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Antique Radio

Antique Radio
Antique and Vintage Radios for Sale. Antique Radio Repair, Values, Supply. Vintage Radio Information, Speakers, Price Guides, Restoration and more.
Photo - DIORA AGA RSZ-50 ca.1947 from Poland - Photo License
Find more Antique Radios for Sale Here: Antique Radio

Contents at a Glance

Vintage Radios
Antique Radio
Crosley CR32 CD Cathedral Radio with CD...
Antique Radios on eBay
Vintage Radios on eBay
Catalin Radios

Vintage Radios (Crowood Collectors' Series)

by: Tony Thompson

Amazon Price: $25.84 (as of 05/25/2012)

Since the 1920s, the radio set has been an important part of most people's lives. In the thirties and forties, the wireless was an important piece of furniture and a potent symbol of status; beautifully made floor-standing and table-top sets in veneered wood and trendy bakelite became the focal points of living rooms up and down the land.

Antique Radio

What makes a radio an antique? If it is at least 50 years old and anything before World War II is always good. Old Radios with vacuum tubes and the first transistor sets are excellent collector items. It is rare to find a radio that dates before 1920.

The antique crystal set radio used no batteries and could only be used with a headphone because this was before amplifiers. These radios had to be close to the radio station to pick up the signal, and if there were more than one station close by it would try to pick them all up. However these crystal sets were cheap to build and didn't have any running costs.

Tuned Radio Frequency (TRF) radios were the most popular of the antique radios. They could amplify using valves or tubes. (Early TRF radios still used headphones) The sound quality wasn't the best but at least the broadcast could be heard.

Superhets antique radios were expensive and only the wealthy could afford them. These were made with a lot of valves and many other parts and was a huge project to build.

Console radios were also expensive and cost up to $700.00 in the 1930's. These were made to be centerpieces for living rooms, hallways and made a nice addition to the home.
The console radio was the centerpiece of many homes back in the era of radio, they were mostly for the wealthy. Philco, RCA, Westinghouse, zenith and other companies built the console radio.

Tabletop wood radios could be cathedral style, which are an upright box with a rounded top, or in a Tombstone form, which are like a tall and narrow box, or any type of boxy radio that can sit on a tabletop. These were usually used in the kitchen, living room or even the porch.

Black/brown Bakelite plastic radios were the first ones that were mass-produced. These were more affordable and came in different styles. The plastic used was brittle so dropping this radio could break it. Catalin was a color version of Bakelite radio and is most sought after by collectors.

Finally the portable transistor radio was invented. These could be turned on without having to warm up first. They used smaller batteries and were handy to have a round. The downside was the high prices and poor sound.

The top prices paid for antique radios are for the Catalin color plastic and the high-end consoles. Medium prices are paid for the tabletop Cathedrals and tombstone radios.
Lower-end radios like the Bakelite usually sold for less then $40.00 each.

On this page you will find special sections that have Tombstone, Cathedral and Catalin Radios for Sale. To find a much bigger selection go to this link:
Find more Antique Radios for Sale Here:
Antique Radio

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Crosley CR32 CD Cathedral Radio with CD - Paprika

Amazon Price: $84.49 (as of 05/25/2012)

The Cathedral radio, introduced in 1932, is one of the most widely recognized designs of all antique radios. It has quite simply been dubbed the "Cathedral" or is sometimes referred to as the "Gothic." This remarkably rich replica is outfitted with an arched veneered top and applied solid wood moldings are hand-rubbed to perfection using Crosley's same unflinching standards. Its smooth round edges, woven grill cloths, detailed framework and antiqued bronze face plate lend a true air of authenticity to this time honored Crosley. The Cathedral CD features a programmable CD player with LED display. It is so much like the original, but with all the bells and whistles of present-day technology

Antique Radios on eBay

Vintage Radios on eBay

Catalin Radios

Cathedral Radios

Tombstone Radios

The All-American Five Radio: Understanding and Restoring Transformerless Radios of the 1940'S, 50'S, and 60's

by: Richard McWhorter

Amazon Price: $16.46 (as of 05/25/2012)

Helpful Customer Review

Where was this book when I got started?!! Probably the best "first book" for anyone interested in repairing old radios--or just learning about how they work. The book is limited to the All American 5 Superhet radio just as the title says and therefore is highly focused on these radios which make up the bulk of the vintage radios out there today. T

Antique Radio

Antique Radio

Contents at a Glance

Contents at a Glance

Vintage Radios

Antique Radio

Crosley CR32 CD Cathedral Radio with CD - Paprika

Antique Radios on eBay

Vintage Radios on eBay

Catalin Radios

Cathedral Radios

Tombstone Radios

The All-American Five Radio: Understanding and Restoring Transformerless Radios of the 1940'S, 50'S, and 60's

Antique Radio on Amazon

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