UPDATE2: 5Mar14 “Vintage Stereo Consoles Are Making a Comeback” Article: “For the Love of Audio,” by Gaspar González. Shoulda hung onto that one, Frank! /CL
UPDATE 1Jun13: Frank writes:
HI COUSIN LYNN,
AS USUAL, I ENJOYED YOUR PROGRAM THIS MORNING. I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL YOUR EFFORT IN HELPING ME OUT. AT THIS POINT, I HAVE DECIDED TO DONATE MY HI-FI SET TO AN ANTIQUE DEALER HERE. ANYHOW, THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR KINDNESS.
FRANK
Guess he didn’t find a taker. I didn’t ask him if he put it on consignment with the dealer. Thanks to Frank for the nice words. /CL
Original Post:
I’m not sure I want to make ads a regular practice—I suppose we could start a Trading Post if there were sufficient interest—but this is quite a period piece; I’m posting it for a listener in North Cambridge who writes (in all caps, because he is visually impaired):
DEAR HILLBILLY AT HARVARD,
MY NAME IS FRANK CARDOSI AND I LISTEN TO YOUR PROGRAM ON SATURDAY MORNINGS. I HAVE AN OLD FASHIONED HI-FI STEREO SET THAT I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE AWAY TO ANYONE WHO WANTS IT [Nominal charge of $25—see below /CL]. I THOUGHT YOU MAY KNOW SOMEONE WHO WOULD BE INTERESTED IN HAVING THIS, AS I’D LIKE IT TO GO TO SOMEONE WHO REALLY WANTS IT. ATTACHED ARE SOME PICTURES.
AM/FM RADIO, 4 SPEED TURNTABLE 16/33/45/78, MULTIPLE VOLUME/TONE CONTROLS. IF YOU KNOW OF ANYONE, PLEASE GIVE THEM MY INFO. MY EMAIL IS FHILLBILLY AT COMCAST DOT NET, PHONE 617 547-2312. STEREO IS IN NORTH CAMBRIDGE.
THANKS, FRANK
I asked a few questions. Frank responds:
YES, THE ELECTRONICS ALL WORK. IT IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. ALSO THERE IS A CONNECTION FOR A TAPE RECORDER. I WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU DID POST IT ON YOUR BLOG. NO, IT IS NOT TUBE STUFF.
I DID POST IT ON CRAIG’S LIST BUT NOT UNDER FREE STUFF. I DID NOT WANT SOMEONE TO TAKE IT FOR FREE, AND THEN BREAK IT UP FOR JUNK VALUE. I AM TOO SENTIMENTAL AND I THINK SOME ONE OUT THERE IS LOOKING FOR THIS. BY THE WAY, I SAW ONE POSTED ON A “BED AND BATH” BULLETIN BOARD IN ASSEMBLY SQ. MALL. THEY WERE ASKING $300 FOR IT.
So to discourage scrap dealers, Frank is asking a nominal $25. I expect he will waive that charge if you convince him you really want it. It looks like a nice, maybe ’60s piece of furniture. And finding a turntable that will play 16 and 78 RPM records is not easy these days (were there 16 RPM records? maybe radio transcriptions).
Frank adds:
P.S. I ALSO HAVE MANY COUNTRY/WESTERN RECORDS THAT I WOULD GIVE AWAY AS WELL IF WANTED.
If you are interested, please contact Frank directly.
Hillbilly at Harvard 
I remember 16 rpm records, and indeed they were used for spoken word. I was able to verify my memory (faulty as it is) here http://bloggerhythms.blogspot.com/2011/05/slower-than-slow-16-rpm-records.html
Interesting link, Rachel. I wonder why 16 2/3 RPM records were called ’16 RPM’, rather than ’17’. Numbers .5 or greater are customarily rounded up. /CL
Well, they were too lazy to go all the way to “17.”
My grandfather’s barn had an old windup Victrola with a lot of 78 RPM records from the 1920’s, left by my mother and her brother and sisters. Some were labeled “80 RPM.”
And some 78 RPM Caruso records were 12 inch, used for longer classical works, only one side with music, and priced at $4.00 That ws a pretty hefty price, considering that the typical price for a 12 inch LP in the 1950’s was $3.98.
Oh how I’d love to own one of these!!
A little too late for this one! /CL