In the early 1950's, Sunbeam began producing a line of toasters it called "Radiant Control". These toasters were unique in that there was no lever to push down -- the weight of the bread activated a mechanism that lowered it into the toaster and activated the heating elements. Toasting was not based on a timer, but on a thermostat that measured heat reflected (or radiated) from the surface of the bread, hence the "Radiant Control" Moniker. These toasters are readily available on eBay. A patient buyer will see everything from non-working models to 50-year-old unused units still sealed in their original boxes. This guide will detail the various models of Radiant Control toasters and give some hints for buyers and sellers.

History

The Sunbeam T-20 (pictured above) was first sold in 1949. It was followed by the T-20A, T-20B, and T-20C. These models are easily identified by their incised design. The design is said to have been inspired by the trylon and perisphere symbols of the 1939 World's Fair in New York, but it bears little resemblance to them and came ten years later.

The T-35 (above) and T-35-1 were manufactured and sold from about 1958 through the late 1960's. They can be identified by the gold Sunbeam logo in the lower right corner of the front of the toaster. Other than the logo, the surface of the toaster is unadorned.

Sometime during this period, Sunbeam began to manufacture similar models in Canada and in Australia. The Australian model (above) had colored end panels. Canadian models looked similar to their American counterparts. North American collectors should be aware that the Australian models run on 240V/50Hz AC and will not operate from our 120V/60Hz power lines.

The T-40, T-40-1, and VT-40 models first appeared in 1962 and were produced throughout the 1960's. The darkness control was moved to the front center, and a nameplate was added above it. The "Vista" brandname was used on these toasters and on some other models that differed in both appearance and operation from the T-40. The format of the nameplate varied even between versions of the toaster with the same model number.

Beginning in the early 1970's, a version of the Radiant Control toasters with the T-40's darkness control but no nameplate was produced. The design of the toaster would remain unchanged for the remaining 25 years of its life, except for small variations in the appearance of the darkness control. These toasters were all identified as "Service AT-W" on the bottom of the toaster, though they had various model numbers that appeared on the boxes they came in. These included 20-30, 20300, and even AT-35A. A model 20-3 AG was made sometime in the 1980's, but it looks identical to the "Service AT-W" units.

Variations on the Radiant Control theme include the AT-C and AT-F models which are long and narrow. The toast fits in end-to-end. There are 4-slice versions of this form-factor but they are not Radiant Control.

There are also versions of the AT-F-style toaster and others that have a push-button to lower the toast. These are still Radiant Control toasters because of the way the darkness of the toast is measured, but they lack the "magic" of the automatic lowering design.

The Radiant Control line was discontinued in 1997.

Tips for Sellers

The most common mistake that sellers make is assuming a toaster is older than it really is. There are many reasons for this beyond the obvious similarities in appearance between the 1950's models and the 1990's models.

First, some people mistake patent dates for manufacture dates. Radiant Control toasters manufactured in the 1990's made use of designs that were patented for the T-20 models, so the patent numbers listed on toasters known to be built late in the lifetime of the product line will date from the 1950's.

Second, some people interpret the absence of a polarized plug (where one of the prongs is wider than the other) to mean that the toaster was manufactured no later than the 1960's. In fact, after years of collecting, we've never seen any Radiant Control toasters with polarized plugs regardless of their date of manufacture.

To test the operation of your toaster, plug it in, turn the darkness control to the lightest setting, and put a piece of bread into the slot labelled "One Slice". The bread should lower automatically without any help from you. All the elements should light up (even on the unused side). After a few seconds the toaster should shut off automatically and the toast should rise by itself. On the lightest setting, the toast may be slightly brown but will usually just be a piece of warm (if slightly dried out) bread.

If the toast doesn't go down by itself, there is a screw on the bottom you can use to make adjustments. On some models you need to open the crumb tray to see it. Turn it one-quarter turn in one direction or the other and try again. Try additional turns if it doesn't work. After 2 or 3 full rotations in one direction, turn it back to the starting position and try the other direction.

If the toast never comes up, requiring you to unplug the toaster, then the toaster doesn't work properly and you should have it serviced or at least mention in your listing that it doesn't work. If the toaster comes on when you plug it in and stays on even without toast in the toaster, it is not working. We've seen listings where this behavior is described as normal: "Just insert the toast and plug in the toaster. When the toast is done, unplug the toaster and the toast will automatically come up." While this is accurate, it's a sign that the toaster isn't working correctly.

Some sellers refuse to plug in these toasters because they're old and they're afraid something horrible will happen. You'll have much better luck with your auction if you plug it in and verify that it works. All houses today have circuit breakers or fuses to protect the power lines from overheating in the event of a short circuit. Newer houses have GFI circuits that protect you in the event that the appliance is faulty. Suck it up and plug it in. You won't get hurt. If it works you'll increase your chances of selling the item for a lot more than you would if you don't test it.

Needless to say if you found your toaster at the bottom of a lake or outdoors somewhere, it's probably not a good idea to plug it in.

Tips for Buyers

You can judge whether or not the toaster has been used much by examining the inside of the bread slots. The sides of the slot adjacent to the edges of the bread quickly turn brown with use. When the toaster is new, these sides are shiny.

There are so many good, working Radiant Control toasters out there that there's no reason to bid on toasters that are untested or are known not to work unless you're the kind of person who enjoys tinkering with stuff to make it work. Similarly, there are plenty of toasters that do not have broken handles, missing knobs, and scratched chrome. Unless you are just looking to save a lot of money, wait a week for a better unit to come along.

When buying a Radiant Control toaster in its original box, watch out for the old-toaster-in-the-new-box problem. Often when people got a new toaster, they'd place their old one (which might not even be a Sunbeam) in the new box. We often find GE toasters in Sunbeam boxes and advertised on eBay as a Sunbeam toaster. Or a T-20 in a T-35 box advertised as a T-35.

Shipping Tips

The bakelite handles on these toasters are very fragile and it's not uncommon for them to break if not packed carefully. One good way to ship these toasters is to put the toaster in a plastic bag (or wrap it in bubble wrap) then make sure there is three inches of styrofoam peanuts on all six sides of the toaster. Our experience is that crumpled newspaper is a bad packing material and should not be used with these toasters.

When shipping a toaster in its original box, there are several things to look out for. First, if the original packing material is included in the box, it may or may not be sufficient to protect the toaster. Some people remove the entire top of the original box when they open it. The styrofoam forms in the later model boxes depend on the top of the box being present to hold them in place. If the top of the box is not there, the toaster will become dislodged from the styro form and will move around inside the box. This can damage the box, the toaster, or both.

If the original packing material is in the box and the top of the box is still intact, it may be safe to use as long as it is used correctly. The cardboard packing material is especially subject to misuse. It might be best to put some styro peanuts inside the original box in addition to the cardboard packing material, just to be safe.

If there is no original packing material in the box, then put the toaster in a plastic bag and put it in the original box. Fill all sides of the original box with styro peanuts.

In any case, once the toaster is secure in its original box, place the original box in a larger box and make sure to allow for at least three inches of styro peanuts on all six sides of the original box.

Conclusion

Whether you're looking for a replacement for your old Radiant Control toaster or you're a collector of old appliances, you'll find plenty of good deals here on eBay. You don't need a lot of patience to find a good example of any of the various models of Radiant Control toasters. Happy bidding!

Photos and text copyright  2006 by Craig Rairdin. All Rights Reserved.