[PTurney]

Hi All,

Glad to be a member of the new Philco Phorum. Looks like it's going to be a lot of fun.

I found an interesting Philco console in an Antiques Barn a few weeks back that turns out (I'm fairly sure) to be an original variant on the model 16X (I of course bought it - for $75). I've finally finished cleaning up the cabinet and have posted some photos, together with my thoughts on it, to my website at the following page http://www.tuberadioland.com/philco16X-main.html .

I e-mailed Ron (Mr Philco) shortly after I found it asking if he had any information relating to it. He replied that it doesn't appear in Philco Furniture History, though he's seen photos of a couple of them fairly recently. I too had come across a reference to one other at the audiokarma.org link posted on my webpage. I'm wondering if anyone knows any more about this model?

Finding this set ended quite a dry spell for me over the summer with Philcos. Since then I've found a 41-255 (flea market) and a beautiful and a rare model 91D highboy (antiques store), which I'll post to my website as soon as I get the chance. I just think the early Philcos are beautiful pieces of furniture and the 91D is certainly no exception!

Paul

[Ron Ramirez]

Just to be sure, I checked "Furniture History" again...NO mention of a 16 in that cabinet.

During the 1933-34 season, it only lists the 16X in one version, that being part no. 10034. An example may be seen here:
http://home.earthlink.net/~adamrobertg/radio/wood.html
Scroll about 1/3 of the way down to see it (photo is rather dark, though).

According to Furniture History, the 16X cabinet did not change at mid-season (January 1934). Officially, Part No. 10069 cabinets were only available in 14 and 18 flavors; with 49, 118 and 144 added in June 1934 for the new 1935 season. Obviously, however, a small run of Part No. 10069 cabinets were made with 16 chassis inside.

Here's the breakdown:
10069-B - 14X
10069-C - 18X
10069-G - 49X, 118X
10069-H - 144X

I wonder what happened to 10069-A and D through F? Hmmm...NO other 10069 variants are mentioned in Furniture History.

By the way, if you folks have not visited Paul's website yet, you're in for a treat...he has quite a collection of great-looking sets!

[PTurney]

Hi,

Thanks for the research into this model, Ron. Would be fascinating to know what happened to the missing cabinet part numbers for sure. Did they regularly have such gaps in their part numbers for cabinets having slight variations?


Thanks also for the plug on the website!

Paul

[Doug Houston]

I wish I had a better grasp on this, but I once had two similar Philcos 16X sets,and I'm sure that one was this cabinet. The other had the more elaborate dial bezel. I disposed of both of them, possibly for space needs, but I believe that a friend in Worcester, Mass. has the set.

[PTurney]

Hi,

Well, for those that heven't seen it, it looks like another one of these has just turned up on Ebay:-

http://cgi.ebay.com/6597453759

Paul

[PTurney]

Hi,

http://www.tuberadioland.com/philco16X-main.html

I've just found an original Philco ad from March 1934 with this cabinet style featured. It's simply referred to as model 16X, with a selling price of $175. Perhaps this style was available just for a few months until the start of the 35 season, when they switched to this style: http://radioatticarchives.com/images/p/P...Goller.jpg

Based upon the ad, it would seem there's no doubt these are genuine model 16s, it's just curious there was no reference to them made in (Ron's) Philco Furniture History.

I'll post a copy of the ad on my website when I get chance.

Paul

[PTurney]

Hi,

Here's the link to the Philco 16X ad I referred to in the last post

http://www.tuberadioland.com/images/philco16X_ad.jpg

Click on the image magnification icon at the lower right to view a higher resolution version.

Ron, perhaps this the 10069-A part number, since it may have become available around March compared with June (as you state) for the model 14X.. using this cabinet style?

Paul

[Doug Houston]

One thing that might have happened here is that in those days, Jim Skinner, Philco's prexy monitored sales each week, and if a model or style wasn't going, he pulled the plug on it, and sent the next batch of sets out in different cabinets. I wonder if the style you have wasn't taking hold, and was sacratched (figuratively speaking, of course).

[Ron Ramirez]

I think Doug has hit the nail on the head here.

Makes sense...the ad is from March 1934, which would seem to indicate that the 16X in this cabinet probably appeared in January '34.

[PTurney]

Hi,

Yes, you guys are probably right here, though it's a beautiful console, if not a bit big, so it's surprising it appears not to have done well.

By the way, good to hear from you Ron. Fun, isn't it, trying to piece together the history of these things, over 70 years on?

Paul

[Ron Ramirez]

Yes indeed, Paul, this can be fun, putting together pieces of the puzzle.

Thanks very much, things are progressing well on my end. Hopefully I'll be able to rejoin the Phorum, and the hobby to some degree, in the coming months.