This set was given to me by a friend and business partner as a Christmas gift somewhere around 1997. The Sears company produced this set in the 50′s (this fellow dates it at 1956) but it still has a lot of characteristics left over from the late 40′s-brown bakelite case, inventive use of the material for the grille (and use of grille cloth), and retro script on the dial. It shares several design elements from older sets—for example, the GE radio I have, but with more class. Mechanically, there’s nothing wrong with it; it has great sound and pulls in distant stations easily. There’s also a helpful metal badge on the back with a unique serial ID; the original owner would call Sears, give them this number, and they would be able to run down parts and service for that specific model. It’s not a radio that would have stopped me in my tracks, but as I’ve owned it, I’ve grown to appreciate its lines and condition, and I’m happy to have it in my collection.

I bought this Philco in the John’s Antiques Firesale (it was one of several sets in a pile) in my first year off collecting. Originally it had a dark burled wood finish, making it look striking and unique, and it came with no back, cord or dialcover. I took the finish off, not realizing (this was years before you could look up anything on the internets) the “finish” was actually offfset-printed paper made to look like burled wood and applied to the case with some kind of clear varnish. I set it aside after buying and installing some new grille cloth, fully intending to return to it at some point, but it’s sat idle and naked since about 1995. I’d guess it’s prewar based on the label design—it’s only partially intact—but it doesn’t look like any of the other Philco labels I have. More research needs to be done, as well as a reconditioning of tubes and electronics.

This set is another recent acquisition (read: the last five years) but I don’t recall the circumstances or price. I liked it because it had Emerson lines but more refinements than some of the other, clunkier wooden sets I’ve seen. I haven’t done a whole lot of research on the model, so I don’t know much about it. The veneer is in good shape, the tubes are all present, and the cord is in reasonably good shape, so I hope it won’t be too hard to clean up, eventually. Knobs also seem to be pretty easy to find, thankfully.

About twelve years ago, I saw one of these Emerson sets in a junk store in Fell’s Point for somewhere around $150, and I didn’t buy it (I was dirt-poor at the time.) I wish I’d been able to afford it then, because I’m sure it’s worth ten times that amount now. I think I’d probably give an eyetooth for one of these.

This big beast is a departure from the standard dial-and-knobs-on-front variety, which is one of the reasons I bought it. I was also drawn to the juxtaposition of the pseudo-deco/constructivist lettering on the dial and the sensuous curve on the top. The case was in perfect condition when I bought it, although it now features a 4″ crack on the right side thanks to my clumsy cat. It’s also one of the biggest bakelite sets I own by about 20%. It came with no back plate and no tubes, so I bought it on faith for $35 and saved up for the guts later. To my delight, after I got a set of tubes installed, it fired right up and sounds very good, although the reception isn’t as strong as some of the other sets I own.

This is someone’s quote for a “restoration” of an equivalent set ($110 is pricey in my opinion, for a handful of $5 capacitors.) According to this page, it originally sold (in 1946) for $28.85, and it’s one of 150,062 made. Here’s some more information.

This radio is actually wood, covered with something Philco called “Leatherette”. I understand many different versions of this model exist, including square cases, dark knobs, dark dial plastic, and versions with a handle on the top. I like this one best of all, because it’s got a streamlined appearance. I bought it for $40 at a time when that was a lot of money for me, but I couldn’t pass up the deal: this radio plugged in and worked, the leatherette is in immaculate shape, and the back is intact. And it sounds great.

This is a curious little radio I bought only a few years ago, because I enjoyed the lines. I don’t remember what I paid for it, but it was probably in the $30-40 range. It was manufactured by the Hardware Merchandising Corporation, and I understand it’s based on a 1947 or 1948 Crosley Model 58TL or a 57TL (via this site). I haven’t cleaned it up, turned it on, or done anything to it other than put it on a shelf, so it has a future date with some Brasso and a tube tester.

This is the first radio I ever bought. I found it in a funky little thrift store, in the annex room of a church, across the street from my apartment in college. It was dirty, and it smelled like cigars when it warmed up, but it’s one of the loudest and strongest of the radios I have. I bought it for $30 because I liked the idea of listening to the Big Band station that still existed here in Baltimore while I worked, and for that, it didn’t let me down. I’ve seen other variations on the model in stores here and there (most of them more attractive than this) but I have a sentimental attachment to this old beast, even though I don’t like the lines, the detailing, or the knobs. This radio makes me think of Lil Jon, not because it’s full of crunk juice, but because it’s all gold up in the grill.

This is one of a series of radios I rescued from a long-forgotten store in Fells Point called John’s Antiques. At the time they had a cavernous second floor filled with piles of old merchandise, arranged in some kind of organized fashion to be liquidated. I found, in a back room, a pile of radios covered in dust, and arranged to buy the best of the lot with the money I had. As I recall, there were three versions of this model, and I bought two because they were $20/apiece. This one cleaned up very well and has an excellent tone—warm and rich. Even though it seems to be a common design and plentiful on the market, I like this model’s lines because they remind me of an Alco FB-1, a common diesel train engine of that time.

Here’s a link to the wiring diagram, scanned into PDF format by a very thorough fellow.

“While all five engines are screaming, there will be acoustic vibrations reaching 167 decibels, enough to kill an unprotected person. In orbit, the shuttle will drift through -250°F. vacuum, what engineers call the “cold soak.” It’s cold enough to embrittle and shatter most materials. During reentry, the ship’s skin goes from cold soak to 2,700°F., hot enough to transform many metals into Silly Putty… After reentry, it cascades through the air without power; finally thunking down onto the runway at 220 m.p.h… The shuttle’s design goal is to take this nightmare ride 100 times. “

Something to think about.

In looking through the news reports, it’s time to pause and reflect on how brave seven people were in pursuing their dreams. Godspeed.

Today I found a link on the mighty Metafilter about antique radios, which is a hobby I’ve kind of put aside while the house has been shaping up. There’s a pretty nice list of sets on this site, which looks to be someone’s personal collection, as well as a list of other sites and links to tube resellers (a must-have when dealing with 60-year-old radios), dial covers (which were made from cellulose plastic and frequently melted or glazed), and other parts. At some point I’m going to post a section on this site with my personal collection, which numbers currently at seventeen. (And I’ll light a candle for the Emerson Catalin radio I saw, and did not buy, six years ago in Fell’s Point.) There is no better way to listen to Prairie Home Companion or Big Band music than through an AM tube radio.