3,300!
RE: My Museum Quality Philco Console 38-690 Radio - Sam samuelian - 08-21-2015
Losing "only" 700.00 would be fine with me. The question is will a 37-690 bring as much?? We'll all find out once I run mine, likely next month sometime. Mine has the positive credits of the 38 and then some for the incredible original finish.
RE: My Museum Quality Philco Console 38-690 Radio - morzh - 08-22-2015
Sam, if you list it on eBay with pick up only, if it is real with that other Philco, and not a case of shill, you could get the same money then. But it is always a risk.
RE: My Museum Quality Philco Console 38-690 Radio - Fred Taylor - 08-22-2015
I would list it as Buy it Now or best offer. I would hate to see it go for way less than what's its truly worth.
RE: My Museum Quality Philco Console 38-690 Radio - morzh - 08-22-2015
BIN or BO works worse than auction if one wants higher than usual price. On average. The risk is obviously higher with auctions.
RE: My Museum Quality Philco Console 38-690 Radio - Arran - 08-23-2015
Don't forget that whomever was selling that did NOT get $3300 in their pocket, between all the fees fleabay charges, especially the final value one, lob at least 20% off of that, then there is the time you spend taking pictures, putting the listing together, packing the set and or arranging shipping. I for one wouldn't even bother dealing with fleabay, even if it meant taking a so called "loss", since you do all the work and fleabay makes all the money, post it in the ARC or one one of these sites, or take it to a swap meet. The only way to make money in this hobby, and sometimes just to break even, is either to do some or all of your own work, or be very lucky, or both. You won't find many antique car guys talk about getting their money back from what they put into a car, it just does not happen very much, the guys who make most of the money are the restoration shops and the auctions, period.
Someone on another thread brought up catalin sets, well the days of selling a catalin radio for anything approaching the mid four figures have been over for years, you can thank catalinradio dot com for bursting that bubble. As for brand Z Waltons, that's debatable, the ones priced anywhere near that 38-690 have usually been sitting and getting relisted for months if not years. Much like the catalins you have to be careful, there are ones where a cheaper or more common model had a larger console chassis mated to it's cabinet to make a six tube set into a more desirable twelve tube set.
Regards
Arran
RE: My Museum Quality Philco Console 38-690 Radio - Ron Ramirez - 08-23-2015
Arran Wrote:...post it in the ARC...
Unfortunately, Antique Radio Classified no longer exists. Oh, the website is still up, but it proclaims on the front page that the "latest issue" is June 2014.
RE: My Museum Quality Philco Console 38-690 Radio - Paul Philco322 - 08-23-2015
Jon Kummer ARC editor has been to our meets in New England, he has been "working" on it. Not long ago I got a list of classifieds from ARC but no magazine. I miss the articles and restoration stories.....
Paul
RE: My Museum Quality Philco Console 38-690 Radio - morzh - 08-23-2015
Well, Kutztown is coming. In PA.