One day I'd like to buy a 405 line set from the UK, a Pye VT4 preferably, but the expense of shipping and the risk of breakage puts me off.

I was thinking that with this set. The majority of the weight is attached with one pivot joint so it must have been well packed to go the distance.

‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

"One day I'd like to buy a 405 line set from the UK, a Pye VT4 preferably, but the expense of shipping and the risk of breakage puts me off."

That would be great if you could accomplish that. I bought a Philco Predicta from the US via eBay (at a HUGE cost of $1641.00 US delivered. The TV was $800.00, the rest was freight) but it survived the trip. A 6DQ6 valve was broken, but the seller pic of the innards showed a white getter, so I knew it was smashed before they even sent it. The tube looks OK, I'm waiting on a step down TX to arrive before I can really do much. I won't be buying too many more of these! They can go for ridiculous amounts. Oddly enough, a working one didn't sell at all, and the price was very reasonable. No fun in that though, nothing to restore.

A friend in the UK said it's a good idea to ask the seller if they can carefully remove the neck board or cap from the picture tube and tie it down inside so that it doesn't knock around. Something to think about if you're game to try it. I for one would also like one of these TVs.

Cheers,

Adam

‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
"What's that big box by the back door? You didn't buy another old TV from eBay did you?"

Well, I'll give it a go if a set's available when I can spare the money, but it's frustrating how many attractive Ebay items are "post UK only". Someone over there's selling a Walter 101 tape recorder for ten pounds, but I can't afford the airfare to go and pick it up!

Hello Susan

I have bought items from UK & US that were advertised as UK/Europe only or North America only for delivery, by asking before bidding if they would consider delivery to Australia.

More often than not they agreed, especially UK. So give it a try. But wait a few days to see if there are any bids. It helps if there were none.

Americans often won't post larger items due to restrictions imposed on size by their postal service. The sender can get around this by using a carrier although many people are unfamiliar with dealing with them or don't have the time to be at home when a carrier is able to collect.

I once bought an Amplion horn speaker from a US seller but they had to withdraw the sale due to the size and they weren't prepared to disasseble the horn.

‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

I have a Predicta, too in Germany, came save from New York.
I shall change the IF because of the lousy bandwidth and
the power supply to 230 V .
My line transformer seems to be bad and the CRTs are also
not the best in town I heard.
A schematic is free available from the download of the TV-museum
in Ohio.
I have to invest nothing in original stuff, which might be a
problem in the future.
I interchange the CRT by a MW 53-88, a well-known tube and
some washers at the end of the tube cabin.
The transformer and yoke will come from a 1959 Philips TV, so
I am save for the future.
This is a little change in the schematic of the set, but a good investment for the future.

I bought 4 TVs in Australia, one came from the HRSA-Club, the others from evilbay.
I had to pay a lot of money to carriers for the "local pick-up only" but it has worked (with a lot of money!).
The crazy high prices I paid made me the only one outside Australia who owns early australian mid 50s TV sets.
Because of 9/11 it is closby impossible to find shippers.
The insurence companies are the trouble makers - no used electronics to Germany, just because the killers from 9/11 had a good home in Germany under the german government.
This was told me by companies, which couldn`t help me.
My first Australian TV, a 1956 AWA 17" came by ship.
The ship was 2 months on the way incl. paperwork at the harbour of Antwerp.
I bought juke boxes in South Amerika, it was a nightmare
only a company from Switzerland was able to ship them to
Antwerp/Belgium.
But this company is not more existing.

Best regards from Germany!