Show 'n Tell
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The Show 'n Tell was a toy combination record player and filmstrip viewer manufactured by General Electric from the 1950s to the 1970s.
"NOW see for yourself how this educator acclaimed audio-visual education unit can increase the daily learning experience of your child. Your four year old can operate! Nothing to thread or line up on this combination sceren, projector and record player. Case and screen of high impact plastic. This fun-while-learning unit keeps a child self-occupied for hours. Full Color pictures appear automatically on the big 10" screen with synchronized sound from unbreakable vinyl records. Each filmslide-record program is stored in a durable hard cover jacket."
It resembled a television set, but had a record player on the top. Records and slides (called Show'n Tell Picturesound programs) were sold for it in combination. The slide strip, which was a flat plastic key 8 inches long containing a strip of 16mm color film, was inserted into the top of the device. As the record played (typically telling a story), the slide strip, through which the images were projected on the screen, would automatically advance to illustrate it.
The mechanism by which the slide advanced was purely mechanical, and was based on the rotation of the turntable, so proper operation required manually spinning it a few revolutions before beginning the presentation.
It also functioned as a standard record player, able to play 16, 33.3, 45, & 78 RPM records through its built-in speaker.
The Show 'n Tell was also sold as the Show 'n Tell Phono-Viewer by CBS Toys, in the early 1980s, under the brand name "Child Guidance." These devices, which were drastically redesigned from their earlier version, only had two speeds (33.3 and 45 RPM), and couldn't play full 12" LPs. However, the Phono-Viewer could optionally move the projected image off the built-in screen and onto an outside surface (such as a wall or screen).
Licensed film strip and record packages were produced for many different children's properties, including Disney and Sesame Street.
Show N Tell value and price guide
What's your 'Show N Tell' worth? Here are some recently sold items (Canada).
| Picture | Title | Date | Sold for |
|---|---|---|---|
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117 Kids 45 7 Lot Picture Discs | 08/2019 | C $73.93 |
 |
Ge Phono Viewer 1960s Picturesound | 09/2019 | C $138.62 |
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1970 S Mid C Ge Phono Viewer Records | 09/2019 | C $108.25 |
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68 1960s Show N Tell Ge Picturesound | 10/2019 | C $126.54 |
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Clean 1967 Ge A660f Working Show N Tell | 07/2019 | C $118.79 |
See all sold items for more prices.