[Arran]

I don't mind paying for good things, but with radios, since I don't do the electronics myself, it's very easy to get in over your head when you have to pay someone else to do that part.  I should discipline myself to only buy radios that have been done, but then you loose the thrill of the find.  

I bought my first old radio, a '42 Philco console, in about 1972 for $5 and it worked beautifully (after all, it was only 30 years old then!) and years after that when I collected a few more, I had a local guy who was very reasonable do the chassis work.  When he passed away 20 years ago, I lost that connnection....

Since radios aren't my only hobby, I have to be careful not to overpopulate the collection, but that's easier said than done....

 Then again you could learn how to restore the electronics yourself, the most important parts are learning how to solder and desolder, and how to use a volt ohm meter to check components and voltages, it's really just a matter of practice. You don't really have to understand much theory, or get into too much troubleshooting, most of the time these sest are so old and floggged out that all the capacitors, most of the resistors, and in some cases the wiring needs to be replaced. But in this case I would not recommend the Crosley 127 for a first project, ten tubers are a challenge even for well seasoned restorers sometimes.
Regards
Arran