[Eric Smith]

Here are two of my favorite Philco cathedral radios; my 1930 Philco 20 Baby Grand I purchased in 2002 and my 1931 Philco 20 Deluxe which I purchased in February of this year. Both radios work.

[morzh]

Yes I like them too.
I have three 20s, the Lowboy, the Delux (restored it a year and a half ago) and the plain, that is waiting on restoration. I know the output transformer is dead.

[RadioSvit]

I also want to have a ...

[klondike98]

[Ron Ramirez]

Beautiful radios.

It's too bad that so many of these have suffered damage to the fragile grillework over the decades. Eric, you are indeed fortunate that the grilles on your sets are in such good shape.

[morzh]

Eric,

Also on the Deluxe version the knobs are from the likes of 70, (rosette types).

[Ron Ramirez]

Mike

No, Philco did not start using the rosette knobs until the middle of production of Model 21. All Model 20 sets and early production 21 sets should use the earlier style knobs.

[morzh]

Ron

I know.

I mean, HIS Philco has the rosette knobs. They should be the plain ones like the other one has.

[Eric Smith]

Beautiful radios.

It's too bad that so many of these have suffered damage to the fragile grillework over the decades. Eric, you are indeed fortunate that the grilles on your sets are in such good shape.

You're so right about that Ron.  I got the first one from a fellow who ran a now defunct website called www.AmRadios.com.  He lived in Florida and managed to ship that thing to Baltimore MD where I lived at the time without a scratch.  It was one of the best packing jobs I've ever seen.  The second one I got off Craigslist from a fellow living in Center Moriches in LI New York.  I had to drive up to Freeport where my family home is and pick up a bunch of stuff for my wife given to her by my Mom.  I took a box along with some bubble wrap and placed the Philco 20 Deluxe in that and transported it back to PA with no problem.  That was a fortunate trip in that I didn't hit a major pothole on the trip back like I later hit on the Belt Parkway on a subsequent visit up there the following month; an impact so severe it caused the rear of my car to go airborne for an instant and jarred loose a bunch of tubes I had in a 1949 GE 10T5 TV I had just purchased in the trunk.  The impact of that pothole was so great I'm surprised the TV wasn't wrecked.

[Eric Smith]

Eric,

Also on the Deluxe version the knobs are from the likes of 70, (rosette types).

Thanks.  I wondered about that.  As soon as I got home with the Deluxe  I checked out Ron's book on Philco radios that I keep on hand as a reference and realized the discrepancy.  I wonder if that's one of the reasons the thing only cost me $200.00 when none of the 20 Deluxe sets I've seen on Craigslist since in similar condition have been listed for less than $350.00?  I walked by that fellow who sells knobs at Kutztown more times than I can count last week; should have bought the proper knobs for it then.

[morzh]

I doubt the knobs would bring the price down much. They are not that expensive in the first place plus these are genuine Philcos and can be traded for the ones you need.

The fellow's name is Mike Koste. There are also the McCalls.

[SteveG]

Eric,
Nice radios! I was trying to reach an agreement with the owner of your 20 Deluxe when he said he had it sold. I've regretted not paying his asking price, as it was a nice radio! Glad to see where it went. Kirk (OldRestorer on this board) was the one who put it on the Phorum as a lead on CL. The knobs aren't that expensive. Suppliers listed on this site, should have what you need.
I'm lucky to have several brands of 1930's radios, but Philco is where I started and they're still my favorites! Welcome to the Phorum!
Steve

[Eric Smith]

I doubt the knobs would bring the price down much. They are not that expensive in the first place plus these are genuine Philcos and can be traded for the ones you need.

The fellow's name is Mike Koste. There are also the McCalls.

Thanks.

[Eric Smith]

Eric,
Nice radios!  I was trying to reach an agreement with the owner of your 20 Deluxe when he said he had it sold.  I've regretted not paying his asking price, as it was a nice radio!  Glad to see where it went.  Kirk (OldRestorer on this board) was the one who put it on the Phorum as a lead on CL.  The knobs aren't that expensive.  Suppliers listed on this site, should have what you need.
I'm lucky to have several brands of 1930's radios, but Philco is where I started and they're still my favorites!  Welcome to the Phorum!
Steve

He told me that someone else had expressed interest in it.  Sorry it happened to be  you Steve but I'm not sorry I got the radio.     I only have twenty sets in my collection and seven of those are Philcos so like you I am very partial to the brand.  Ron's book is largely responsible for that.  I mean two of the first three sets I bought when I began my collection in 2002 were my Philco 20 Baby Grand and a Philco 70 cathedral.  I bought Ron's book during this time and when I saw all of the different varieties of sets, I was permanently hooked.  All of this said, thanks for the welcome.  I really do appreciate it (and Ron's invitation to join as well).

[Eric Smith]

Eric,
Nice radios!  I was trying to reach an agreement with the owner of your 20 Deluxe when he said he had it sold.  I've regretted not paying his asking price, as it was a nice radio!  Glad to see where it went.  Kirk (OldRestorer on this board) was the one who put it on the Phorum as a lead on CL.  The knobs aren't that expensive.  Suppliers listed on this site, should have what you need.
I'm lucky to have several brands of 1930's radios, but Philco is where I started and they're still my favorites!  Welcome to the Phorum!
Steve

He told me that someone else had expressed interest in it.  Sorry it happened to be  you Steve but I'm not sorry I got the radio.     I only have twenty sets in my collection and seven of those are Philcos so like you I am very partial to the brand.  Ron's book is largely responsible for that.  I mean two of the first three sets I bought when I began my collection in 2002 were my Philco 20 Baby Grand and a Philco 70 cathedral.  I bought Ron's book during this time and when I saw all of the different varieties of sets, I was permanently hooked.  All of this said, thanks for the welcome.  I really do appreciate it (and Ron's invitation to join as well).