This Electrola RE 57 is owned by a cousin of my wife. It was his uncle's and has been in his family since new. The cousin wants to sell it but has no idea of the value and neither do I. I don't want to fleece him but I don't want to get fleeced either. I know there have to be some really knowledgeable RE 57 folks out there so chime in. He says he has never plugged it in since owning it so has no idea what, if anything, works. I told him to keep it that way!

I bought one of these five years ago at a local garage sale for $20. I figured that I couldn't lose anything if just one of the two #45 output triodes was good, even if the rest of the set was trash. As it turned out, it had an open volume control rheostat and a bad wirewound resistor- all tubes tested fine. Replacing the pot and open resistor, the set worked amazingly well for a TRF... extremely sensitive and selective. It's a far better performer than the Atwater Kent 55s and 60s that I own. Sound quality is average for a set of its era.

The tuning mechanism is worthy of being a Rube Goldberg creation but works very well.

If the set's operating condition isn't known, its value isn't very high IMO- maybe $75 tops, and buyer takes his chances with the tubes being mostly good. This is a local valuation for the upper midwest and would probably vary depending on the region.

Things working against it value wise are: broadcast band AM radio reception only; 78 RPM record capability only (using single-play steel needles); very heavy; sound reproduction quality is by no stretch of the imagination "high fidelity"; and some of the tubes are expensive to replace. As far as cabinet styling is concerned, well...you either love or hate early '30s "highboys". It seems that most people these days fall into the latter category.

The phonograph turntable is a well-engineered piece of machinery but will require teardown, cleaning, and lubrication to be usable. Also, the pickup is magnetic and the permanent-magnet field tends to lose its "charge" (alnico wasn't invented until the next decade). These can be remagnetized.

Looks like the celluloid tuning indicator is completely missing. Why is your wife's cousin so concerned about it's value. It's obvious that, despite it being a family heirloom, she doesn't want it and it's not like she's got anything invested in it, she simply inherited it. A set like that, unrestored, would only sell for around $50 tops at a large antique radio swap meet auction. If it were completely restored and in perfect running condition, then it would sell on the open market for around $150. It would be nice if that set had a pair of good globe RCA 45s and a good globe RCA 80?

Thanks for the replies. I'll give him a call and see where he is on price.

It is very difficult to make out those small images, but it looks to me as if the finish may be dry and flaking off the outside of the cabinet. Also the celluloid tuning indicator is behind the dial on this model.

This should have a microphone and a weight which fits over the pickup as it has recording capability on pre-grooved blanks.

As Lorenz200w mentions, the tuning mechanism is a Rube Goldberg but very effective. Victor called it their Micro-Synchronous tuning mechanism.

btw, although RCA and Victor had merged by the time these were produced, the Micro-Synchronous chassis was entirely a Victor design which they developed before the merger.

The main issue with fidelity is because the surround on the speaker gets hard and immoveable.

I used to have an RE-57 which I paid $200 for. It was in mint condition, and I think I just broke even if I made anything at all when I let it go.

These days, the value is lower, so perhaps Mike and Lorenz200w estimates are pretty accurate.
The 45s if good have the bulk of the value.

I guess I'm one of the few who find these types collectible.

-Steve

$40.00 tops, age means nothing. Not a gotta have radio in collector terms.

He sent many photos. The microphone is there, along with the horseshoe weight, 2 packs of needles, an original bottle of oil, an original yellow box of motor grease, and what appears to be a small metal box of recording needles. The finish is rather dry and flaky looking and the top is very scuffed and marked. I have no room for it but I was thinking of buying it for my club. We have only one Victor radio, an R 35.

These are worth more for parts than as a whole radio.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/312011817442 Amplifier $175 no tubes no speaker
https://www.ebay.com/itm/382307393040 A pair of the speakers $100

And the tubes 45 globes or ST's either way worth some bucks. Other tubes worth a bit as well.
Tuner nearly a give away same with the cabinet. Some of the phono parts probably worth something to
those who are missing parts.
John k9uwa

Geez, I don't want to tell him that! If he's money hungry he'll tear it apart. Even if there's thousands of them, I can't stand to see any more trashed.

Well consider the work involved to do that. Also one needs test equipment and the ability to test the tubes transformers and such in the amplifier. Think then about boxing and shipping such items. Most of it will be shipped overseas to Asia. Commissions to Fleabay and paypal. It isn't all gravy. And it is work.
John k9uwa

Well, before I could talk to him, he listed it on CL at $400. Where do people get their prices?

When he gets to keep the radio his price will change.
John k9uwa

Probably where anyone else on Craigslist gets their prices for an old item: from thin air. "Knowledgeable estimates" are fine but they won't guarantee that an item will achieve that price, and they can't account for the wild card event of someone out there REALLY WANTING this exact item and being willing to shell out $400 for it. Corner conditions possibly, but they do happen.

Being a no-charge site, CL does not penalize those who overprice their items initially. The seller can always drop their price until someone following the ad "bites" on it, or floats a lower offer.

And receive the appropriate ridicule from this crowd! $400? Really?

Here's the ad that we can all watch linger on Craigslist.

https://shoals.craigslist.org/atq/d/193 ... 46336.html

I think that Art Deco water stain on the top must be worth at least some of the increased value he is asking.