[Arran]

That's odd, typically those sets aren't that hard to come by for a reasonable price in good condition even on fleabay, just bad luck I suppose. I wouldn't settle for a cracked one for anything other then a parts set price, they are one of those sets where finding one is like waiting for the bus, if you miss one just wait a while and another will come by.
Regards
Arran

Hmm, I really need to bring you to my area of Ohio someday. This area got largely bought out on cathedrals and bakelite radios of any interest a while ago by outside collectors. eBay has cleaned things out even more. That's the reason why so many of my Philcos are consoles instead of table sets. Seems if it is either bakelite or a cathedral in really good shape, people expect the dollars. Yes I could wander more, but keep in mind I am currently driving a vehicle that seems to be only getting 15mpg on a good day. Also this area became bedroom community, so not much even at garage sales but baby clothes.

Hmm, I don't really know why fleabay would effect one area more that another, it's pretty much an equal opportunity outlet for sales. I always hear these stories of mysterious mobs of outside collectors cleaning out a given area, why they would target one area over several dozen others is never explained. In my experience you can never find things like this unless you live in an area a long time and frequent the usual outlets for used junk like yard sales, estate sales, auctions, etc. or make yourself known. Not sure how these fly by night guys can come in for a weekend and find what a local can't given the home field advantage. My thinking is that they if there were many more sets around in the past then they ended up in the hands of more local collectors, there are always collectors out there that you've never met.
If someone dropped into my area and hit the antique stores they would conclude that there is little to be found or that everyone wants top dollar, except that these same stores have had the same sets on the shelves for five years. Maybe it's another one of Murphy's laws, if you look too hard for something you can't find it, if you don't look too hard you eventually will. I stopped agressively looking for radios years ago, now I only find them by accident, usually when I least expect it, only buy if I can get one for what I want to pay, and I still end up with more then I can deal with.
Regards
Arran