One desirable feature for vintage transistor radios is reverse-painted plastic, popular between 1958 and 1962. In these radios, all of the artwork is painted on the inside of the radio's clear plastic dial cover. Also desirable are brightly colored cases, including cool 1950s hues like robin’s egg blue, seafoam green, and bright red or yellow. Condition also matters to collectors. Finding a radio with its original box, leather case, earphones, owner’s manual, and warranty card or sales slip will significantly increase its value.
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The transistor was invented in 1947 at Bell Labs in New Jersey. In 1954, Texas Instruments of Dallas teamed up with Regency Electronics (its original name was Industrial Development Engineering Associates, or I.D.E.A.) of Indianapolis to manufacture the first pocket-size transistor radio. Generally, the most collectible transistor radios are those made in Japan from 1956 to 1963 and in America from 1955 to 1960, but by the early '60s, many American companies had opted to have their radios made in Japan.
Besides the Regency TR-1, which came in 10 colors and retailed for $49.95, other collectib...
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Interviews & Articles
Guest Column: Collecting Vintage Transistor Radios of the 1950s and 60s
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Guest Column: Understanding Antique Radios
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An Interview With Eames Collector and Mid Century Design Aficionado Steve Cabella
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Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)
Michael Jack's Transistor Radio Photos
Michael Jack's great transistor radio collection includes stunning photos and great reference information on indivi… [read review or visit site]
Transistor Radio Design
James Butters' fun and creative website focusing on the design of 1950s and 60s pocket transistor radios. Highlight… [read review or visit site]
Radio Wallah
Alan Kastner's transistor radio site was one of the original go-to websites for radio enthusiasts, and it offers an… [read review or visit site]
Fifties Radio: Early Transistor Radios
This site features colorful images of Japanese and American-made transistor radios from the 1950s. Before diving in… [read review or visit site]
M31 Galaxy of Transistor Radios
Robert Davidson's great site (galaxy, really), one of the earliest transistor radio sites on the web, features over… [read review or visit site]
Sarah's Transistor Radios
Sarah Lowrey's collection of over 1000 radios you wish you could take to the beach. Viewable alphabetically by make… [read review or visit site]
Jim's Antique Radio Museum
Jim Tripp's showcase of radios from the 1920s to late 1950s, organized by style and theme (wood, console, plastic, … [read review or visit site]
The Mid Century Modernist
Stephen Coles' really visual blog dedicated to the Modernist era of design from 1940 to 1970 (aka Mid-century Moder… [read review or visit site]
The Radio Attic's Archives
This photo gallery of over 7800 vintage radios, categorized by manufacturer and model number, is a group effort wit… [read review or visit site]
Herman Miller Consortium Collection
This website showcases several hundred pieces of furniture, held by thirteen museums, that were designed for Herman… [read review or visit site]
AntiqueRadios.com
Alan Voorhees' reference resource for vintage radio collectors includes a photo gallery, article library, PDF archi… [read review or visit site]
EamesCollector.com
Steven Cabella's personal homage to Charles and Ray Eames. This site is as clean and visually appealing as the Eame… [read review or visit site]
Radiomuseum.org
This vast archive and community of radio collectors features over 120,000 radio model listings and 350,000 photos a… [read review or visit site]
Work of Charles and Ray Eames
This Library of Congress microsite is an overview of the postwar modern design work of Charles (1907-78) and Ray (1… [read review or visit site]
Philcoradio.com
Ron Ramirez's comprehensive reference on the former Philadelphia Storage Battery Company and Philco Corporation. In… [read review or visit site]
Classic Modern
Get a taste of how homes were lit in the 50s, 60s, and 70s with the Danish retro-style lighting designs featured on… [read review or visit site]
Phil's Old Radios
This extensive collection of antique radios includes beautiful photos and detailed historical descriptions. The sit… [read review or visit site]
Radiophile.com
John Pelham's collection of wood and plastic radios from the 1930's and 40's. What sets this site apart is the deta… [read review or visit site]
Tube Radio Land
Paul Turney's collection of tube radios from manufacturers like Zenith, Atwater-Kent, Philco, RCA, Emerson, Sparton… [read review or visit site]
Deco Radios
Tune in to Steve Davis' collection of 1930s and 40s Art Deco style radios, featuring stunningly crisp high resoluti… [read review or visit site]
Radio-Guy
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Clubs & Associations: Radios
- Mid-Century Modern League
- Antique Wireless Association
- Southeastern Antique Radio Society
- New Jersey Antique Radio Club
- British Vintage Wireless Society
- California Historical Radio Society
Discussion Forums: Radios
Other Great Reference Sites: Radios
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Recent News: Transistor Radios
Source: Google News
New Sony chief vows to make 'painful choices'
Financial Times, February 3rd
The company built Japan's first tape recorder, six decades ago, then went on to popularise the transistor radio, revolutionise colour television and invent the Walkman. Its bosses are expected to revere monozukuri, the mystical-sounding Japanese term...Read more
BLUE WATER MEMORIES
Port Huron Times Herald, February 3rdPeter Paulus, 1408 Water St., reported to police that furniture and a transistor radio were taken from a house at 1655 Thomas St. that he was preparing to rent. » HARSENS ISLAND -- US Coast Guard officials say the safety of boaters and fishermen can be...Read more
Struble: Analog Radio Is All Alone
Radio World, February 2ndRadio's market is being assaulted from many directions and doing nothing will not stop the assault, Struble feels. He also thought that simply installing an AM/FM chip into a smartphone wasn't enough of a response: “A 1970s transistor radio look and...Read more
Summary Of 1979 Islamic Revolution (For Dummies)
Iranian (blog), February 1stThose were and later proved to be the biggest Lies to be promised to any nation in history of the world & unfortunately the naive & uneducated Iranians inside bought his lies via the new wanna be Iranian intellectuals & newly "transistor radios"...Read more
In Haiti, 'video has not killed the radio star'
msnbc.com (blog), February 1stSince the introduction of battery-operated transistor receivers in the 1960s, radio has been the main media in Haiti. American missionaries donated the first transistor radios, hoping to convert the masses through the 24-hour evangelical programming on...Read more
Transistor Radio purse from Octopurse
Retro To Go, January 30thFor instance, this neat little Transistor Radio purse from Octopurse ticks all the right boxes. Bright and kitsch transistor radio graphics? Check. Retro kisslock frame purse? Check. Perfect size for all your essentials? Check. What more could possibly...Read more
Woman locked in a dark room for ten years by her father discovered. Kept sane ...
scallywagandvagabond, January 24th
A 20 year old Palestinian woman, Baara Melhem has relayed her story of having been locked up in a dark room by her father for the last ten years, having only survived the experience by listening to a transistor radio her captor gave her, the promise of...Read more
Pakistan to manufacture transistor, radio sets
DAWN.com, January 17thKARACHI: Pakistan will start manufacturing radio and transistor sets within a year's time. The biggest Japanese electrical goods manufacturing concern, Tokyo Shibaura Electric Company Ltd., is setting up a radio manufacturing factory in Dacca in...Read more
