While I love ALL old radios, phonos, etc, my main interest is wooden table top radios. These wooden radios come in all shapes, colors and sizes.
I do have a few consoles, tombstones, etc. I also have a liking for the plastic (and other material) table top radios as well because there were many very interesting plastic radios made in the past. So you will find a variety of radios here. Just click on the page links on the left of the screen to go to a different page.
The radio shown here is a Zenith AM/FM model 730 from 1960. This radio was given to me by my son, Eric.
I am mainly interested in the AM broadcast and shortwave bands, but I do have some radios with the FM band. I also have a few boat anchor ham radios in my collection (like the entire Hallicrafters S-38 series).
I think it goes without saying that I am primarily interested in radios using vacuum tubes, not transistors. I am a retired electrical engineer and spent my career in the semiconductor industry (aka transistors), but there is something unique about the audio sound from tube-type radios. I am fortunate that there is a local radio station which plays the old tunes and you would think you were back in the 20's, 30's, 40's or 50's when you listen to that station. The music on this station transports you back to those early days of radio when everything was done LIVE!
Other then the Hallicrafters S-38's, I have not focused on a particular brand of radio as many collectors do. If I had to name a favorite then it would be Zenith, but many manufacturers made quality radios in their time so I hate to limit myself to one brand over all the others. Also, quality is not the only factor, but it is an important factor. I like to think that a lot of cheap, poor quality radios made an impact on history just as the high end radios did. After all, they were more affordable, so they ended up in more homes then the pricy models. Some very interesting radios were some that were basic in circuitry, but placed in interesting cabinets, many of which are now called art-deco. Remember that "Retro" is a very important word in today's marketing vocabulary, not only for radios, but also for cars and appliances and other products.
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I would like to welcome you to my on-line antique radio museum. The radio you see here is over 75 years old and it still works. This is an Atwater Kent Model-55 from the late 1920's.
