Hello
I own a Astor BW 11" portable television It has a bubble screen what looks like a french polished timber case with what seems to be either brass or copper handle , knobs and dials . The TV still works and is in great condition . would anyone know what a unit like that would be worth ? I believe the powerhouse museum has 1 of these units in their range , from what ive been told the TV was one of the only units of this kind built in australia in the late 50's to early 60's . I have been trying to find information on this unit but have had no success.

Regards

Andrew

G'day Andrew and welcome to the forums. You'd be quite right about the rarity of this model. There weren't many true portables around at the time and even then most of them still weighed a tonne.

I am not certain as to the value of televisions but if it is rare, still working and in good condition I'd say a few hundred dollars as a guess.

One thing that is also not certain is whether the set was french polished or not. French polishing of radios was not common due to the slow and tedious nature of the task and it would have introduced a bottleneck into the manufacturing process. Unless your Astor was a limited edition model for the upper classes then it is not likely to have been french polished.

If you have a photo of the receiver and you'd like it included in your post you can e-mail it to the address shown on my profile page and I will upload it to the server for you.

Hi Andrew. From your description it sounds like the Astor portable using the series 7 chassis that was made around the 1965 to 1967 period.

These are nice little sets with an attractive varnished timber case. They look much older than they are due to the wooden cabinet and metal trims.

These portables are not particularly rare but do have a relatively high value due to the luxury look of the set. I've seen these sell for between $30 to $250 depending on condition and location in Australia.

I don't have a lot of information about this particular model and I'm still collecting information about it.

AWA also made an 11" portable around the same period but it was made with a plastic case and does not have that "luxury" look to it.

Regards, Andrew

Thank you for your reply TV Collector you are probably correct as I'm no TV expert if you would a photo of the TV I can send you one

regards
Another Andrew

Click on image for larger resolution

Photo uploaded.

From the photo I can confirm that the set is an 1965-67 Astor portable.

Thanks for the reply TV Collector. I am considering putting the TV up for sale as I have collected so meny things over the years I'm running out of space in my small unit.

Thank you again

Andrew

I should be doing that. You should see my spare bedroom. (photo to come)

My problem is that once I buy a receiver I can't let it go. Sentimentality gets the better of me every time.

Glad to have been able to help.

I hope to eventually find out the model designation for the portable instead of having to refer to it as the "1965 Astor portable"!

Hi guys I just recently bought 3 of these all working off a guy and sold one for $350 and have had heaps of interest in the others but I will be keeping the other 2 so they are a pretty sort after unit maybe because of its looks thats why ill be keeping mine and it doesnt take up as much space I thought they were older but thanks for identifying the year for me everyone