[postie446]

Hello
 I live up here in Canada and found this Tropic about three years ago.It was in great condition and I have done nothing to it
  The mystery lies in where and when it was manufactured.The only photo I found(on this site only) has a similar one although not a tropic dated 1949.Any help would be greatly appreciated.
  Thank you                    

[Ron Ramirez]

Hi,

The labels clearly state that it was made in U.S.A. for export (Fabriqué expressément pour l'export).

As for when, the listing here does not show model 3001 so it was likely from 1949. If I don't forget, I will look when I get home. I have one just like it except mine did not receive the at home red paint job.

[postie446]

Thanks Ron,by the way the red paint is another mystery

[Ron Ramirez]

Pretty obvious to me - it was done by a previous owner. A factory paint job would not have red paint all over the tube layout label inside the cabinet.

(and besides, these radios were never painted red at the factory)

[Arran]

There were some Philco Tropic models like that which were manufactured and marketed in Canada, but this example was not one of them. As for the paint job, I wonder if my late uncle may have been responsible for that, he did a lot of work for a now defunct antique dealer in Tweed, and a few other people, the dealer in Tweed went on a cabinet painting program to make the more boring Bakelite sets more attractive to his customers. If the Wellington you are from is in Prince Edward county, Ontario, then this is a possibility.
Regards
Arran

[postie446]

Thanks for your input Arran
   I live in Centre Wellington county,town of Elora so I'm a ways from Tweed,however the way things move around who knows where this Tropic started out.I found it in the town of St Jacobs collecting dust on a shelf.It collects dust no more.