Classic Hifi Care

What object you have ever had the chance to buy that you passed on, then kicked yourself in the rear for not buying it? The one that got away......

Mine was a circa 1960 Zenith "super Royal" TV set at an auction in Sedalia, MO. The thing was working and was absolutely like brand new. It was in a walnut swivel base cabinet. It was the ultra-fancy version with speakers on the side of the picture tube and had the power supply/amp chassis under the TV chassis. Eight inch speakers. It didn't get a bid, so I know it ended up in the dumpster. I have always regretted not rescuing it. I was not into TV then, and the wife wasn't excited about it, so I passed.

This one was thrown away. When I moved from Lansing to Traverse City, I had to prune things. I sold the 1960 Rambler American wagon and the '69 4-4-2. I gave away a lot of tube electronics. And then there was the Zenith B&W TV set. It worked. Blond cabinet. Nobody would take it. I salvaged tubes parts and on my last day in the house, tossed it on a junk hauler's truck. I've still got the glass front plate, the cool channel knob with a weight so the channel window stays at the top, etc. Throwing away a classic working TV is antithetical to all my instincts but I was backed into a corner. I still regret it.

Chris Campbell