Tom Albrecht's Radio and TV Attic

Crosley 9-302 (1948)
"Mint" probably isn't a word that comes to mind for this portable Crosley lunchbox radio from 1948. Although the brass escutcheon definitely displays some character and patina, the faux alligator skin covering is in nice shape. This is a radio that was used and loved. Like every radio I sell, this one has had a thorough electrical restoration, and works like brand new. Restoration included replacement of all electrolytic and paper capacitors, new resistors where needed, a strong set of tubes, replacement of the selenium rectifier with a silicon rectifier and power resistor, a meticulous alignment, and a new power power cord. Use this radio as designed for reception of over-the-air AM broadcasts, or order it with my optional "Better Bluetooth" to listen to your own program material. Shipping only $25 to 48 states. 13-1/2"W x 11"H x 6"D. $65.00. (1310186)

Emerson 504 (1946)
Emerson was an adventurous company in terms of cabinet design. Here we see a variant of a Raymond Lowe design with a molded Lucite sloping grille: a feature which showcased the capability of a new material and would have been very striking at the time. Combined with the stamped brass turquoise dial, this design still looks fresh and futuristic today. The rest of the walnut veneered cabinet is in very nice condition. The finish doesn't look new, but whether it is original, or a very skillful refinish done far in the past I cannot tell. Another nice feature of this cabinet is the molded back cover; this one has a chip in a lower corner, but you have to look twice to notice it. The All American Five chassis has been fully restored and works like new, with all paper and electrolytic capacitors replaced, a strong set of tubes, and a careful alignment. A new polarized power cord has been installed and the power switch wiring modified for improved safety. Use this radio to receive AM broadcasts as designed, or order it with my Better Bluetooth to play your own program material through the radio's tube amplifier circuitry. Lighted dial. Shipping only $25 to 48 states. 11-1/4"W x 9"H x 6-1/2"D. $175.00. (1310200)

Emerson 520 (1946)
Emerson had many famous cabinet designs, including this one, attributed to Raymond Loewy, the prominent American industrial designer, who transformed everyday items into modern works of art. This is one of the Catalin versions of this cabinet, with gorgeous butterscotch marbled with the brown base material. Catalin radio cabinets often crack or show other defects due to shrinkage of the material, but this one is as nice as they come -- completely free of cracks or chips, and with a beautiful shine. Even the back (particularly prone to cracking due to differential material shrinkage) is in perfect condition. Knobs, grille, grille cloth, dial, and back are all original. The chassis has had a full electrical restoration with all paper and electrolytic capacitors replaced, new resistors where needed, a strong set of tubes, and a careful RF/IF alignment. A new polarized power cord has been installed and the power switch circuitry has been updated to improve safety. This radio plays like brand new, with good sensitivity and sound quality. Lighted dial. Use as designed to listen to AM broadcasts, or order with my Better Bluetooth option to listen to your own program material. Shipping just $25 to 48 states. 11"W x 8-1/2"H x 6-1/2"D. $425.00. (1310199)

Emerson 543 (1947)
This ivory Plaskon Emerson has a virtually perfect cabinet, with an excellent original shine and a dent- and scratch-free metal mesh grille. Knobs, dial pointer, dial cover, grille, handle, and back are all original. The dial pointer disks on these are always a bit warped like a potato chip; I guess that is an endearing feature of this model. It looks fine, but you'll notice it when turning the dial. The chassis is an All American Five with octal tubes, and performs like new with excellent sensitivity and good sound quality. It has had a complete electrical restoration, with all paper and electrolytic capacitors replaced, several new resistors, a strong set of tube, and a careful RF/IF alignment and dial calibration. A new polarized power cord has been installed, and the switch wiring has been modified to improve safety, keeping the metal chassis and mounting screws on the bottom of the cabinet grounded. Lighted dial. This is a nice classic Emerson to add to your collection. Shipping only $20 to 48 states. 11-1/4"W x 7-1/2"H x 5-3/4"D. $175.00. (1310195)

Hoffman A200M (1946)
In 1941, Les Hoffman purchased the bankrupt Mission Bell radio factory in Los Angeles and launched his own radio company, at first using the Mission Bell name, but changing to Hoffman Radio in the postwar years. This affordable Bakelite model was made in 1946, just in time for GIs returning from the Pacific to purchase a radio for their new west coast homes. The cabinet is free of blemishes and has its original curved glass dial and Hoffman lightning bolt "H" knobs. The chassis is an All American Five (with miniature tubes) and has been completely restored, with all paper and electrolytic capacitors replaced, new resistors where needed, a strong set of tubes, and a meticulous RF/IF alignment and dial calibration. It performs like new, with great sensitivity using its built-in loop antenna. A new polarized power cord has been installed, and the power switch circuitry has been updated for improved safety. The original 5-inch speaker is in good shape with good sound quality. Lighted dial. Shipping only $20 to 48 states. 11"W x 7"H x 6"D. $125.00. (1310197)

Howard SG-B "Green Diamond" (1930)
What a gorgeous cabinet design! This shouldered cathedral -- with its burl trim, inlayed patterns, delicate latticework, and carved finials -- is very pleasing to the eye. The finish on this cabinet is original, and in outstanding condition for its age. This Howard model is rarely seen, so another one is not likely to appear for some time. The chassis is very clean and has been fully restored with new capacitors, good tubes, new resistors where needed, and a new vintage-style power cord. It has been meticulously aligned to perform like new with good dial calibration. The circuitry represents the closing chapter of an earlier era, with a TRF design and no AVC, but it performs well and sounds good with the provided wire antenna. Grab this one before I decide to keep it for myself! 17-1/2"H x 15"W x 11-1/2"D. $750.00. (1310172)

RCA 8X681 (1948)
This RCA is a Mid-Century work of art by industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss. A member of the engineering faculty of Cal Tech, Dreyfuss designed some of the most famous products of his time, including a streamlined locomotive, the classic Western Electric 500 phone, the Westclox "Big Ben" alarm clock, and the Honeywell round thermostat. This radio's smooth rounded Bakelite cabinet with its bright brass accents and perforated Lucite dial makes quite a statement, particularly when the illuminated dial is visible at night. As the pictures make clear, this radio is in excellent condition, with no significant defects. Even the bottom "RCA Golden Throat" and tube layout labels are in good shape. The six-tube chassis has been fully restored to work like new, with excellent sensitivity and sound quality. In addition to the AM broadcast band, this radio has a short wave band covering 9.5-12.2 MHz. The four brass thumbwheel knobs are for on-off/volume, tone, band switch, and tuning. A third position on the band switch selects the phono input with an RCA jack on the bottom. Restoration of the chassis included replacement of all electrolytic and paper capacitors, a few new resistors, a good set of tubes, a careful alignment, and a new polarized power cord with updated power switch circuitry for improved safety. Use it to listen to AM broadcasts, or order with my "Better Bluetooth" option to play your own program material. Only $25 shipping to 48 states. 12-1/2"W x 8"H x 7"D. $275.00. (1310201)

Stromberg-Carlson 1105 "Vagabond" (1946)
Here's a sturdy lunchbox-type portable from Stromberg Carlson, which was a high quality brand through most of the tube radio era. Introduced in 1946, its six-tube design offers excellent sensitivity with its built-in loop antenna. The nicely-designed perforated aluminum panel with its horizontal-U motif (used in multiple S-C models in this time frame) has some wear around the knobs, indicating this radio was used often for many years. The chassis has been fully restored to play like new, with all electrolytic and paper capacitors replaced, new resistors where needed, good tubes, a new polarized power cord, and a careful alignment and dial calibration. The original 5-inch speaker is a nice condition and sounds good. Use this radio to listen to AM broadcasts as designed, or order it with my Better Bluetooth option to listen to your own program material. Shipping just $20 to 48 states. 13"W x 11"H x 6-1/2"D. $85.00. (1310198)

Trav-Ler 5051 (1947)
Here is a classic everyman's Bakelite table radio from 1947 -- a time when families were purchasing a second radio like this for the kitchen or bedroom. It's a fairly compact radio with an All American Five chassis (Loctal tube version). The cabinet is flawless, with a good original shine and no cracks or chips. Dial, pointer, dial cover, knobs, and back are all original. The chassis has been fully restored, with all paper and electrolytic capacitors replaced, a strong set of tubes, and a careful RF/IF alignment and dial calibration. The original 5-inch speaker is in good shape with good sound quality. Sensitivity with the built-in loop antenna is excellent. A new polarized power cord has been installed, and the power switch has been rewired to improve safety by keeping the chassis grounded. Lighted dial. It's a classic type of radio that is at home in any collection. Listen to AM broadcasts with it as designed, or add my Better Bluetooth option to listen to your own program material. Just $20 shipping to 48 states. 9-1/2"W x 6-1/2"H x 5-1/2"D. $135.00. (1310196)

Zenith Royal D7000Y Trans-Oceanic (1973-78)
The D7000Y model of the Zenith Transoceanic series stands as an impressive monument to American radio design and manufacturing. Long after production of almost all radios moved overseas, Zenith kept producing this very elaborate model in the U.S., with point-to-point wiring and top quality construction throughout. It is a fabulous performer on all 11 bands, including AM, FM, VHF (weather), LW, and SW. I'm well experienced with restoring this model to like-new performance, with every electrolytic capacitor replaced, and all other problems repaired to bring all bands to perfect reception. I do an elaborate alignment, beyond the Zenith instructions, to achieve the best possible dial calibration and sensitivity on all bands. The 4x6-inch speaker puts out great sound, particularly on FM where it can really shine. This is unit #1 of three of these I have for sale. Some minor scratching is visible on top, and the padded sides have some waviness (not unusual on these). The log book is in good shape. There is no battery corrosion whatsoever, and the battery sleeves are present, along with a replacement AC power cord. 14"W x 9"H x 6-1/2"D. $350.00. (1310190)

Zenith Royal D7000Y Trans-Oceanic (1973-78)
The D7000Y model of the Zenith Transoceanic series stands as an impressive monument to American radio design and manufacturing. Long after production of almost all radios moved overseas, Zenith kept producing this very elaborate model in the U.S., with point-to-point wiring and top quality construction throughout. It is a fabulous performer on all 11 bands, including AM, FM, VHF (weather), LW, and SW. I'm well experienced with restoring this model to like-new performance, with every electrolytic capacitor replaced, and all other problems repaired to bring all bands to perfect reception. I do an elaborate alignment, beyond the Zenith instructions, to achieve the best possible dial calibration and sensitivity on all bands. The 4x6-inch speaker puts out great sound, particularly on FM where it can really shine. This is unit #2 of three of these I have for sale. This one is in excellent cosmetic condition, with just some minor waviness to the padded sides, and a touch of wear around the tuning knob. The log book is in good shape. There is no battery corrosion whatsoever, and the battery sleeves are present, along with a replacement AC power cord. 14"W x 9"H x 6-1/2"D. $375.00. (1310191)

Zenith Royal D7000Y Trans-Oceanic (1973-78)
The D7000Y model of the Zenith Transoceanic series stands as an impressive monument to American radio design and manufacturing. Long after production of almost all radios moved overseas, Zenith kept producing this very elaborate model in the U.S., with point-to-point wiring and top quality construction throughout. It is a fabulous performer on all 11 bands, including AM, FM, VHF (weather), LW, and SW. I'm well experienced with restoring this model to like-new performance, with every electrolytic capacitor replaced, and all other problems repaired to bring all bands to perfect reception. I do an elaborate alignment, beyond the Zenith instructions, to achieve the best possible dial calibration and sensitivity on all bands. The 4x6-inch speaker puts out great sound, particularly on FM where it can really shine. This is unit #3 of three of these I have for sale. This one shows some wear and scratching on various surfaces (check the photos carefully) and a minor dent on top. The log book is in reasonable condition, but missing its back cover. There is no battery corrosion, but the battery sleeves are missing. A replacement AC power cord is included. 14"W x 9"H x 6-1/2"D. $275.00. (1310192)