Hi Sue,
Glad you sold the Firestone.
Collector value of the sets with phonos is generally lower, and common consoles aren't a gold mine as some shops think. If a set is complete and in restorable condition, someone will want them eventually. Some only want one set, such as a decorator piece, and are not collectors.
What I want to pass on to you is that even if a set 'works', the set could fail at any time, and take out hard to find parts.
While you might not understand a lot on the following page, you will get the general idea of why it isn't good to power up old sets you find.
http://www.philcoradio.com/tech/plugin.htm
You might want to pass that on to the buyer of the Firestone set, and suggest that he/she get is serviced so it will be a reliable and SAFE set for many more years.
Here is a way some can relate to the issue. Say you find an 1930's car in a garage with original tires, oil, fluids, belts, brakes etc. Hasn't run in years, would you want to fire it right up and take it on the freeway at 70? Sure, it might run for a while, but if one of the old parts fail, it can be disasterous.
Anyhow, it might save a really valuable radio you find later on. If you have any questions in the future about the sets you find, please let us know.
Take care Sue,
Gary.
