Convergence IX: Phony Fireplace/8 Track/Turntable

I don't know if Retro Thing reader Glen Feibich was scanning Craigslist for a fireplace or an 8 track player - but he found both in a unique all-in-on-solution. Airline was a house brand for department store Montgomery Ward, and I've seen countless old turntables & reel to reel recorders released under that flag, but never anything remotely like this!

The fireplace contains prop logs and an animated light effect that resembles glowing embers, but gives off no heat.  That's probably a good thing because it would melt all the records that you spin on the turntable hidden beneath the mantle.  You'll also find an AM/FM tuner as well as 8 track tape player secreted away.

It's interesting to see just how many bad ideas are in this single piece of furniture.  It eats up a lot of floorspace, doesn't actually heat the room, you can't display anything on the mantle and still have access to the hi-fi inside, the list goes on and on...

Thinking about it more though, it would be the ideal thing to build into your wall to hide a secret passageway where you keep your best records - and then mod the main unit so that the glowing fake embers are actually the volume knobs and tweaking the fireplace poker goes to the next record on the changer.  Hmmm....

Anyone want to road trip up to Minneapolis with me?

Thanks for the tip, Glen!

Craiglist listing for the all-in-one fireplace.

Related:

Airline Mini Reel To Reel
ConvergenceV: flip-open radio/turntable
Lloyd's 8 Track - iPod version 1?
2-XL toy robot that uses 8 track tapes