WIRELESS IMPROVEMENT CO. SHORTWAVE RADIO RECEIVER AND VACUUM CONTROL BOX

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WIRELESS IMPROVEMENT CO. SHORTWAVE RADIO RECEIVER AND VACUUM CONTROL BOX:
$5000.00

UP FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION ARE TWO OF THE MOST UNCOMMON PIECES OF EARLY WIRELESS RECEIVING EQUIPMENT YOU WILL LIKELY SEE IN A LIFETIME OF COLLECTING. THE WIRELESS IMPROVEMENT COMPANY ONLY EXISTED FOR A VERY SHORT TIME IN THE EARLY 1920S. ANY EQUIPMENTS THEY MANUFACTURED WERE PRODUCED IN SUCH LIMITED QUANTITY THAT IT IS SCARCELY KNOWN TO FIND A SET WITH A SERIAL NUMBER ABOVE 20 (IF YOU ARE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO SEE ONE AT ALL) THE FIRST OF THE TWO SETS IS A WI-106A VACUUM DETECTOR BOX SERIAL9-Y. AN ADVERTISEMENT FOR THIS SET CAN BE FOUND IN THE JUNE 1920 ISSUE OFWIRELESS AGE PAGE 6.THE WOODEN CASE HAS ONLY MINOR FLAWS SUCH AS A SMALL @1/2 INCH RUB MARK ON THE LOWER RIGHT OUTSIDE FACE AND A SMALL @ 2 INCH BY 1/2 INCH SCRAP OF PAPER IS STUCK ON THE UPPER OUTSIDE REAR PANEL (I DID NOT TRY TO REMOVE IT).ANY REMAINING IMPERFECTIONS ON THE CABINET ARE VERY MINOR AND CONSIST OF FINE SCRATCHES. THE FINISH LOOKS BEAUTIFUL OVERALL AND HAS A NICE AGED PATINA. THE FRONT PANEL, CONTROLS, COMPONENTS AND WIRING INSIDE ARE NOTHING SHORT OF IMMACULATE!!! I HAVE NOT ATTEMPTED TO CLEAN IT. ONLY THE FINEST OF SCRATCHES CAN BE SEEN ON THE FRONT PANEL (AND YOU HONESTLY HAVE TO LOOK VERY CLOSE). IN THE SOMEWHAT PARANOID INTEREST OF PRESERVATION,I HAVE NOT AND WILL NOT TRY TO MOVE ANY OF THE CONTROLS. THIS SET ALSO INCLUDES AN ORIGINAL BRASS BASED TUBE. ONE SIDE OF THE BASE HAS A DEFOREST LOGO WHILE THE OTHER HAS A MARCONI LOGO. I HAVE NOT TESTED THE FILAMENT.ADDITIONALLY, INCLUDED IS AN ORIGINAL WICONY RADIO PRODUCTS CATALOG BULLETIN NO. 4. THE SECOND SET IS A W-176A SHORTWAVE RECEIVER SERIAL 2-Y.THIS SET CAN BE FOUND IN A 1922 COPY OF RADIOPHONE RECEIVING PAGE 101.IF YOU ZOOM IN ON THE SERIAL NUMBER IN THE BOOK I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS THE SAME EXACT SET IN THE PHOTO !!!! A FRIEND POSTED A PICTURE OF MY SET ON A MUSEUM WEBSITE...WHERE IT CAN BE SEEN THAT THE DETECTOR AND BUZZER COVER ARE MISSING. THROUGH YEARS OF SEARCHING, I FINALLY CAME UP WITH THE TWO ORIGINAL MISSING PARTS MAKING THE SET 100% COMPLETE. AS WITH THE DETECTOR BOX, I HAVE NOT AND WILL NOT TRY TO MOVE ANY OF THE CONTROLS.THE ONLY COMPONENT DAMAGE I CAN SEE IS A BROKEN PIECE OF STRING USED TO MOVE THE DIAL POINTER UP AND DOWN THROUGH THE USE OF A PULLEY. ALL OTHER COMPONENTS AND WIRING ARE PRESENT, ORIGINAL AND IN PERFECT CONDITION.THE WOODEN CABINET IS ANOTHER STORY. ALTHOUGH THE WOODEN CASE IS QUITE SOLID, THE FINISH IS COVERED WITH LARGE AND SMALL SCRATCHES ON ALL SIDES.I WILL LEAVE THE QUESTION OF REFINISHING TO THE NEW OWNER BECAUSE ALTHOUGH THE FINISH IS IN POOR CONDITION, (IT IS ALSO OVER 95 YEARS OLD) AND I BELIEVE DESERVES TO BE UNTOUCHED TO PRESERVE ITS UNIQUE ORIGINALITY. THE FRONT PANEL ON THIS SET IS ALSO IN AMAZING CONDITION FOR ITS AGE WITH TWO FLAWS OF NOTE THAT I CAN SEE. ONE SCRATCH BELOW THE TUNING DIAL AND A SCRAPE TO THE LEFT OF THE PLATE/ FILAMENT TERMINALS. THE FRONT PANEL IS DUSTY AND DIRT HAS COLLECTED AROUND ALL THE TERMINALS AND PARTS AND I HAVE NOT ATTEMPTED TO CLEAN IT. I HAVE SPENT A GREAT DEAL OF TIME HESITATING OVER SELLING THESE TWO IMPORTANT HISTORICAL PIECES BUT MY LOSS WILL BE THE MOST UNIQUE AND PRIDEFUL GAIN OF ANY ANTIQUE WIRELESS COLLECTOR.
FREE SHIPPING IS INCLUDED AND THESE ITEMS WILL BE EXTREMELY WELL CUSHIONED AND PACKED AND DOUBLE BOXED TO HELP INSURE THEIR SAFE ARRIVAL.
THESE ITEMS ARE IN EXCESS OF 95 YEARS OLD AND UNTESTED. AS SUCH I CANNOT MAKE ANY CLAIMS TO THEIR ELECTRICAL OR MECHANICAL FUNCTION.
NO RETURNS ACCEPTED.
NO INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING
PLEASE DONT HESITATE IN offerDING. THESE UNIQUE EQUIPMENTS OR ANYTHING EVEN REMOTELY LIKE THEM ARE NOT LIKELY TO COME UP FOR SALE AGAIN !!!!