October 6, 2008
The ‘golden age of radio’ may be gone, but antique and vintage radios are still going strong. Whether you’re interested in a specific manufacturer (RCA, Philco, Zenith, Crosley, Emerson) or style (catalin, transistor, cathedral or console), there’s a radio out there for you.
You can identify most antique radios by model number, which can include any combination of letters and numbers. If you don't see a manufacturer's name, look inside the chassis, as it may be stamped on the tubes or other components.
The earliest radios were typically bare components (e.g. glass tubes) mounted on a board. Later came plain wooden or metal boxes, and by the late 1920s, elaborate cabinets designed to look like real furniture. Cathedral and tombstone style wooden cabinets were popular during the 1930s. And art deco style radios made of Bakelite, Catalin and other early resins or plastics (Plaskon, Beetle, etc) became popular during the 1930s and 1940s. Transistors were introduced in 1957, displacing tubes and enabling miniaturization.
Although you may be able to play an unrestored antique radio, note that its capacitors are likely to fail without warning (and may also pose a fire hazard), so replacing them pre-emptively is advisable.
Jim Tripp's showcase of radios from the 1920s to late 1950s, organized by style and theme (wood, console, plastic, … [more]
This photo gallery of over 7800 vintage radios, categorized by manufacturer and model number, is a group effort wit… [more]
Alan Voorhees' reference resource for vintage radio collectors includes a photo gallery, article library, PDF archi… [more]
This vast archive and community of radio collectors features over 120,000 radio model listings and 350,000 photos a… [more]
Ron Ramirez's comprehensive reference on the former Philadelphia Storage Battery Company and Philco Corporation. In… [more]
This extensive collection of antique radios includes beautiful photos and detailed historical descriptions. The sit… [more]
John Pelham's collection of wood and plastic radios from the 1930's and 40's. What sets this site apart is the deta… [more]
Steve Erenberg's extremely wacky and well-done collection of vintage mad-scientist devices and contraptions. Writte… [more]
Got a site to suggest? Let us know.
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Sodion Receiving Set Type Dr-6 With 2 D-11-1 Amps Rare!$1,075.00 Ends in 18 hours 11 bids
Deforest Universal Radio Receiving Set * Very Scarce$757.89 Ends Wednesday 18 bids
Antique Atwater Kent Breadboard 5 Tube Radio Type Ta$710.00 Ends Wednesday 2 bids
Collectable Old Valve Radio In Stunning Green And White$599.56 Ends Wednesday 14 bids
Antique 1941 Ge Catalin Jewelry Box Radio L-622 $560.00 Ends Thursday 4 bids
Old Vintage Antique 1947 Official League Baseball Radio$513.89 Ends Sunday 12 bids
1933 Philips Superinductance 834a Vintage Tube Radio$446.40 Ends Thursday 3 bids
Vintage Emerson Strad Radio 1939 Walnut Ingraham Mint$430.00 Ends in 22 hours 16 bids
Vintage Mcintosh Xr16 Speakers Isoplaner$400.00 Ends in 21 hours 1 bid
Eh Scott 30 Tube Philharmonic Radio Chassis And Speaker$380.00 Ends Sunday 5 bids
Gorgeous Pristine Marbled Awa Frig Mantle Radio$359.63 Ends Thursday 6 bids
Sentinel Catalin Radio Yellow & Tortoise Case Only Nice$350.00 Ends Sunday 1 bid
World War 2 Zenith Bomber Shortwave Transoceanic Radio$338.00 Ends Wednesday 11 bids
Vintage Bakelite Rca Victor Book Form Radio No Reserve$332.77 Ends Wednesday 10 bids
Rare And Lovely Working, Halson "bullet" Wood Radio $307.00 Ends Wednesday 9 bids
Fada Bullet Radio~red & Butterscotch Catalin Bakelite $299.00 Ends Thursday 1 bid
Rca Beetle Plastic Pre War 1939 "little Nipper" Radio $294.00 Ends Sunday 11 bids
Dahlquist Dq10 Phase Array Speakers Mirror Image 1983$280.76 Ends in 22 hours 8 bids
Original Fada 1000 Bullet Butterscotch Bakelite Radio$268.00 Ends Saturday 5 bids
Western Electric Vacuum Tube,300a 300 A,ampilfer Nos$260.00 Ends Tuesday 6 bids
Vintage Majestic Model 59 Tombstone Radio Noreser$256.00 Ends Thursday 12 bids
1926 Radiola 28 Console Phonograph And Am Radio$255.00 Ends in 20 hours 4 bids
Vintage Rca Radiola Tapestry Flower Pot Radio Speaker$245.00 Ends Friday 2 bids
7 Vintage Tung--sol Tubes Type Jan 6su7 Gty Very Rare $245.00 Ends Friday 1 bid
Very Rare, Perhaps Nos, Rca 1850a Tv Camera Iconoscope$231.50 Ends Wednesday 6 bids
Music Master Mahogany Horn - Radio/ Edison Phonograph Buy it Now$224.50 Ends in 21 hours 7 bids
Kennedy Type 220 San Francisco Version$224.50 Ends Thursday 7 bids
1920's Hfl 9 In Line Super-heterodyne Radio$222.50 Ends in 1 hour 5 bids
Vintage Age Band Master Valve Radio Radiolette Shape$217.78 Ends Tuesday 2 bids
Art Deco Croyden Marbled Bakelite Valve Radio$217.00 Ends Thursday 10 bids
Original Art Deco Hotpoint Burgundy Bakelite Radio$215.45 Ends Thursday 11 bids
Rare Early Federal Type 59 Wood Radio$212.49 Ends Saturday 2 bids
Old Antique Wood Knight Tube Radio -art Deco Tuning Eye$202.51 Ends Sunday 11 bids
1917 Ge Ww I Signal Corps Crystal Receiving Set Type D$202.50 Ends Sunday 4 bids
Gorgeous Pristine Marbled Awa Frig Mantle Radio$201.93 Ends Monday 6 bids
Addison 2 Bakelite Pre Catalin Art Deco Tube Radio Antq$201.00 Ends in 23 hours 10 bids
Rare Antique Automatic Tom Thumb Radio 1938$201.00 Ends Wednesday 14 bids
Rare Vintage Genalex Bakelite Valve Radio Mottle$198.80 Ends Wednesday 2 bids
Old Antique Wood Ge Tube Radio - Art Deco Tombstone$192.50 Ends Wednesday 25 bids
Vintage / Art Deco Awa White Bakelite Valve Radio $184.06 Ends Wednesday 20 bids
Near Mint, Working Tuska 224 Radio W/weco Phones, Cards$183.50 Ends Sunday 11 bids
Vintage Zenith Shortwave Transoceanic Transistor Radio$181.50 Ends Sunday 12 bids
Vintage Catalin Emerson Patriot Tube Radio No Reserve$180.27 Ends Sunday 6 bids
Peter Pan Valve Radio Brown Bakelite $180.19 Ends Saturday 7 bids
Kemper Radio K-5-2 Super Rare L.a. Radio$175.00 Ends Wednesday 1 bid
Matched Pair Genalex Kt88 England Vintage 6550 Tube$173.00 Ends in 17 hours 11 bids
Magnificent 1925 Atwater Kent Model 20c Vintage Radio$157.95 Ends Sunday 1 bid
Beautiful, Working, Prewar Rca Victor Wood Tube Radio$155.50 Ends Thursday 21 bids
Antique Philco Cathedral Radio Model 90 Heterodyne 1930$155.00 Ends Monday 16 bids
Vintage Hmv 547 Bakelite Valve Radio Mottled & Cream $154.23 Ends Tuesday 2 bids
Vintage Tube Radio/recorder/record Player Fabulous Shap$150.00 Ends in 22 hours 1 bid
Vintage Philco Model 48482 Vacuum Tube Radio$150.00 Ends Tuesday 2 bids
Old Art Deco Bakelite Addison Radio Burgundy & White$141.01 Ends Thursday 5 bids
Rare Model 70 Vintage Philco Cathedral Tube Radio Nr$132.50 Ends Thursday 18 bids
Near Mint, Working Grebe Radio W/western Electric Cone$132.50 Ends Sunday 10 bids
Huge Lot Of Amplifier Tubes 6sl7/5881/12ax7/12au7/6v6$129.60 Ends Thursday 5 bids
