It's for sale, the seller claims the cabinet is perfect except for grille cloth, functional status unknown..... Looks like a sweet setup to me - it has the proper matching leggy speaker cabinet....What say you folks? Is there anything I should look out for? Inherent killer problems like pot metal issues? They are asking $150.....

The matching speaker cabinet is correct to the radio. I have the exact same Day-Fan radio w/speaker cabinet in my collection. I've seen a lot of this Day-Fan radio sold by itself, but very few sold with the matching speaker.

I did not encounter any out-of-the-ordinary issues when restoring the radio. The wood cabinets will clean up and display nicely. I'll leave the price paid up to you, as I recall I paid around $100 for mine 20+ years ago.

GL,

Terry

I've always felt that the Day-Fan 5080 was one of the better looking early AC sets that one could add to their collections. This 5080 is in very good and in very restorable condition. It looks to have all of it's original finish and the grill cloth, which needs to be replaced, has almost no pattern so finding a close match shouldn't be a problem. Since there's no potted capacitors to dig out and the TRF circuit is a fairly easy and straightforward circuit to work with so restoring that set to proper working condition should be fairly easy. I'd say if you have the room for it and the know how to properly restore it then it's well worth perusing. The only thing I would be concerned would be any pot metal issues if the 5080 is known to have any. If not, that's one big bullet that's been dodged. To bad it's not a Winchester, then you could sell it and use the proceeds to take an ocean cruse somewhere.

I don't buy Cabinet radio's because I don't have the room, but I would have to make an exception on this one.
I think it will cleanup like new. What a display piece. I'd grab it in a NY minute.

Freeman.

I would offer them less and see what happens. Not real low ball to tick them off, I would say you ought to get it for a bit less I would think. But it depends on the old radio market in your area if you should bite the bullet or wait it out. It has stuff going against it as well as for it. Needs electronic restoration. How many people can do that? How many people that can would prefer to put the money into a later type of radio? General public would not touch it non working, and even working would be a hard sell to a non radio person IMO. Someone might "repurpose" it for the cabinet, but they would not spend that much for that use, I don't think. All depends on how much competition you think there might be from other buyers, and that might range from a few in some places to none at all in other areas. Floor standing radios are inconvenient in quite a few home situations. That is why only the most desirable console radios are able to sell for any notable sum. This changes over time. I don't see anyone buying for nostalgia, probably everyone that ever used one originally is passed on by now. Not so with radios 10-20 years newer.

You're right, Wazz. I always look at asking prices as negotiable, unless the ad says "firm", or the price is so far in the stratosphere that a truly reasonable offer reflecting the true value would be balked at. E.G. -if this one had an asking price of $300 - $400, I wouldn't even bother. I plan on getting it for probably $100 - if there aren't any glaring irreparable issues with it.
Indiana - is a Winchester a rare version of this set?

Day-Fan mad this model for Winchester with a few subtle cosmetic differences. It's not so much the rarity but it's desirability for the Winchester version among a different group of collectors.

Here's some past threads discussing Winchester radios.

http://www.antiqueradios.com/forums/vie ... 1&t=329183

http://www.antiqueradios.com/forums/vie ... 1&t=331073

http://www.antiqueradios.com/forums/vie ... 1&t=293343

Thanks Michael! I remember that thread now.
I don't get lucky like that !

Well, if by chance the 8 tubes in the radio somehow turn out to be good, a hundo for the tubes and a radio, to boot, is not so bad. Being that they are all ST style tells me they were replaced and perhaps the thing was used well into the 30s.

Why didn't anyone warn me these were so !@#^$($#@%! heavy ?? I got it today... It's nice, and is in respectable condition for it's age. However, it's suffering from dried out veneer glue...particularly the speaker stand. I think it may have been near a heat source (vent), as every edge you touch has that "hollow" or "paper" sound that loose veneer makes. It's different than the "damp basement" separation, because there's no warping, rippling, or signs of any kind of dampness. The removable back of the speaker cabinet is missing a decent sized section of veneer where it slides up into a channel. The tuning mechanism looks good, and turns freely, the dial scale is cracked and needs attention, though. Pics will be forthcoming. This is now the oldest set in my fleet....

It turns out that it is NOT a 5080 as was advertised. After wiping the grime off of the spec plate, It turns out to be a model 5069. Besides the tube lineup, not sure what the differences between the 2 are yet. Have to get the schematics. Here are some pics......

Listen! It's playing. It's alive. It's alive... It's alive, it's playing, it's alive, it's alive, it's alive, it's alive, IT'S ALIVE!

.....With apologies to Colin Clive.....

I had to go check mine again and I also have 5069, not a 5080, with the matching speaker table.

BR,

Terry

Terry -
I'm currently working on remaking a dial scale, as mine was cracked, filthy, and has numbers missing at the top of the scale... how is yours?

There is some wear below the 50 mark, but otherwise good.

Mine is bad until about 30. I scanned mine but it isn't straight anymore - so I have some work to do.