![]() Not only did the plastic protect the painting, but it also provided the illusion of depth. They would do this by taking the clear plastic dial from the front of the radio and painting an image on the back. One popular feature most common in Japanese radios was reverse painting. The company had supplied its sales teams with shirts with oversized pockets to enable this feat. Another collectable model is the Sony TR-63, which advertised as fitting in a shirt pocket. ![]() The 1954 Regency radio from the US was the first commercially released transistor radio and is popular with collectors the world over. Not only are Zenith and National radios popular despite their foreign origins, there are others that are collectable for their own sake. Another thing to look for is FM band support, which was later coming to Australian radios, as the country did not adopt FM radio until later than the US. Astor, AWA, Kriesler and STC are all popular brands and Australian models have some of the more popular stations already in print on the dial instead of just numbers. ![]() While foreign brands such as Sony played a huge part in the history of transistor radios, many Australian collectors prefer to start with homegrown Australian brands. Minor cosmetic issues like paint splatters are easy to remove, so they have a fairly small effect on value. Functionality is an important part of condition a radio that works is worth more than one that doesn't. Even a very rare early Zenith model will have its value determined by condition as well as rarity. What to Look ForĪs with any collectable radio the first thing to look for is condition. Music could finally go anywhere and the idea that summer could have a soundtrack was born. Unlike the larger collectable valve radios of the era, transistors made radio truly portable for the first time, and a whole new generation took that idea and ran with it. When people started putting their hands on a variety of options spread out in front of them, though, nearly everyone expressed preference for an analog tuning dial over digital buttons, even if it meant giving up station presets and automatic channel scanning.Following their introduction in 1954, transistor radios soon took the world by storm. Potential shoppers and current tabletop radio owners we surveyed were pretty evenly split in their preference for analog over digital tuning, though none of them felt strongly about the choice. This finding was actually the result of a curious turnaround. Analog beats digital almost every time.Bluetooth connectivity was of bigger interest to potential shoppers than in previous years but still wasn’t a necessity. Many potential shoppers, current tabletop radio owners, and novice testers insisted-almost without exception-that AM reception was as crucial as FM reception (even those who admitted that they never listened to AM). Battery information: Requires 4 x 1.5V AA batteries (not included) Colour: Black. 1 Panasonic Portable AM / FM Radio, Battery Operated Analog Radio, AC Powered, Silver (RF-2400D) Panasonic 9.7 more info Buy it on Amazon 2 PowerBear Portable Radio AM/FM, 2AA Battery Operated with Long Range Reception for Indoor, Outdoor & Emergency Use Radio with Speaker & Headphone Jack (Black) PowerBear 9. Dimensions/Size: 15cm (L) x 8.5cm (H) x 4cm (W) Power source: Input: Battery or Mirco USB. AM reception is a must, and Bluetooth support is a nice bonus. Listen to your favourite radio station while on the go by getting home this portable radio that has an LCD display.In fact, none of the people we interviewed even mentioned it until we prompted them. For most shoppers, a good tabletop radio should be as pleasing to touch as it is to look at. Solid tuning and good ergonomics are a major priority.No matter how isolated you were, you could hear news of the world. Interviewees also quite frequently mentioned that a variety of finish options would be preferable, though not essential. With the transistor radio, music and information suddenly became portable. By a huge margin, the feature that most people mentioned first was design, with the terms “retro” and “executive styling” popping up time and again.
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