EXTRAVAGANZA '12 takes place in Lansing, MI July 12-14th. The hotel, formerly the Holiday Inn South and the Causeway Bay Hotel has been renamed the Best Western Plus. A very rare and ultra desirable Sparton Nocturne radio has been consigned to the EXTRAVAGANZA '12 auction. This radio appears to be complete except for missing one knob. The radio itself will need total cosmetic restoration as the metal work is pitted/rusted and the glass will need resilvering. For more information on EXTRAVAGANZA '12 go to http://www.michiganantiqueradio.org.

Here is a link to a photo of the Sparton Nocturne radio:

http://www.michiganantiqueradio.org/images/nocturne.jpg

Looks like a project for Advanced Plating in Nashville, TN and the Mirror service in Indy. Fix the radio and good as new once again. This should be one interesting auction in Lansing.

John k9uwa

Amazing that the mirror isn't seriously chipped or broken, given the rest of the radio.

So, what's the story behind this Nocturne? Every radio has it's own history and I'm curious as to what's the history behind this one. How did such a stylish radio eventually wind up looking like this?

Storage Wars !

I just saw that show for the first time, last week.....my daughter has cable. It is interesting. She would like to try it

@ Michael et al: There will be a full story available at the auction as well as published in the 'MARC Chronicle' following "EXTRAVAGANZA! '12" For now Rob Murrell's (Our Radio Rescue Agent) description, on another site, of it as a 'barn find' does very well. It had been stored in a fairly open, country barn environment for many years, subject to the freeze/thaw cycles of Michigan by someone who had no idea of its desirability to the radio collector community but, "...wanted it out of the house!" where her now deceased husband and Ham Operator had listened to it for many years. Aside from the obvious need for re-chroming and re-silvering of the glass it IS amazingly intact and all original except perhaps for the tubes. The speaker is in very good condition. Most of the rust seen is at surface level and deep pitting of the metal does not appear to have occurred. One knob is missing at this time but efforts are underway to see if it might be found. The glass appears to have NO chips or cracks. The tubes have been checked and most are still serviceable. All of the fasteners holding the glass, knobs and chassis have now been 'unfrozen' and generally the radio is being cleaned up in preparation for presentation at the auction. No additional restoration will be done prior to the auction. It is being consigned by an Independent owner who contacted MARC officers for consultation about what might be done with it.

What will it go for?? Any guesses?

A nice original would probably fetch $70,000 or more these days.

Peter

We could speculate all day long about what one in less than nice condition would sell for, but I would be surprised if it sold for any less than about $20,000 as pictured. These are rare enough that someone is going to be very willing to invest whatever it takes to have the restoration done properly. The mirror can be resilvered and the metal parts replated.

That auction will be held on my birthday ....
maybe I will do a bit of travelling and give my self the ultimate "Happy Birthday to Me" present

~jeff~

edited/deleted by DS

Its in better shape than the one I found. Id say $35k.

In this economy, and in that shape, Id say it would be lucky to break 10k. Metal that rusted never cleans up well without alot of work. Looks like its been at the bottom of the sea with the Titanic!

Wow, what an idea... that would add a premium, would it not?!

If the Pickers found it in a barn they'd pass it by or offer $25.00

I love Storage Wars.

Dave just might get that Sparton
Yuuuup!

How does one pay for something like this at an auction? Are you expected to have like $20,000 in cash on you? $35,000?

Peter