Teenage Educational Opportunity

Reselling and "treasure hunting" often provides my teenagers with unique learning opportunities.  Here, you will see my 16 year old daughter coming face to face for the first time with a Spectra black and white TV/radio combo.

She was confused and bewildered and didn't understand what she was looking at.  

She dug through the box and found the cord and plugged it in.  The radio turned on and started blasting music.  My 14 year old son ran into the room, "what in the tarnation is that thing?!"  

Son...it's a TV/radio combination.

My daughter scanned around and came upon an 80's station.  "Wait...is this thing picking up like *today's* stations?"

No, honey...it's a time machine and it's picking up an actual station broadcast from the 80's.  Oh my gosh!

The television, alas, had only a dot on the screen.  I explained to her that sometimes old TV's had to warm  up.  She offered to run it under hot water, but I told her that probably wouldn't help.

Now she has read the back and exclaims, "Black and White TV & Radio Receiver!"  Well, yeah, honey.  

"Gosh, now the music sounds black and white to me, too."

Then, she recalls stories of aluminum foil and better reception.  Here she is wanting to try it.  I told her it wasn't necessary, but she really "wanted that experience."

She has now told me that it smells like old time electronics and is turning it from side to side wanting to know if there is a place to put a CD in it.  Currently, she is trying to find another power cord for it because she claims when she wiggled the cord, the TV *almost* worked.  She said there is a knot in the cord and that is what the problem is, she is sure of it.  The TV does seem to come on when she wiggles it...I told her that's because it might not be the actual power cord for the TV.  She told me I needed to "get on eBay and buy me one!"

An old Westinghouse radio/alarm clock has been located in this box.  She wanted to know if they went together and connected with a cord.  *sigh*

If anyone wants this thing, I can list it and sell it to you.  I think only the radio works and even if the TV worked, you would need one of those new-fangled digital converters.  Hollar if you want it...and be sure to check out what we *do* have on sale, currently.  Perhaps you can find something to mystify your own children!   Alice's Clothing & Collectibles