by Ron Mansfield (eBy ID childhoodradio)

Which transistor radios are collectible?
Collectors have their own favorite time periods specialties, but generally, collectible transistor radios were made between 1954 and 1969, or perhaps the early seventies in America, Japan, and worldwide. There are many European collectors, and Australians love the hobby as well. The first commercial transistor radio, the Regency TR-1 was made in America, and came to market in time for Christmas, 1954.

 The Regency TR-1 (first commercial transistor radio circa 1954)

As we age, the timeline will creep up, and there are already folks collecting childhood radios from the early eighties. Some of the most popular are radios made by Arvin, Admiral, Allied Knight, Boy's, Bulova, Channel Master, Emerson, Eico, GE, Global, Grundig, Hitachi, Heathkit, Hoffman, Kobe Kogyo, Lafayette, Olson Electronics, Motorola, Magnavox, Panasonic, Philco, RCA, Regency, Sony, Silvertone, Standard Micronic, Sylvania, Tokai, Toshiba,  Realtone, Wilco, Westinghouse, Zenith, just to name a few.

How can I quickly spot collectible radios?
Besides getting a collectors guidebook or two and learning what to look for, a quick tip is to look for Conelrad or "CD" markings on AM radio dials at 640 and 1240 on nearly all collectible portables. Conelrad was the abbreviation for the CONtrol of ELectronic RADiation system established by President Truman in 1951. These were the only frequencies that would broadcast druing an emergency. For example, see those red triangles on the dial below? They are CONELRAD markings:

The red triangles are CONELRAD Markings

What's a radio worth?
It's worth what someone is willing to pay at the moment it goes up for sale. As flippant as that sounds, it is true. Recently someone bid nearly $4,000 for a Regency TR-1. The same week another TR-1 sold for about $200. The difference? The $4,000 one was a really rare color, (translucent lavender pink), and the other a more common black set.

But it is more than that A few folks REALLY wanted the pink one. The best way to tell what a radio is worth is to watch eBay for similar items, (same condition, color, completeness, etc.). Check the completed listings, and be sure someone actually bid. Posting a starting bid of $300 for a radio is one thing. Getting someone to bid (and pay) is another. Radios with their cases, earphones, instruction manuals and other accessories almost always sell for more than radios alone. But  many great radios sell for under $50.00.

If you are the buyer, pay what it is worth to you. Collect what you enjoy!

Do they still work?
Many radios from the 50s and 60s still play as beautifully as they did nearly 50 years ago!
But time is taking its toll on collectible radios. Electrolytic capacitors are the weak links in most old transistor sets. Over the years they dry up, causing radios to play weakly, distort, or quit altogether. Old electrolytics can also severely reduce battery life.

I sell kits and instructions in my eBay store to replace the electrolytics in a specific radio model or chassis. The kits include illustrated step-by-step instructions for disassembling the radios, replacing the capacitors and reassembling them.  In the process you'll get to peek inside your radio, and learn a little more about it.

Re-cap kits can help you or your local repair person get them playing again.

Other things fail, of course, from dirty volume controls that cause "scratchy" sounds when you move the controls, corroded contacts, broken wires, and even the occasional but rare dead transistor. But realize that some collectors like to purchase "unmodified" sets, so replacing parts might devalue sets in their eyes.

Restoration's half the fun for some collectors
Many sets are dirty, scratched, and otherwise beat up from years of use or neglect. These sets often sell at bargain prices, and many hobbyists enjoy restoring them. This can include cleaning and polishing the plastic, restoring worn metal finishes, fixing cracks in the plastic, stopping radios from making thos annoying "scratchy" sounds when you move the volume control and much more. Eric Wrobbel and I have produced a DVD demonstrating some of the techniques used to restore transistor radios. It's called Restoring Pocket Radios, and can be purchased in in my eBay store.

Questions to ask before bidding
If the seller has not mentioned these things, you might want to ask for clarification before bidding:

• Does the radio play?
• Are there any cracks, chips, dents or other cosmetic problems?
• Is there damage inside from leaky batteries?
• What type of battery does it use?

Can you get batteries for it?
Some radios require batteries that are no longer made, or are hard to find. There are sources for these items and adapters that can let you use today's batteries with vintage radios. These can also be purchased in my eBay store.

Adapters are available for obsolete batteries, as are hard-to-find batteries

Related items
Some collector also scour eBay for parts, packaging, vintage catalogs and related electronic iems.

Parts, vintage electronics books and service documents are also collectible

Where to find radios
eBay is an excellent source for collectible radios. the primary category sellers use is:

Collectibles > Radio, Phonograph, TV, Phone > Radios > Transistor Radios, (934)

But it also pays to search for "vintage radio" and as you get familiar with collectible makes and models, search for them specifically, (Zenith 500H, Sony TR-610, etc.) Some sellers misspell transistor "transister" so it's worth searching that way too. Flea markets and garage sales are sources as well. Tell people you collect. Word-of-mouth works too. Post "Want it" requests on eBay too.

If you enjoy electronic projects you might like to add some vintage test equipment to your workbench as well, also abundant on eBay. Again, shop carefully, to find items that have been already restored and calibrated, unless you are willing and able to that yourself.

Where to learn more
There are many links and resources available to vintage radio collectors. eBay regulations make it impossible to place any of those links here, but if you visit my About Me page you will find some "jumping off" links that lead to my childhoodradios web site and those of other collectors.