The PHILCO Phorum
A walk down memory lane - Printable Version

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A walk down memory lane - 37silverstreak - 10-06-2013

Hey everyone,
Cedarburg WI. has a large fleamarket at their fairgrounds 4 times a year called Maxwell St. Days. It's about 35 miles from home and I used to go to it religiously until a few years ago when it started going downhill. This was the first fleamarket I ever went to. My parents took me when I was 13 or 14 in 1979 and this is where I bought my first cathedral radio. It was a very beat up Philco 38 battery set, with delaminating cabinet and all but one tube missing. the seller told me he used to listen to the Green Hornet on this set and he sold it to me for $5 bucks!!I remember being the proudest kid there carrying my new prize back to the car even though my mom thought i was nuts!! At that time I didn't know anything about electronics so restoring it to working order was beyond me, but I used to dream about getting to play again. Fast forward to today. I've stopped going to that fleamarket just because it isn't what it used to be and I find that very depressing. Also the weather was supposed to be crappy so, why bother?! Well, i got up this morning and had my dog out for her run. It wasn't raining and there was clear sky in the distance, so that little voice in my head kept saying "just go there and look", so off I went! It's a beautiful Fall drive down there anyway. Well I get there and it's pretty much what i expected, lots of empty vendor spaces and junk sellers, so i'm shooting through it pretty quick when LO and behold! In a space not very far from my original find there is a vendor with another Philco 38 cathedral! Except that this one is in MUCH better shape and even has all of it's tubes! So I go over to see what kind of whacked out price they are asking and the sticker says $65. Not bad, but I was thinking more like $55 so after looking it over I ask the seller what his best price was and he said "$50", SOLD!!!! Now I know that a Philco 38 battery set isn't the most exciting radio in the world, but still, it's in pretty decent shape with all of it's tubes, it's worth what I paid in itself, But, for the chance to walk down memory lane and feel like a 13 year old kid again, even if only for a little while, it's worth even more. Here are some pics.
[Image: http://i1160.photobucket.com/albums/q500/kleroy1/Philco38005_zps8efd5a4b.jpg]
[Image: http://i1160.photobucket.com/albums/q500/kleroy1/Philco38002_zps8f93f31c.jpg]
[Image: http://i1160.photobucket.com/albums/q500/kleroy1/Philco38001_zpsafaa412a.jpg]

RE: A walk down memory lane - exray - 10-06-2013

I hear ya! $50 nowadays is like $5 in the old days. That's in pretty nice condition and should be an e-z restoration. Go for what makes you happy. An unanticipated old radio find is always a good deal.

RE: A walk down memory lane - VntgRads - 10-07-2013

Great find! It's amazing how many vintage radios can be found at flea markets, garage sales, and automotive parts swap meets. I was at the Turlock, CA swap today and came across a Motorola console with AM radio and turntable for $10, an Airlines brand wooden AM tabletop model for $25, and last but not least was a Philco short style console model from what appeared to be the 30's. I could not find a model number number. Tuner was not frozen. The chassis looked good (from a distance) but the cabinet needed lots of TLC. I figured I would take a chance if it was $20 to $30 but he wanted $75. That was too much for my wallet. Now watch it be one of those ultra rare, ultra desirable models! Oh well. It would have been rather difficult to get the truck in there to pick it up anyway. I'm sure it will be there again.

Craig R.

RE: A walk down memory lane - marty - 10-07-2013

Hi All;
Vntg, do you still have that Radio from when You were a Youngster ?? You didn't say..
THANK YOU Marty

RE: A walk down memory lane - Art Hoch - 10-07-2013

Would even make a nice shelf queen.

RE: A walk down memory lane - TA Forbes - 10-07-2013

I get a kick out of the old battery sets! Hope you get it up and running, although agree with Art in that it is in good enough shape just for display.

RE: A walk down memory lane - 37silverstreak - 10-11-2013

Marty,
I do still have my first Philco 38! I dug it out of storage to compare it with my new one. There are some subtle differences between the two. My new 38 has a smaller dial escutcheon and the dial scale is made out of a red material, whereas my first one has a larger dial opening and the scale is the more familiar yellowish color. Maybe an earlier/later production thing?

RE: A walk down memory lane - Ron Ramirez - 10-12-2013

37silverstreak Wrote:Maybe an earlier/later production thing?

Yes. The 38 and 60 models made up to the latter part of the 1935 season had the smaller escutcheon and dial scale; Philco switched to the larger escutcheon and dial scale later on during the 1935 season.

RE: A walk down memory lane - Paul Knaack - 10-12-2013

Nice,
The last time i went to Cederburg, probably five years ago, I came home with a Philco 60. It was in terrible shape, Painted white ,delaminating, speaker missing and all the usual bad coils. That one looks real good.

RE: A walk down memory lane - PhilcoJohn - 10-13-2013

Nice looling radio. Out of the radios in my collection I do not have a cathedral radio.

RE: A walk down memory lane - 37silverstreak - 10-13-2013

Thanks for the info Ron! It's nice to have an example of both types.
I've done a little reading and I found out that the extra socket in this set is for a ballast tube. the 38 uses a jumper across the filament terminals and is for use with a 2v filament battery. I'm guessing there was a special battery pack as my new 38 has a socket connector on the battery cable. There is also a 38A which uses a type 6 ballast tube which is for use with a dry cell type A battery. i'm not sure if they mean 2 1.5v batteries connected in series for 3volts that the ballast tube drops down to 2 volts or what? I typed in type 6 ballast tube on Ebay and someone had 2 NOS Philco balloon shaped type 6 ballast tubes for sale for like $13 bucks so i bought them. They are pretty cool! I've never a glass ballast tube before, just the metal shell ones. Thought I would use them in my sets and turn them into 6 tubersIcon_lol! If anyone has any info on the 38A model, i would like to hear more about it. Thanks!
Kevin