Magnavox console from the mid-'60s?

Hello all,

I've been lurking here for a bit searching through the forums to see if I could find any information about this Magnavox console unit. My mother is asking if I can help her figure out it's value. My parents bought it new in 1966 so I'm assuming, correctly or incorrectly, that it was manufactured in 1965 or 66. I have googled the model number from the sticker on the back but no luck. I have no documentation, but I took these pictures. By the way, I grew up playing my records on this thing, and everything still works great on it today.

This is the manufacturer's sticker on the back:


Picture of the front:


Picture of the top:


Picture of the hardware:


Any ideas?

Thanks,
Mark

Hi, beautiful Magnavox!! The first thing anyone here will tell you is check the numbers on the chassis, in some cases dates are printed on little white stickers. You would have to take the back off and look at the radio chassis. There is a chance dates are stencilled on the inside of the cabinet. For starters, from the looks of the changer, it is 1966 or 67. Consoles of any make aren't worth a great deal of money, on a good day, $75.00 is a top price. I'm glad it was so well enjoyed, Magnavox is my favorite old brand.

The only thing I have is a "Brockway" 4-RP614 from a 1966 brochure. Your 6-RP614 has a newer, what appears to be, a W615 turntable which is in the Sams Photofact folder Set 864, Folder 8, dated February, 1967. It has the single Idler wheel.

Cabinet models can be used for several years, but the "guts" are more advanced as technology marches on. As 71stereotheathre suggested, check the the stickers for date of manufacture. This is NOT an Astro-Sonic since it's not designated on the upper or lower end of radio face plate. Still a beautiful Maggie though. --BB


Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona

Wow, thanks for the replies!!

And good idea -- the next time I'm up there I'll take the back off and look for dates.

Thanks again!

Mark

You're welcome, from my comment. I love the two switch Automatic, I left one in a friends house, and after he died, I did not want it back. I love the Brockway console, has some size for a less costly set.

From the original OP's posts, it's clear the rough "date" is known, but the replies seemed to have missed that.
Actual value isn't that much these days, I've seen them in thrift stores for $25-40.

DoghouseRiley wrote:Digressing,

I checked the price of $249 in the brochure with an inflation calculator.
That would be around $1,700 today.

So, my 1963 console that cost $630. at the time, now would cost over $4,400!

Okay,

We can have two identical cabinets side-by-side. One is designated Astro-Sonic and the other is not. What is the difference betweem the two, other than price, and the Astro-Sonic may have 12" or 15" woofers and the exponential horns? I do have an amp like the original poster, but mine says Magnavox Astro-Sonic/Stereo High Fidelity.

Astro-Sonics were one of the crossovers to Solid-State, but the non Astro-Sonics were still churning on. Cabinets can fool you until you slide back that lid and/or lift up that top and remove the back to see what's up in there.

Even the smallest of Astro-Sonics were more expensive. It's great that Magnavox tried to reach out to all income levels with some of the less expensive models and still deliver some decent sound. I have the compact Figure D (Mediterranean, lower right, $298.50) in my office and my 50+ co-workers love it. I keep it tuned to our wonderful 24/7 Classical station, but also keep a 5-CD player plugged into it to provide more variety.

With all the consoles I've bought over the years, the prices ranged from $10 to $40, with an occasional $50 now and then. Sometimes, location can dictate price, but there's no collectors' item here from what's been originally posted.

Lazychicken, you and Mom keep enjoying that old Maggie. They are wonderful units. You don't happen to raise chickens by chance, do you? They are interesting creatures with lots of personality and deserve more credit than people give them. They're not as dumb as most people think and can be trained to come running when you call their name...great pets! --BB

Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona

Bobby Basham wrote:Okay,

We can have two identical cabinets side-by-side. One is designated Astro-Sonic and the other is not. What is the difference betweem the two, other than price, and the Astro-Sonic may have 12" or 15" woofers and the exponential horns? I do have an amp like the original poster, but mine says Magnavox Astro-Sonic/Stereo High Fidelity.

Astro-Sonics were one of the crossovers to Solid-State, but the non Astro-Sonics were still churning on. Cabinets can fool you until you slide back that lid and/or lift up that top and remove the back to see what's up in there.
Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona

The name "astrosonic" is still drawing people to want it, decades after the fact.
I suppose people think it's still some fancy-designed product "that's better" in some way.
Marketing hype works wonders.

True, selling factors are lowered heat and energy usage..... because of the use of transistors.
But in my opinion the tube-powered sets are more reliable (when properly serviced) and definitely more of a collectors item.

The same goes for those RCA Victor consoles - "New Vista" sets, being transistorized, were simply not as "rich sounding" as the early 60's tube consoles.