Antique and Vintage Bakelite and Catalin Radios
What Music Looked Like, Circa 1940s
By null — A few months ago, our very own potrero posted a few Fada Catalin Bullet radios (the model 1000) on Show & Tell. Gotta love their shape (rounded on one end, squared off at the other), while their colors (rich burgundy, marbleized blue, butterscotch yellow) are equally glorious. The other day, a Collectors Weekly visitor named decophobia posted a different Catalin radio on Show & Tell, this one made by General Television (see photo above). While Fada made lots of radio models in the...
Vintage Transistor Radios of the 1950s and 60s
By Michael Jack — Perhaps you recently saw a picture of a cool looking pocket radio from the early 1960’s and were reminded of your carefree, youthful days? Maybe it was the pastel colors or atomic aged designs that caught your eye? Or the chrome highlights that attracted your attention? Nonetheless, you find yourself actively seeking them out at the local flea market or surfing eBay for a good deal. Well, be warned! If you buy one transistor radio it will most likely grow to two, then three. Before...
Understanding Antique Radios
By Phil Nelson — You've just acquired an old radio, but apart from the manufacturer's name on the front, you don't know a blessed thing about it. Learning more about your radio may satisfy your curiosity, or it may serve a practical purpose such as helping you get repair information. Here's how to go about identifying an antique or vintage radio, and then how to decide if it’s playable. Identifying Radios Tens of thousands of different radio models were manufactured over the decades, in the US alone....