08-30-2011, 08:43 PM
We don't know how many were made; it is not documented in Philco Furniture History, an in-house, unpublished Philco document which lists and pictures (almost) all of their radio cabinets. This is why I have listed it as an undocumented variant - there currently is no known documentation on this variant.
I wouldn't call them rare - I would call them uncommon.
Mine also has the Philco "Ribbed" cloth (#14, now only available at Antique Electronic Supply for a limited time as S-G440 and S-G440F). The grille cloth was glued to a thin backing board, and stapled into the cabinet. The dial cover was also stapled into the cabinet.
Does yours have a yellow sticker in the back which reads, among other things, "MODEL 39-6" with no mention of Philco? Mine does. I suspect these variants were made by Simplex, but I don't have any documentation to prove that theory.
I wouldn't call them rare - I would call them uncommon.
Mine also has the Philco "Ribbed" cloth (#14, now only available at Antique Electronic Supply for a limited time as S-G440 and S-G440F). The grille cloth was glued to a thin backing board, and stapled into the cabinet. The dial cover was also stapled into the cabinet.
Does yours have a yellow sticker in the back which reads, among other things, "MODEL 39-6" with no mention of Philco? Mine does. I suspect these variants were made by Simplex, but I don't have any documentation to prove that theory.
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Ron Ramirez
Ferdinand IN