rocketraider

Enjoy!

Read deep into this site and you'll find that cheap foreign imports decimated the American holiday decorations industry way before the American automobile industry, and that looks like no one was paying attention. So, you see there IS an automotive link. I couldn't get the AACA Forum honchos to see that.

Some of you know about my other hobby of old tube radios and record players. This morning I have the Zenith "Wedge" Solid State record player I got for my 12th birthday playing the original 1964 Decca Records soundtrack for Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, along with some of the mid-60s Goodyear "Great Songs of Christmas" LPs.

Maybe I'm turning into a sentimental old fool at age 53, but it strikes me that Christmas was just better back then. I know it felt a lot more magical. My parents probably felt it was just as crass and commercial then as I do now, but they both loved Christmas.

Anyway, to paraphrase Kurt Vonnegut, I have become an old fart with my memories and my 60s Christmas records.

Jamesbo

Good for you Rocketraider. I would only point our that some of these young whippersnappers have no idea what you're talking about when you use terms like LP


I've got Ray Charles Christmas playing. It's a little different.

"I said Rudolph.....................I said Rudolph the the the the Reddddddd nose reindeer."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-3INb4E26k

Aron Nance

Rockettrader/Jamesboro: I guess I might have to dig through that huge pile of LP's stored in the Living Room Cabinet, and pull out Bing Crosby singing "White Christmas"; hmmmm, might have to pull out "Brick House", too. Maybe "Funk 49"! Gosh, gotta' sign off now, and start prowling through those stacks.

Jamesbo

Ba ba ba Bing?

How about a little Perry [the ex barber] Como.

We've got to be driving the kids mad. I think I posted this gizmo in the 60's thread

Aron Nance

I knows exzactly what it is!!!! LOL! Don't think I still have any of those.

toro68

Thank you rocketradier for sharing this email/thread.
Last summer, I got a bunch of olds LPs, and in that mix there were some Firestone Christmas records!

This Christmas music are same tunes you hear at Zeb's Country Store in downtown North Conway, New Hampshire!

By the way, I'll turning 40 , next March.

Lady72nRob71

Well, I have the Ray Conniff Singers playing on my old 1968 Magnavox Astrosonic console... The next LP to drop is Johnny Mathes.
I love the OLD Christmas songs that I grew up with.
I play these when I cruise around in the convertible looking at Christmas lights!

I have some of those 45 inserts, too, as well as the Discwasher system.
The Maggie also has the big automatic spindle for 45's...

rocketraider

Jerry, the Firestone Christmas records are not as easy to find in good condition as the Goodyear set for some reason. It is VERY unusual to find a complete Firestone set together.

Just bought a new cartridge/needle assembly for the 1956 Zenith Dual Speaker phonograph. Once I get it installed I'll really go back in time! though I'll have to be careful what I play on it. It's definitely not set up for later stereo records, with its sapphire stylus. I wanted the 1961 Zenith Stereophonic portable my uncle had, but the flighty cousin gave that to Goodwill before I knew she'd done it.

Have y'all figured out I like Zeniths? I guess because, like Oldsmobiles, it's what we always had. Philco is running a very close second...

Rob, I have a couple of Magnavox dealer Christmas LPs including their 1972 4-channel stereo pressing. That was about time "Quadraphonic Stereo" was starting to show up and they were all about showcasing it.

Jamesbo

I'm sorry, I forgot Mitch Miller

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJtUBiV_-Mw

1969w3155

LP..isn't that an upgrade to an LS? like "Limited Production." Or at our age is it "laxitive powered."

OLD SKL 69

Pretty interesting. I ran across some of my grandparents Christmas lights from the 50's. Yes they were made here. It's too bad that no one in our country makes those decorations anymore. I'm beginning to wonder how we as a country are supposed to get out of our recession when we don't make anything anymore.

cutlassgal

Jamesbo.... Even I remember these!

redoldsman

Okay guys, I am old but not this old. I actually have a working Brunswick Victrola my wife and I bought about 3 years ago on a trip to Eureaka Springs, Arkansas. It is perfect condition and has a copy of Silent Night on a Victor (not RCA Victor) record. It was the Victor Talking Machine Company in Camden, NJ. The artist is Franz Gruber and the Trinity Choir. It has a business card inside from the Cedar Rapids Phonograph Repair Company with a 4 digit phone number.

I had not thought about the Firestone Christmas albums in a long time. I remember we bought them every year. Of course you can guess the unfortunate part, I don't have them. I remember Bing and the Ray Coniff singers but who could forget Elvis and Blue Christmas.

Lady72nRob71

One of these days, i will host a nostalgic Christmas at my house, very similar to when i was a young lad.

I still have our old artificial 6.5 tree from 1968. Also, ALL the ornaments, garland, tinsel, etc. The lights died years ago so i am stuck with chinese cheapos. The nativity set and villiage that go under the tree are from 68 as well - made in Japan. It makes me chringe, but they are awesome looking in detail.
I have our old candle rings, put around new chinese candles.

I still have our old egg nog mugs and the heavy chrome and glass blender to make it in. I still have all the old Chrismas records (LPs) plus some backups. I have two Magnavox stereo consoles and one 1957 RCA Super High Fidelity record changer, so i can even play 3 LPs at once if I wanted...
If the radio station could play something good, i could tune in the 1957 Zenith table radio for some warm tube sound.

I have the old cookie recipes but I do not with to burn the house down, or kill myself with the 1969 mixer, so someone else would need to make em. And the presents would be hauled in from the trunk of the Olds or the Ford, and wrapped in chineese made wrapping paper.

Too bad my old electric train is busted - it would be cool to run it around the tree.

Oh, the memories...

OLD SKL 69

Sounds like you have a lot of old cool stuff Rob.

I still have my old Lionel trains (USA made) and I put under the tree and going around the presents. The kids love it. The only problem is, they keep trying to pick them up as they go by! Hopefully you can fix your old trains and getum running again.

Lady72nRob71

Yep, my house (and my mom's) are almost like museums. Most people think its just junk, but to each their own.
Here is part of my home museum of old electronics:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thelone...7603569011135/

My old train was a cheap HO scale that never worked right from the beginning. The engine would always die BEHIND the Christmas tree, right where it was impossible to get to. The track never stayed together either.

The track cleaning car would leak fluid all over around the track, making a mess like kinda like the real train toilets would in real life...

I had a rock dumping car that was supposed to dump its load of rocks (little beads) upon command at its little depot building, but the stupid thing would dump at random, sending beads all over the floor for people to slip on...
I think I would prefer to get a new quality N scale train.

I am locked in the old world, I guess (but prefer it)...

OLD SKL 69

Yeah, me too. Must be some special sickness we have.

toro68

LOL, my Mom has some old MM records!

toro68

[quote=rocketraider;131166]Jerry, the Firestone Christmas records are not as easy to find in good condition as the Goodyear set for some reason. It is VERY unusual

Lady72nRob71

\
I am glad you are holding on to that one - I wonder if the Navy might want it back some day??

BTW, You cannot get off track in the club house...

toro68

I am glad to know that!
And no the Navy can not have it back.

I have know Rocketradier since March of 1986, and back many moons ago, when he would call, a few days before Christmas, we would bounce around on many differnet subjects..

Jamesbo

http://www.sundog.net/carolofthechins/flash/card.swf

rocketraider

I got the new cartridge/stylus in the 1956 Zenith last night. Plays beautifully! A little turntable noise, but that was common back then. It plays, rejects, changes, exactly like it is supposed to. The thing has some volume too- that old tube amp will crank, and it's not really that large!

toro68

Rocketradier, last to hear your have your music machine in working order!
Its hard to find a good turntable/record palyer these days!

Lady72nRob71

Cool! Post a picture of it some time (and of the 4 channel unit, too.)
Where did you get your cartridge? The one in my RCA SHF-7 could use a replacement and i hame had no luck finding that one online anywhere. It is an oddball for sure.
I know how nice those tube amps sound - I have several of them. The old Zenith M730 radio is playing and sounds wonderful.