Great advice. For someone just looking for one, it is advisable to get one with an RCA Jack, of course in good condition. I have found many good one's, but especially those made by the Wells-Gardner Company out of Chicago. Airline radios from the 1950's were oftentimes (not all) include an RCA Jack and are great performers. Maybe not the most stylish, but not bad looking. Airline radios were sold by Montgomery Ward's Department Stores and contracted with many companies over the years such as Belmont, but if you can find one of the Wells-Gardner made radios get it as they will not disappoint you once restored and refurbished. The RCA Jacks will come in handy with the new devices of today.
I’ve just subscribed: Been collecting all of two years-on a very tight budget. I’m not able to work on them myself. I have 6 tube sets, 2 completely redone, 2 in the shop, and 2 that need work,(one was re-capped but has “Silver-Mica Disease “) Most of my collection is more of the transistor type, of which I have a half dozen nice WORKING, And some 15 more that don’t. Don’t know much but learning.
For the average person today, wanting to acquire a vacuum tube vintage radio, one that has an RCA Jack already installed is also important. You can get one added on, but it is easier if the radio already has one. Be prepared to have any old vintage radio upgraded, as even though they may play, the inner parts are old and you can do more damage to the radio by playing it unrestored, so just don't play it until you can get it upgraded by a trained technician. These RCA Jacks can be used to play modern devices and then play old radios through the vintage radio. For a person simply wanting a vacuum tube radio, just be sure they have an RCA Jack on the back side as most people really want to play modern devices through the vacuum tube radio to get the warm vacuum tube sound.
One thing overlooked. The backs. If the back is missing, you may be missing the antenna. On many of these tube radios, the antenna was made for THAT radio, and often a “ replacement “ doesn’t work well. I made a mistake and got a really nice radio . Had it completely re-capped, and checked. Cost me $175.oo and performance is only marginal, even with a “Longwire “. (The man really tried to find one that worked for it but couldn’t - and he has been restoring radios for over 40 years.
Hi Mr. Robert, I have seen your amazing channel you are doing a real good works, but please I would like to know about the presenter of the TH-cam channel 415 radio. He is a very clever technician from the old generation , he makes a full restorations of the very old vintage radios and turn em to zero and brand new devices. Please who he is 🙂 he is in New Jersey, I think Thanks.
everything is fixable, but not everything is worth fixing. Basically if it is in good condition it should be okay, but try to not get sets with broken tuning strings, unless you want a headache.
Good pointers, problem is nobody wants these , I have about 100 sets floor and table models I restored as a hobby, I can give them away but nobody wants to pay anything for them. This is a hobby of love not profit. Some people ask ridiculous prices , even at radio swap meets I have seen sets as high as 3,500.00?? My wife has a rummage sale and put a few out and fully restored Zenith table set I asked 50 bucks and people turn thier nose up at it? I have more into them then that. one time a older gent was looking at a nice RCA , I had 25.00 on it he said all he had was 10 , so I let him have it.... less than a week later I see my radio on e-bay for 50 bucks! Most people looking to flip for $$ won't sell to them anymore.
I am sorry to hear that,maybe you should cutout the middleman and sell them yourself on eBay,that is where i got most of my radios ,some working some not....antiqueradios.com has lots of members and they do listings too....There are lots of us who treasure OTRs Good luck and keep saving the radios ....Thank you
Vintage collecting is becoming more popular. I know what you mean, but a lot of it has to do with marketing the radio. Ebay is probably the best way, but the packing is risky and takes a lot of time. There are more and more people out there these days taking this repair up as a hobby. You won't get rich, but is can bring in some money. It is more of a labor of love though than a money making project. There are certain models worth more than others which was not the case when they were new. Certain blue-mirrored Sparton radios bring a good deal of money as do the Hop-a-long Cassidy radios. The Setchell Carlson radio (which is rare) has also become a valuable radio. The radios connected with TV show and movies have also increased in value, especially the Packard Bell Gilligan's Island radio. There are other's such as the Zenith, now nicknamed "The Walton" which can bring a nice price. Most people have a sentimental attachment to an old radio belonging to a relative, grandparent or their own when a child. The value in such radios is not in the radio itself, but rather in the sentimental value. Most older vintage radios are not worth what it would cost to get them repaired, but the value is sentimental, and how do you put a price on sentimentality? Radio Daze on the Internet is a good site to find Face Dials, Dial Strings ect. VM is a good site to get parts and needles for record players.
Wow. I could use some of them radios.🙂 I’ve been collecting just about a year. Found some nice radios. Found a couple of people who work on them, too. I’m just learning. I’ve discovered that there’s a select group of collectors, of all kinds. Sort of a niche market, but it is a market. Buying and selling seems to take as much paitience as working on them. 📻🙂
Practically every radio you see in an Antique to Thrift type of store (even garage sales) is in need of upgrading or repair of some sort. Even if the cabinet looks great, the inner capacitors just go bad with time, whether the radio is played or not. These parts can be replaced and need to be replaced as damage can occur to the radio if they go bad. It takes a trained technician with the right equipment to do the technical work, and oftentimes another person to do the cosmetic work. Many can do both, but that is not always the case.@@jeffking4176
I personally am not able to pay alot of money for them, so I have taken up repairing them myself, I don't know if I would call what I do restoring, but I can normally recap and get them going.
Hi Robert : How can an audiophile person from a foreign country purchase a very good vintage tabletop radio made at 50,s from the US exhibitions, thanks
Mr. Robert you are expert, the market of vintage wooden cabinet radio receivers are full of cheating and scums, Every thing is only painted or whased to hide the destruction of the whole radio and wood body from in and out, and the mechanic parts too , so what to do to discover all these things , thanks
I dream of barn finds. Rust? I am not afraid. Yey that I walk through the valley of radio death, I shall fear no rusty out of spec components.... for Electrolysis, Evaporust, my Whizzer Wheel and multimeter, they guide me, and my Variac is my main safety...
Join SCARS, the Southern California Antique Radio Society. There's lots of members who have lots of radios to sell at their swap meets. You can buy parts and get lots of advice as well. Google SCARS and you'll find some information about our club.
@@THOMMGB You may save yourself some money by buying one already restored. The Radio Attic on the Internet offers fully restored radios by technicians around the Country. They ship the radio to you and they are well packaged to make the trip to your home in Riverside, where I also live!
The shopping websites are the first to cheat like amazon, ebay and alibaba and no warranty for any thing at all, and you can't restore your money, specially if the customer lives in another country or state ! 🤔
This is a radio that would have ended up in a garbage can (and did for a while) I have now had beautifully restored. I have included a video of the radio and you will see why I went to the trouble I did in getting this one "singing" again. There is also a complete history of this plight I had on the Antique Radio Forum under Sparton Model 88 K Radio. I wouldn't recommend such radios this for a novice unless you want to really save a very rare collectible radio.. th-cam.com/video/JIkhGRC-B30/w-d-xo.html
![Mighty S. Fighters - Amstrad CPC - Short gameplay [ NOT emulated ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/q4opUTZNIVI/mqdefault.jpg)
Great advice. For someone just looking for one, it is advisable to get one with an RCA Jack, of course in good condition. I have found many good one's, but especially those made by the Wells-Gardner Company out of Chicago. Airline radios from the 1950's were oftentimes (not all) include an RCA Jack and are great performers. Maybe not the most stylish, but not bad looking. Airline radios were sold by Montgomery Ward's Department Stores and contracted with many companies over the years such as Belmont, but if you can find one of the Wells-Gardner made radios get it as they will not disappoint you once restored and refurbished. The RCA Jacks will come in handy with the new devices of today.
I’ve just subscribed:
Been collecting all of two years-on a very tight budget.
I’m not able to work on them myself.
I have 6 tube sets, 2 completely redone, 2 in the shop, and 2 that need work,(one was re-capped but has “Silver-Mica Disease “)
Most of my collection is more of the transistor type, of which I have a half dozen nice WORKING,
And some 15 more that don’t.
Don’t know much but learning.
I saved this video for future reference for when I'm ready to buy a vintage radio...👌🏼💯✔ Great info...👍🏼
For the average person today, wanting to acquire a vacuum tube vintage radio, one that has an RCA Jack already installed is also important. You can get one added on, but it is easier if the radio already has one. Be prepared to have any old vintage radio upgraded, as even though they may play, the inner parts are old and you can do more damage to the radio by playing it unrestored, so just don't play it until you can get it upgraded by a trained technician. These RCA Jacks can be used to play modern devices and then play old radios through the vintage radio. For a person simply wanting a vacuum tube radio, just be sure they have an RCA Jack on the back side as most people really want to play modern devices through the vacuum tube radio to get the warm vacuum tube sound.
Thanks for your video. I learned a lot!
Art Bell was talking about antique radios the other night and it got me interested.
I miss Art Bell who broadcasted from his home in Pahrump, Nevada.. George Noory has done a great job in taking over the "Coast to Coast" Program.
One thing overlooked.
The backs. If the back is missing, you may be missing the antenna.
On many of these tube radios, the antenna was made for THAT radio, and often a “ replacement “ doesn’t work well. I made a mistake and got a really nice radio . Had it completely re-capped, and checked. Cost me $175.oo and performance is only marginal, even with a “Longwire “. (The man really tried to find one that worked for it but couldn’t - and he has been restoring radios for over 40 years.
Hi Mr. Robert,
I have seen your amazing channel you are doing a real good works, but please I would like to know about the presenter of the TH-cam channel 415 radio.
He is a very clever technician from the old generation , he makes a full restorations of the very old vintage radios and turn em to zero and brand new devices.
Please who he is 🙂 he is in New Jersey, I think
Thanks.
everything is fixable, but not everything is worth fixing. Basically if it is in good condition it should be okay, but try to not get sets with broken tuning strings, unless you want a headache.
Good pointers, problem is nobody wants these , I have about 100 sets floor and table models I restored as a hobby, I can give them away but nobody wants to pay anything for them. This is a hobby of love not profit. Some people ask ridiculous prices , even at radio swap meets I have seen sets as high as 3,500.00?? My wife has a rummage sale and put a few out and fully restored Zenith table set I asked 50 bucks and people turn thier nose up at it? I have more into them then that. one time a older gent was looking at a nice RCA , I had 25.00 on it he said all he had was 10 , so I let him have it.... less than a week later I see my radio on e-bay for 50 bucks! Most people looking to flip for $$ won't sell to them anymore.
I am sorry to hear that,maybe you should cutout the middleman and sell them yourself on eBay,that is where i got most of my radios ,some working some not....antiqueradios.com has lots of members and they do listings too....There are lots of us who treasure OTRs Good luck and keep saving the radios ....Thank you
Vintage collecting is becoming more popular. I know what you mean, but a lot of it has to do with marketing the radio. Ebay is probably the best way, but the packing is risky and takes a lot of time. There are more and more people out there these days taking this repair up as a hobby. You won't get rich, but is can bring in some money. It is more of a labor of love though than a money making project. There are certain models worth more than others which was not the case when they were new. Certain blue-mirrored Sparton radios bring a good deal of money as do the Hop-a-long Cassidy radios. The Setchell Carlson radio (which is rare) has also become a valuable radio. The radios connected with TV show and movies have also increased in value, especially the Packard Bell Gilligan's Island radio. There are other's such as the Zenith, now nicknamed "The Walton" which can bring a nice price.
Most people have a sentimental attachment to an old radio belonging to a relative, grandparent or their own when a child. The value in such radios is not in the radio itself, but rather in the sentimental value. Most older vintage radios are not worth what it would cost to get them repaired, but the value is sentimental, and how do you put a price on sentimentality?
Radio Daze on the Internet is a good site to find Face Dials, Dial Strings ect. VM is a good site to get parts and needles for record players.
Wow. I could use some of them radios.🙂
I’ve been collecting just about a year. Found some nice radios. Found a couple of people who work on them, too. I’m just learning.
I’ve discovered that there’s a select group of collectors, of all kinds. Sort of a niche market, but it is a market.
Buying and selling seems to take as much paitience as working on them.
📻🙂
Practically every radio you see in an Antique to Thrift type of store (even garage sales) is in need of upgrading or repair of some sort. Even if the cabinet looks great, the inner capacitors just go bad with time, whether the radio is played or not. These parts can be replaced and need to be replaced as damage can occur to the radio if they go bad. It takes a trained technician with the right equipment to do the technical work, and oftentimes another person to do the cosmetic work. Many can do both, but that is not always the case.@@jeffking4176
I personally am not able to pay alot of money for them, so I have taken up repairing them myself, I don't know if I would call what I do restoring, but I can normally recap and get them going.
Hi Robert :
How can an audiophile person from a foreign country purchase a very good vintage tabletop radio made at 50,s from the US exhibitions, thanks
Mr. Robert you are expert, the market of vintage wooden cabinet radio receivers are full of cheating and scums, Every thing is only painted or whased to hide the destruction of the whole radio and wood body from in and out, and the mechanic parts too , so what to do to discover all these things , thanks
Thanks Robert - good series and very helpful.
Very interesting, thank you.
I dream of barn finds. Rust? I am not afraid. Yey that I walk through the valley of radio death, I shall fear no rusty out of spec components.... for Electrolysis, Evaporust, my Whizzer Wheel and multimeter, they guide me, and my Variac is my main safety...
how to find red mercury in defreand tv
Where can I locate tube radios in my area,I love in Riverside ,ca.anyone
Join SCARS, the Southern California Antique Radio Society. There's lots of members who have lots of radios to sell at their swap meets. You can buy parts and get lots of advice as well. Google SCARS and you'll find some information about our club.
@@THOMMGB You may save yourself some money by buying one already restored. The Radio Attic on the Internet offers fully restored radios by technicians around the Country. They ship the radio to you and they are well packaged to make the trip to your home in Riverside, where I also live!
Rust is not coming from mice pissing on it, it's comeing from moisture and wet conditions.
The chassis can be cleaned of all rust and sprayed with a titanium spray to make it look new again and prevent any further rust.
Nice one
The shopping websites are the first to cheat like amazon, ebay and alibaba and no warranty for any thing at all, and you can't restore your money, specially if the customer lives in another country or state ! 🤔
Not the Robert Johnson I was hoping for :c
Wireless has come a long way the past 100 years.
Does anyone know Morse code (the original texting)?
dah di di, dah dah dah, dah dit
Hi there I presume that you are Don I haven't looked yet I bet your answer is on Google _ _... ... _ _ G4CHJ
Why not just buy it real cheap and use a heat gun to straighten the plastic cabinet.
Tubes can be bought on Ebay.
This is a radio that would have ended up in a garbage can (and did for a while) I have now had beautifully restored. I have included a video of the radio and you will see why I went to the trouble I did in getting this one "singing" again. There is also a complete history of this plight I had on the Antique Radio Forum under Sparton Model 88 K Radio. I wouldn't recommend such radios this for a novice unless you want to really save a very rare collectible radio..
th-cam.com/video/JIkhGRC-B30/w-d-xo.html
I dream of new old stock not barn finds.
So do we all!
You need to get a new camera
I have this terrible habit of using other peoples money to buy things.
Put a. Bluetooth speaker in it.