Is Your Stash Out of Control?

Sounds like an interesting project.

My collection is regulated by by the size of my flat, along with limited skills & time to work on items.

I was recently tempted to get another set with the intention of selling the least desirable one once I had finished sorting it out, but was outbid.  I've done another "in & out" when I found a set I wanted more than one I already had, & had less storage space at the time.

It is a difficult thing to deal with because on the one hand, it is great to get one more additional set to work on and then another.... and so on, until you run out of places to store them properly. It happened to me with radios, but is far more difficult with tv sets (again has happened to me).

Ultimately, they will have to be reduced by selling. I did that recently with a couple of tv's. The bad thing is you have to make a sacrifice. But, another collector will be happy to recieve a new item for their collection and then it becomes their future problem.

There is another possible solution and that is to strictly limit yourself to a single maker such as Pye for example. I have thought about this myself, but then you tend to miss out with other sets of course. So, there is certainly no easy answer.

It is a nice idea to replicate a vintage tv shop but they had a turn around of sets of course. Unless you have unlimited space, there will come a time when you need to stop collecting or pass on sets you no longer feel the need to own. That is tough to do because they are part of your life in a way.

I have about 70 radios wrapped up in duvets in the loft that I really should deal with by selling some. Trouble is, out of sight is out of mind whilst they are up in the loft. If I get one down for a run, I think "no...won't sell that one" but then I am back to square one again !

That’s some collection Chris, and Andrew you have 70 radios in the attic. ? 

I don’t have a collection, just a couple of radios from around 1960 that get used from time to time. I have to admit I don’t feel I want to build a collection so the problem won’t occur for me. Still I have items I would not want part with so I can understand the reluctance to part with any of your collection.

I like the idea of a 60s - 70s TV shop with workshop and some independents were quite small and packed a lot in. An interesting sideline would be to let out such a space for film and television productions requiring an authentic look.

I don't worry about collecting as I'm quite selective about what I want and keep now, but that said I have a lock-up full of various items, some furniture but lots of components, cable, TV's, manuals, VHS machines, analog satellite decoders and test kit, all left over from my retail business in the 90s and mostly untouched for the last ten years. Sorting that lot out is one I keep putting off.

I think it's an interesting topic, as we don't often see each other's collections I've often wondered what people actually do with their sets, do they even watch them once they're fixed?  Nice to know that someone else thinks of using a "rota" system and in my case it means that each working set gets used at least once every three months or so.  At the minute I tend to share a bedroom with the sets that are just being stored, otherwise being lucky enough to have a decent sized property I try to spread the TVs around the house in a way that looks attractive.  The console sets present more of a problem, whereas the table models can be stood on top of radiograms or even floor standing sets with their doors closed.  Some sets are even slim enough to store on the landing 🙂  I guess the truth is we make space for whatever we feel is desirable at the time.  Good luck with the plans.

Hi Chris.

I was really careful for a long time and while Anne was alive. Although I'm still in a dark place I occasionally get a bit of a spurt and do things with the hobby. I've landed up with more sets from Norman, gutted out the loft so now have sets there and in the spare room, albeit properly done in the spare room with just an Ekco T368 on a table and connected with a freeview box and the Hedghog. Also a Hacker Radio. There is though three Bush Radios in a cupboard. No way when my sweetheart was alive would I have done that. 

...and I thought my 12 radio's and 5 TV's was a lot....! Admittedly I only have limited loft space so I suppose that is a good thing since I can't realistically have anymore other than a few more early transistor radio's perhaps. I did sell a large number of ordinary 50's radios a few years ago....the nothing special types. Out of those I kept a DAC90A , A KB FB10, a Baird 301, a Pilot model 10 (simply because it was the very first radio I repaired when I was 14) and another Bush set (the number escapes me for the moment). I now concentrate on 30's and 40's radios but I'm only on the lookout for certain types with the exception of a KB FB10 FM to go with my other FB10. With regard to TV's I have a Pye 11u (that's been in the family since new in 1964), a Ferguson  '45' portable, an HMV (Thorn) (the number escapes me for the moment), a Perdio Portarama, and a Philips TVette. If I want any more TV's I could be interested in a Bush TV22 but ideally I'm looking for a Ferguson 941T since that was the first TV I remember we had when I was a child. That would be about it...I'm not  interested in having a huge collection....just sets that are important to me. I could be interested in certain very early colour portables (there were some hybrids about) but they are probably like rocking-horse dung now.

Christ on a bike Chris!!!

That is a serious dilemma you have there, whilst I love to see all this stuff, I don't have to live with it, or try and manage it, my missus used to moan when I had about 20 sets in for repair at any one time, and they were a fairly quick turnaround, albeit there may have been maybe 6 coming in and 6 going out so the amount in at any one time rarely seemed to change, my only saving grace was my trade repairs were earning a wage so to speak.

I would not be able to do it now, even if I wanted to, since we moved into a much smaller house, she would go ballistic now if I did the same, she always complained she wanted the house/home back and that was back then when I had a massive dining room as my workshop.

?

Hi Baz, 

Thankfully we have a fairly largish house and when we moved in there were two lounges. My wife said as long as all my TV's remained in one room I could have one to myself as long as it did not spill out around the house, what was behind the closed door did not concern her. For a while, for me it was OK but as I collected more and more rare CTV's and consoles I had less and less room to play. 

I had always planned to sort something out far more permanent but funds would be needed to achieve it all. Finally this year at 56 my private company pension kicked in so now plans are afoot to refurbish the house and build my extension. The extension will most likely be to the side of the house as there is a large drive and that leads onto the garage, which was converted 7 years ago (was it really that long ago) to the current parts store and TV workshop, which is joined to the house via the conservatory, via the kitchen.

I think the plan will be to have a single story extension that runs the entire length of one side of the house taking in the garage and extending beyond into the garden. This way I should end up with  +/- 50ft x 12ft.  I might just then be able to recreate the nice looking showroom as above.

The pipe dream is to one day host a North East Vintage Tech Summer Barbecue. An open day with at least four fully kitted out benches in the workshop with TV's VCR's to play with for those so inclined or to bring their own to fix.  Others can peruse the TV showroom where the collection will be displaying away. As I say a pipe dream but its nice to have goals. The planning boys may refuse and I'll end up with a large shed or greenhouse. ? 

Either way I want my spare lounge back so I can set it up as period 70's lounge, I can then enjoy the fruits of my labour. I've got to sort out somewhere to relocate the collection come what may.

I could easily loose myself in your spare rooms and workshop, which looks very cosy and welcoming to my eyes ?  Look forward to seeing what plans and things happen when you expand and add space to display your collection.

At a rough count when I moved was about 40-45 Tv sets and about 30 + valve radios covered up or in boxes and lots of 70's hifi which is in a dedicated room and on display. I'm still yet to unpack and sort properly and it will be a long process. Sometimes I wonder what I'm doing with it all and have had thoughts about getting rid of whole lot, but if I did would regret it and I'd just start again.. ? 

Hi Chris 

as you know my stash got way out of control some years back with over 200 mono sets in the spare bedroom, in the garage as well as in the loft. Well not a lot has changed the garage has still got lots of sets in it the spare bedroom has been reduced to about 50+ sets all mono. What has changed is the introduction of colour sets, these are housed in a 28 ft by 10 ft shed out the back of the house that you haven’t seen yet.

I wouldn’t like to say how many sets are in the shed needless to say space is starting to get limited in there too, don't know if I dare put any photos up , the shock might be too much for some people ?

As for your pipe dream , it was always mine too , to open a museum of all these wonderful TVs we own & cherish but mine never came to anything I hope your dream will come true one day ?

chris

Hi Chris,

Welcome to the therapy thread ? 

Yes you were indeed one of the two nameless individuals I referenced in my opening post above, that had even bigger collections. What's interesting is all three of us are in the North East, I use you two as a gauge and thus far my collection is just about manageable.

There's not really anything much I would like TV-wise as I've got enough TV's to keep me in repairs for a long time. However I would be tempted to add a Murphy Acoustic-Delux or a Korting or Tandberg CTV1. 

As for the pipe dream, I've just got to convince the planning department. I'm hoping it will be OK as a house 5 doors up just did the exact same thing extension wise, except they went for a double storey and I only want single, hoping it set a precedent.

I have around 60 valve radios most of which are in one small room, some have escaped to other areas of the house much to annoyance of 'wor lass' and a few in the garage mostly awaiting attention.
I'd have more if I had the space as I enjoy the restoration process but when finished where do I put them? So I've had to curb my enthusiasm. I've passed them on to others but never sold a valve radio, I do get very attached to them!
My pipe dream is to have the space for a proper workbench (I use an old 50’s bureau now) and much bigger room to display them ... or a more tolerant wife 🙂
John

You know we talk about stash getting out of control , well a trip to the nvcf today & I came back with no less than 6 TVs ? 3 colour sets & 3 mono 

1, pye G11 22”              4, pye 13u 23”dual standard mono

2,Philips G8 22”         5, Ekco 19” dual standard mono

3, HMV 3500 22”       6, Sobell 17 “ 405 only mono

i also picked up an eBay purchase on the way back home 

that was a Bush A823 22” colour 

now where am I going to put all those sets?

Some interesting sets there. Now that 19" Ekco is a rarity. I had one some years ago and regret letting it go. I think it must have been designed for the Irish market as it has a 3-position switch for VHF 405 / VHF 625 / UHF 625. Does it use the Pye '67 chassis or is it a bit earlier? I never thought I'd see another. Maybe it's the same one!

It was great to see that Pye 13U at the NVCF. First time I've seen one in the flesh and definitely one on my long term wants list. That one looked a bit nicotine stained but I'm sure will clean up.

Really looking forward to reading the threads on these beauties when you get around to them.

Steve

Interested to see the chassis in the 19 inch Ekco, it looks like the  Ferranti version of the 11U chassis but with the system switch having the VHF/625.

Hi Steve , yes those sets are interesting 

the Elvin set is the 368 chassis sadly it’s been got at caps missing duff lopt & the i/f strip has been twiddled with but all is not lost I’m sure I can rebuild it at least the crt tests out ok. 

The pye 13u will compliment the 11u & 20u I already have as long as the crt is ok

thanks for the comments

chris  

that should of read Ekco set 

big thumbs small phone ?

chris 

T368 or T398?

Wasn’t the 368 a 17inch 405 only introduced 1960, T398 dual standard introduced 1961? Very similar in layout as the T368 but PCB IF panel with switches for IF and Timebase.

Thats what I recall but of course it’s a long time ago, corrections and photos appreciated.