I have a chance to pick up a pretty nice looking Philco 90 cathedral radio. The seller has no idea of value. I don't want to low-ball her but then again, I wouldn't mind getting a decent deal. Any thoughts on a range of values for a complete and original model? Thanks.

The Philco 90 is a classic example of a set that was considered "rare" in the pre-internet days. They are nice looking sets and good performers, but I don't think pre-1995 collectors realized that seemingly most of them survived.

That said, if it's complete, original, and has a nice finish and no other significant damage, I'd call it a good deal if you can pick it up for $200 or less. If it's exceptional, maybe $250, but I wouldn't go any higher.

Hi Joe,
I agree with Tom's comments above. But bear in mind that when offering his advice on value, Tom used the terms "complete, original, and has a nice finish and no other significant damage". Many nice restoreable ones which don't quite reach those standards can still be found in the $100-$150 range.

In my opinion, when considering purchase of a collectible radio like the Philco 90 the condition of the cabinet means everything to me in deciding what to pay. Condition of chassis not so much, since most parts and even decent parts chassis are not hard to find. This being said, presence and condition of the 45 output tubes will have a significant bearing on value. I don't need to tell you what 45 tubes are going for today.

EDIT: I also agree with Tom that I think the value of Philco 70 and 90 cathedrals peaked out several years ago, and do not seem to fetch as much currently as they did in the past. But that's not to say that they are not still very collectible, probably the most well-recognized example of the classic tubed antique radio.

Thanks for the responses. Good information and good advice. I will have to look more closely at it later this week. My original thought was $200 max, but I may start at $100 and see if she faints, screams or says OK. She has two others she wants to get rid of but they were so high up on a shelf I couldn't even tell who the makers might be. One obviously had a rep-wood front but couldn't tell much other than that.

I agree that the cabinet is the most important factor.

Not a rare radio but one of the early entry radios in the hobby. Prices are off and I wouldn't pay more then $100.00 for a complete radio with little work.

Hello. I have two and must have over paid. One I got two years ago 350, second one picked it up this summer 400. I had to fix both electronically but both cabinets were mint. I figure up here in the northeast there must be a demand. Hope you get it. It is a very good radio all around. paul

I personally don't see anything below the prices you mentioned, that is for a nice example. In fact I'd say that for the 70. Nice 90's I've seen are still above $450 and honestly, I think they should be for such an iconic impressive set. If I saw one for $100-$200, I'd feel I got it as a gift! I don't know, I guess here in the NY metro area we are just used to high prices!
By the way, sellers on RA would sure beg to differ with the consensus here:
http://radioattic.com/gallery.htm?style ... ral_Radios

Philco 90's just don't show up around here (Southern Illinois) and $100 to $150 would be a good price if they did.

The last two unrestored 90's I had sold for $325 (2015) & $400 (2016), here in the Midwest, and both would need to be refinished to look "good". Anytime one would show up in decent enough condition that it wouldn't need a full cabinet refinish to display nicely, I'd easily place the value at $300+.

.

I guess I was luckier than I thought. My 90 cost me $180 and came with a box of tubes. Purchased off of CL, it needed new grill cloth and it probably still needs a refinish.