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Do You Own Any Radio Collectibles?
When I was a kid and my parents packed our brood into the car for a drive to Florida every Christmas break, we used to stop in various cities along the way. I always made sure I scooped up a chart or something from a local radio station, or maybe even a TV Guide from a different market. I just loved to collect that stuff and to my astonishment, my mother never threw any of it out.
So I still have most of it to this day.
This was all brought back to me by a recent article in Radio World, in which the author recalls some of his favourite promotables that he's kept all these years. He lost one he really valued and through the generosity of a reader, he managed to get an exact replica.
All of which prompted me to wonder - did anyone out there do the same thing? Whether it's T-shirts, charts, or giveaways, those things were a big part of my growing up as a radio crazed kid. I suspect I'm not the only one. Did you have anything from radio or TV that you tried to hold onto? If so, do you still have it?
Radio World: What’s on Your Desk?
- RadioActive
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Re: Do You Own Any Radio Collectibles?
Here are a few of my most prized possessions:
WNBC Time Machine Key Chain
WCBS-FM's 25th Anniversary Brochure
WFAN Anniversary Magazine
WTGR Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Promo Card
KRLA Los Angeles News Sheet (Notice the take-off on Rolling Stone Magazine in the title.)
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Thread Starter- RadioActive
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Re: Do You Own Any Radio Collectibles?
One more, although these aren't mine. This is from a brochure the great Chris Brooks gave me during my time at CFTR. It's from a company that produced these kinds of promotional items for radio and TV stations - everything from golf gear and balloons to belt buckles and mini-licence plates.
KEYCHAINS & MIC FLASHES
MINI-LICENCE PLATES
BUMPER STICKERS
GOLF TOWELS
BALLOONS
BELT BUCKLES
FRISBEES 
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Thread Starter- mic'em
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Re: Do You Own Any Radio Collectibles?
I have a collection of vintage radios, from the 20's to present time. My favourite one is a CKSO one designed to resemble the word radio. It only was able to broadcast that station which was an AM frequency, and no longer exits. The radio does still power up and buzz. It was a Sudbury station where ironically I now live nearby. I bought it online when I still lived in Collingwood. 
Last edited by mic'em (March 1, 2026 11:15 am)
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Re: Do You Own Any Radio Collectibles?
mic'em wrote:
I have a collection of vintage radios, from the 20's to present time. My favourite one is a CKSO one designed to resemble the word radio. It only was able to broadcast that station which was an AM frequency, and no longer exits. The radio does still power up and buzz. It was a Sudbury station where ironically I now live nearby. I bought it online when I still lived in Collingwood.
What a great keepsake! It reminds me of something WGR-AM did back in 1958. Can you imagine a disc jockey or radio host doing this today after their shift? It truly was a very different time.
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Thread Starter- M. David
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Re: Do You Own Any Radio Collectibles?
I have a a mousepad from the former CINF and CINW (now CKGM and CFNV, respectively) here in Montreal, plus lapel pins from various Canadian radio and TV stations. They’re part of a much larger collection of lapel pins that is separated into multiple categories.
Former presenter, producer and commercial writer for CJRS (now CKZW) AM 1650 in Montreal.
- paterson1
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Re: Do You Own Any Radio Collectibles?
Beyond a radio, another good giveaway was a clock with the stations logo on the clock face.
Every time you looked at the time, you would see the station logo.
A newspaper I worked at gave attractive wall clocks to many of our customers at Christmas. Naturally the papers logo was prominent on the clock face. Many owners and decision makers put the clock in their office mounted to the wall. Whenever any of the competition came to talk advertising they would see the clock and knew the owner would be looking at the papers logo whenever they checked the time. Best of all many customers mentioned later in the year how much they liked the gift.
- turkeytop
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Re: Do You Own Any Radio Collectibles?
I have a few collectibles, but they're all at home and I'm here in Florida.
After all is said and done, more is usually said than done.
- 67GreenRambler
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Re: Do You Own Any Radio Collectibles?
I have an FM108 tie, a WMMS The Buzzard bumper sticker, a CKLN postcard, and a nice letter from WGR TV reporter Stan Coleman about the music of Grover Washington Jr. he used in a story.