[Arran]

Roy;
My guess is that the crack in the lower front panel may have been caused by the cabinet falling on it's face, or being bumped into by something as that is directly above where the grill bar goes. That chipped shirt on one side should be an easy fix, just cut patches with the grain parallel to the existing veneer, as rectangular strips, and chisel out the section needing replacement to fit the patches.
Speaking of those decals, the price they are charging is outrageous, $16.50 for one sheet of word decals, I can remember buying some through Rock Sea years ago and they were only $6. Sure, costs may have gone up, but how much? I doubt whether it costs more then $2 a sheet to produce them even now. I have noticed that there a few guys selling repro decals on Fleabay, including big ones for gramophone lids, and those were about the same price as R.D wants for a word sheet.
The same is true with the dials, there does not seem to be any rhyme or reason, a repro dial with the graphics all one colour I.E white, costs the same as a dial with three or more, and plastic dials costing the same as glass. It's just not realistic to expect someone to pay out $40-$60 for a dial on a radio that might be worth $200 restored. unless you got the radio free. By the way, the dial in your set is etched, so if the paint is coming off you can fill it back in from the rear.
Regards
Arran