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I'm just curious about why people want to get antique radios. Do you actually plan on using them? Are you a collector? Are you hoping they appreciate in value and you can sell them later? Just for novelty? I've never even considered getting anything that would be considered an antique...maybe "vintage," like a record player from the '70s or something...so I'm just curious why people buy antique radios.
I have several, and I use them. It's mostly just nostalgia, but I do make sure every one I own works, and I listen to them all from time to time, just like I would a brand-new radio. I listen to talk radio sometimes, and when I do, it's through one of my antique radios. It's just cool to think that someone or some family listened to the events of history through the same radio I'm listening to. Most were made before WWII, so the original owners listened to a lot of very poignant broadcasts through them. Groovy Old Radios
I've also been curious about how often - if at all - people listen to their antique radios. I'm glad to hear that you use yours pretty regularly, Wayne. I sort of feared that people treated them like most antiques - decor that can serve as a talking point. I think it's really cool that you listen to talk radio on yours and think about what previous owners used to listen to. I wish we still had shows like that.
I think that the reason a lot of people buy antiques, including antique radios, is because of the rich history they have. It also helps that it's not horrendously difficult to find antique radios that still work. Then they have function, form, and sentiment all in one. What more could you want?
I've wondered about this myself. Are antique radios a good investment for flipping? I wonder what the resale market is like and whether the demand is there to drive up the value. I think it must be a regional thing because I've never seen them in antique shops or estate sales around here.
I'm interested in antique radios because of their unique history. I've just always liked old things better than their contemporary counterparts. I'm not an expert, but from general research I think antique radios would be hard to flip. Tubes aren't cheap and most of the older radios I've seen are heavy, so they'd be expensive to ship.
Strum Drum wrote on Tue, 03 April 2018 10:44 I've wondered about this myself. Are antique radios a good investment for flipping? I wonder what the resale market is like and whether the demand is there to drive up the value. I think it must be a regional thing because I've never seen them in antique shops or estate sales around here. I've never seen them around my town either. Maybe it's a regional thing or maybe it's just a specialist thing. I wouldn't think they'd be easy to resell unless you bought it in great condition. Like most antiques, I think it would be pretty costly to repair it.
I'm not entirely sure of the motive, but I have met at least two people who love collecting old radios, record players, radiograms, and the like. My neighbour some years ago had a passion for collecting them, but I don't think he knew much about how to do them up. He bought so many he had to hide them from his wife, and even had to put one or two in my flat! I ended up moving house, so I don't know what he did with them in the end. I think he just liked the vintage look. Then my cousin's husband collects them, and he does know all about audio, and restores them a real treat. He even has an ancient juke box from the seventies! Now I do envy that. Anyway, they have beautiful old radios all over the house, and they do look nice. So, I am not 100% sure of the motive, but it seems like some people really do get the bug. By the way, sorry about British English spellings - I live in Yorkshire!
Hi, I have several....they do two things for me, first they remind me of the craftsmanship of vintage gear and second they look cool.
I'll go one step further: it's not just the love of old radios, I'd really like to own an early television from the 1950's. I'd like to have one in a little cabinet with those tiny early screens. I don't think I would be able to get a signal for it though, as analogue has now been switched off in the UK (I think). So if I owned one it would just be for show, and not for any kind of use. I just really fancy having one in my living room - it would be such a talking point!
Wayne Parham wrote on Sat, 24 March 2018 11:23 It's mostly just nostalgia I have the same reaction reading the title of this topic. My father kept one and every time I visit them, I remember the times when we listen to the radio for news and the times when my father would sing along to the music on the radio.
I don't think too many people buy these antiques with the intention of actually using them; the value is in the fact that they are no longer produced, and so rare. People do the same with gaming consoles, cameras, household items, and so on.
I used to own a music shop that bought and sold used gear and taught music lessons. I bought an antique radio for my store window and you'd be surprised at the number of people who wanted to buy it simply because it brought back fond childhood memories.
gofar99 wrote on Tue, 03 July 2018 17:27 Hi, I have several....they do two things for me, first they remind me of the craftsmanship of vintage gear and second they look cool. That is my reason as well. I would love to have a room in my house set aside for antique everything. Radio, furniture, T.V., pictures etc....... The whole room being a step back in time.
Don't forget the telephone. Keep a land line number for that purpose. But I like antiques because they remind me of an are where things were American made and people took pride in making them good. You don't see as much of that anymore.
Antiques and vintage pieces remind me that there will be no such thing as an antique Cloud or streaming platform. Those digital players and storage units will be technologically irrelevant soon and you'll never be able to use them again. That, and you can't see where your music is coming from, which always creeped me out a little.
Hi Everyone, I have a landline for use to give out to companies etc. It also has a call blocker and answering machine on it. I have a cell for calls I want to get from folks I know. It too has a call blocker.
Phones! I have a Western Electric Model 202 phone and a Model 302. Both were manufactured for use by the Bell Telephone company and were never sold. Back then, phones were leased as a part of the phone service. You returned the phone if you stopped using their service. Both are genuine metal phones and both work, both dial and both ring. I've got 'em hooked up to my land line and I use them from time to time. I love to hear them ring. Western Electric Model 202 The Model 202 is a sort of delicate looking phone with a detached ringer box. It (and the 102 that looks very similar) replaced the "candlestick" phone in 1930 and was in common use until the early 1950s. Mine shown above has the handset and dial unit sitting on top of its detached ringer box. Western Electric Model 302 The Model 302 was made in the 1940s and 1950s, and some were still in use in the 1960s. It's the first one that took on the popular look most "baby boomers" were familiar with. All the electronics, the switching mechanism and the ringer are contained in this unit, as was the case for all models that followed. The Model 500 - which looked similar to the 302 - was offered in the 1960s. Both the 302 and the 500 had rotary dials, which were eventually replaced by DTMF "touch-tone" phones, models 1500 and 2500. Touch tone phones were available in the 1960s, but they could only be used if the central office supported DTMF dialing, which took some time to rollout, especially in rural areas. So some places had rotary phones through the 1970s.