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When I was a kid, the very best gift I ever received wasn't really a gift at all. My mother got a new AM-FM radio and knowing how crazy I was about the medium, gave me her old one. I strapped that thing to my bike, so I could listen to CHUM as I rode around the neighbourhood. It went with me on family cars trips to Florida in December, which is where I heard and fell in love with a lot of local stations I otherwise would never have been able to receive. And it wooed me to sleep under my pillow at night.
And I hadn't quite realized it, but some of these devices were near works of art. The linked article below brings pictures of dozens and dozens of those battery-powered wonders and I wonder how much some of them might be worth to collectors today - including the Mickey Mouse radio, the Panda Radio (in the shape of the namesake bear), not to mention the Charlie the Tuna radio (not the DJ - the Starkist character.)
You can see the rest here, including this one, which I've never heard of before:
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By the way, this terrific nostalgia site also has a number of other great features and a ton of pics, including the following:
Remember when huge vintage stereo cabinets were the big trend?
How Bill Haley & His Comets rocked around the clock when rock ‘n’ roll was brand new
100 vintage Christmas TV specials & holiday episodes you might remember from the 70s & 80s
And this one, especially for SOWNY members Dale Patterson and Bill Dumage. But you can look at it, too!
How DJ Jocko Henderson entertained millions of radio listeners & became the ‘father of rap’
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Great stuff. Thanks for posting.
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I have been collecting vintage radios since getting injured last April and still recovering from subsequent surgery . There is an amazing amount of units out there for sale , from all price points. I have been able to acquire a dozen radios, most in working order , and have examples now from the 30's to present day, and have spent about 500$ total. The holy grail is a Crosley Dashboard , there is one on Facebook Marketplace right now , but way out of my means.
and a second one...
and a third alittle more reasonable ,but too dear for me...
Last edited by mic'em (January 8, 2023 2:26 pm)