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Craigslist, eBay, and other vintage classic telescope ads

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#51 Kasmos

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Posted 03 February 2025 - 11:46 PM

Interesting, that there is a bracket to hold a 128 clock drive.

Just as interesting is another set of legs in a box.

 

It's a 62mm and it's features match my '57-'58

 

It's a 1950s Japanese one. Selsi, Lafayette, SPI, etc. These were the cheaper ones sold from the mail order catalogs like Sears Roebuck and Lafayette Radio.

That's kind of like the 40x60 Monolux in the other thread. Just a different version by Towa

 

The accessories are Unitron, but the scope looks like it's by Towa.

 

Chip W.

It's a Idai, they usually show up branded as Creative Science.

 

It's the same GoodWill shop as the 114 so they were likely donated by the same person.

 

Edit: I forgot to mention, the finder brackets on the Idai look like they came from a Unitron as well.


Edited by Kasmos, 03 February 2025 - 11:50 PM.


#52 CHASLX200

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Posted 04 February 2025 - 06:49 AM

Another Unitron on GW! With wooden box, 90° diagonal, erect image porro prism, 4 eyepieces and what looks like a barlow? Pretty bad condition...

 

https://shopgoodwill.../item/221808939

Must have been the last run stuff before they went out of biss. Looks nothing like the U i know.


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#53 starman876

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Posted 04 February 2025 - 07:46 AM

Must have been the last run stuff before they went out of biss. Looks nothing like the U i know.

the last run Unitrons were made by Mizar and had their own tripod.   This does not look like a last run OTA. 



#54 Cloudy~Knight

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Posted 04 February 2025 - 11:15 AM

It's a 1950s Japanese one. Selsi, Lafayette, SPI, etc. These were the cheaper ones sold from the mail order catalogs like Sears Roebuck and Lafayette Radio.

Wow, "Lafayette Radio". That one took me way back! Anyone remember Olsen Radio?

 

https://www.worldrad...974-Catalog.pdf


Edited by Cloudy~Knight, 04 February 2025 - 11:17 AM.

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#55 Kasmos

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Posted 04 February 2025 - 03:28 PM

Wow, "Lafayette Radio". That one took me way back! Anyone remember Olsen Radio?

 

https://www.worldrad...974-Catalog.pdf

Yup,

I didn't realise they were a chain. We had one a few miles from where we lived.

My dad use to take us there all the time.

I miss those days. Me and my brothers were always trying to build stuff.

I'm bummed since up until a few years ago we had a good local independent electronics store.


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#56 deSitter

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Posted 04 February 2025 - 04:43 PM

Yup,

I didn't realise they were a chain. We had one a few miles from where we lived.

My dad use to take us there all the time.

I miss those days. Me and my brothers were always trying to build stuff.

I'm bummed since up until a few years ago we had a good local independent electronics store.

Yeah it's fun to gawk, but AliExpress is amazing.

 

-drl


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#57 Bob Myler

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Posted 04 February 2025 - 05:13 PM

Wow, "Lafayette Radio". That one took me way back! Anyone remember Olsen Radio?

 

https://www.worldrad...974-Catalog.pdf

 

WOW - thumbing thru those Olsen pages is like a trip down memory lane.

A half-century ago, I purchased the Teledyne RA-632 Receiver 

shown on page 8....waytogo.gif


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#58 deSitter

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Posted 04 February 2025 - 05:27 PM

WOW - thumbing thru those Olsen pages is like a trip down memory lane.

A half-century ago, I purchased the Teledyne RA-632 Receiver 

shown on page 8....waytogo.gif

We had 4 of them here in Atlanta, which I totally do NOT remember. I guess I was a happy Radio Shack guy.

 

-drl


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#59 Garyth64

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Posted 04 February 2025 - 06:34 PM

Older Unitron 128 with unihex, here on CN:

 

https://www.cloudyni...rice-reduction/

 

This is an excellent price!  It is worth more.


Edited by Garyth64, 04 February 2025 - 06:38 PM.

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#60 CHASLX200

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Posted 04 February 2025 - 07:00 PM

the last run Unitrons were made by Mizar and had their own tripod.   This does not look like a last run OTA. 

Well sure don't look like anything i seen from U or anything i had from U.


Edited by CHASLX200, 04 February 2025 - 07:11 PM.

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#61 Cloudy~Knight

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Posted 04 February 2025 - 07:03 PM

Yup,

I didn't realise they were a chain. We had one a few miles from where we lived.

My dad use to take us there all the time.

I miss those days. Me and my brothers were always trying to build stuff.

I'm bummed since up until a few years ago we had a good local independent electronics store.

Same here... the one in Boulder (JB Saunders) went belly up in 2016.

 

Yeah it's fun to gawk, but AliExpress is amazing.

 

-drl

Yep! I just ordered an Explore Scientific 24mm 68° eyepiece from Ali.

 

WOW - thumbing thru those Olsen pages is like a trip down memory lane.

A half-century ago, I purchased the Teledyne RA-632 Receiver 

shown on page 8....waytogo.gif

HA HA! I still have the mutimeter I purchased from them 50 years ago (yep, I'm an old codger!). It's the one that sold for $19.98 that you can see on page 62.

 

We had 4 of them here in Atlanta, which I totally do NOT remember. I guess I was a happy Radio Shack guy.

 

-drl

And I used to visit the Olsen store in Denver in the 70's. What a great place it was!


Edited by Cloudy~Knight, 04 February 2025 - 07:09 PM.

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#62 scout

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Posted 04 February 2025 - 07:53 PM

Older Unitron 128 with unihex, here on CN:

 

https://www.cloudyni...rice-reduction/

 

This is an excellent price!  It is worth more.

It's local sale only and I live about five minutes from him so it's tempting, but I really don't need another small refractor, although it's a beauty. Just needs a Unitron finderscope and bracket.


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#63 deSitter

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Posted 04 February 2025 - 10:45 PM

Wow, "Lafayette Radio". That one took me way back! Anyone remember Olsen Radio?

 

https://www.worldrad...974-Catalog.pdf

That was fun looking at the old hi-fi gear. Teledyne is still around! They owned Olson when the catalog was issued. Middle of the 4-channel mania. Catalog was more Sears than Radio Shack. They must have had some connection with Chicago - Bobby Douglas of the Bears is on the color TVs smile.gif Man, he was pretty terrible as a passer. One game in 1972 he completed 2 passes total in Philly. One was a pass-pass. The other was a fumbled snap on an extra point try. Douglas ran back and picked it up and fired a strike to a guy in the end zone for the point. (Today that would be 2 points.) The guy who caught the pass...

 

Dick Butkus!

 

-drl


Edited by deSitter, 04 February 2025 - 11:02 PM.

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#64 Kasmos

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Posted 05 February 2025 - 12:07 AM

It's local sale only and I live about five minutes from him so it's tempting, but I really don't need another small refractor, although it's a beauty. Just needs a Unitron finderscope and bracket.

Look closer. The finder is not missing. It's on the other side of the OTA.

 

BTW, he dropped the price by $200.



#65 YourNotSirius

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Posted 05 February 2025 - 07:18 AM

Every once in a while we find the most unusual things in our mail box.  One thing for sure, this will not be a fake from India! LOL

 

https://www.sworder....&pp=96&pn=4&g=1

 

4th Mar, 2025 10:00 Better by Design | The Principal Contents of Boden Hall

A marine brass-cased telescope c.1860, by J H Steward, London, with focusing wheel, angle wheel and further adjustment apparatus, on a cast iron pedestal, 105cm long 35cm wide 130cm high Estimate £1,000 - £1,500 Buyer's premium: 30.00% OUCH!

 

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay outside of our interest or ability to visit. LOL However, you folks on the other side of the pond may enjoy it.

 

Q


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#66 Senex Bibax

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Posted 05 February 2025 - 09:15 AM

Wow, "Lafayette Radio". That one took me way back! Anyone remember Olsen Radio?

 

https://www.worldrad...974-Catalog.pdf

For fun, I have been reading old Popular Mechanics magazines from the 1950s and 1960s  from the Internet Archive, and it looks like Lafayette was a major manufacturer / retailer of consumer electronics back then.
 

It's also cool to see the early ads for Edmund Scientific and Criterion in the classifieds.


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#67 cavedweller

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Posted 05 February 2025 - 09:23 AM

For fun, I have been reading old Popular Mechanics magazines from the 1950s and 1960s  from the Internet Archive, and it looks like Lafayette was a major manufacturer / retailer of consumer electronics back then.
 

It's also cool to see the early ads for Edmund Scientific and Criterion in the classifieds.

I recall there being a tear out postcard in the magazine where you can circle an ad number and get catalogs and brochures sent to you in one request. Mine usually had more than half circled. I wonder what would happen if you send one of those today.


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#68 Bill Jensen

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Posted 05 February 2025 - 11:28 AM

Meade 2045 with tripod, case and eyepieces. $285 in Northern Virginia . Owned by the poster's father. 

https://www.facebook...988729249822060


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#69 Cloudy~Knight

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Posted 05 February 2025 - 03:35 PM

Meade 2045 with tripod, case and eyepieces. $285 in Northern Virginia . Owned by the poster's father. 

https://www.facebook...988729249822060

I'll see your 2045 @ $285 and raise you a 2080 @ $300! grin.gif

 

https://denver.craig...7822671990.html


Edited by Cloudy~Knight, 05 February 2025 - 04:33 PM.

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#70 Cloudy~Knight

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Posted 05 February 2025 - 03:37 PM

Definitely worth $30! Telescope with all components and stand + wooden box- $30 (Ft collins)

 

https://fortcollins....7818980810.html


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#71 Cloudy~Knight

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Posted 05 February 2025 - 03:39 PM

They must have had some connection with Chicago - Bobby Douglas of the Bears is on the color TVs smile.gif Man, he was pretty terrible as a passer. One game in 1972 he completed 2 passes total in Philly. One was a pass-pass. The other was a fumbled snap on an extra point try. Douglas ran back and picked it up and fired a strike to a guy in the end zone for the point. (Today that would be 2 points.) The guy who caught the pass...

 

Dick Butkus!

 

-drl

How can you remember all of that!?


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#72 Cloudy~Knight

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Posted 05 February 2025 - 04:23 PM

Tasco Newt (Japan): 4-1/2" x 900mm with barlow, eyepiece & wooden legs. Seen better days...

 

https://shopgoodwill.../item/222080962



#73 Cloudy~Knight

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Posted 05 February 2025 - 04:30 PM

And, speaking of Lafayette...

 

Lafayette Vintage Telescope 76.2x910mm Model No 051539 with BIG finder scope and Wooden box (Box is badly damaged). Has the original owners manual and other literature as well.

 

https://shopgoodwill.../item/222072454


Edited by Cloudy~Knight, 05 February 2025 - 04:31 PM.

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#74 Bomber Bob

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Posted 05 February 2025 - 04:33 PM

Meade 2045 with tripod, case and eyepieces. $285 in Northern Virginia . Owned by the poster's father. 

https://www.facebook...988729249822060

Portable Observatory for < $300...  Simple & Reliable.  Who'd want that??

 

Uncommon Model...   Kenko TA-1250 (76x1250) EQ Kit w/ Goodies IOC:   https://zenmarket.jp...ode=g1172248097

 

Currently at $7.

 

Go Big Orange - For Less!!   SP-C8 EQ Kit w/ Finder + Straps + Platform:   https://zenmarket.jp...ode=m1157455393

 

BIN $445... Wow!  De-Mold the Corrector, and it's good to go.

 

Go Small for Big Views...   GOTO .965" Prism + Vixen OR5 Eyepiece Set:   https://zenmarket.jp...ode=t1106013855

 

BIN $68.


Edited by Bomber Bob, 05 February 2025 - 08:49 PM.

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#75 SandyHouTex

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Posted 05 February 2025 - 04:55 PM

It keeps getting slightly less each time it's posted:

 

https://astromart.co...-package-608682

 

$13,500 and it includes the mount.  It's a Questar 7 from 1988.


Edited by SandyHouTex, 05 February 2025 - 04:55 PM.



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