Seventy years ago, television was the center of every family’s interest, and the February 1949 issue of Popular Science provided numerous pointers on buying a set. As shown in the graphic here, a key concern was the size of the screen, which would limit the number of people who could watch. A hundred dollars would buy a 3-inch (diagonal) set, suitable for a single viewer. For two people, you could expect to pay $200 for a seven-inch set. And the most popular option for families was the 10-inch set, which would cost around $325.

The set was likely to need service, and the article recommended that a one-year guarantee would be worth any additional cost.