Gary's Vintage Gems from the North

Admiral 802 (1959)
Offered here is a pretty red eight-transistor radio from Admiral. The model 802 was made in 1959 and remains in nice original condition. It is chip and crack free and is playing well on four "AA" batteries. You can hear it play by clicking on a photo. 7"W. $65.00. (0520567)

Airline GEN-1127A (1962)
Offered here is a 1962 Airline shirt pocket radio from Montgomery Wards that is in the original box. This beautiful red radio is clean in and out. When a standard 9 volt battery was installed, the radio responded with strong volume and pulled lots of stations. The coin slot shows no markings and the corrugated box and Styrofoam insets are in excellent condition. $55.00. (0520559)

Arvin 62R23 (1961)
Here is a beautiful pocket radio from Arvin made in 1961. This six transistor model has a black cabinet with silver accents. The back cover is loose, but it will stay on. This radio has been tested and it does play. Only 4" tall. $25.00. (0520556)

Coke Vending Machine Radio (1970s)
Offered here is this nine-transistor Coke Machine radio made in Japan and distributed by the Jack Russell Company. Normally I do not take an interest in novelty radios because most of them are cheaply made and do not perform well. However, this AM/FM receiver is a real powerhouse and very sensitive. It runs on four "AA" batteries and puts out an impressive 500MW! This example is a fine playing radio that picks up tons of stations on both the AM and FM bands. It has a long telescoping FM antenna, but I don't see the need to use it as it picks up all my local FM stations here just fine without it. You seriously will be impressed. A very desirable and collectible radio, this model is not very common. I consider this to be a diamond in the rough. A full 9"H. $95.00. (0520563)

RCA 1-TP-2
Here is an early shirt pocket transistor from RCA. It is their first and features stunning looks and Nipper on the front right. This is by far the best looking and highest quality shirt pocket from RCA. This radio is not working and is being sold for display or repair. $55.00. (0520557)

RCA 1-TP-2E (1960)
Here is an early shirt pocket gem from RCA, it is a six-transistor 1-TP-2E and I believe it is the first shirt pocket sized transistor from RCA and made in 1960. As radiomuseum.com describes it: "the RCA Victor 1-TP-2E Transistor Radio has a high Impac cabinet white color with gold color metal speaker grill, earphone jack. Made in USA with full size leather case. Uses a 4.05 volts mercury battery. The name 'Pockette' was mentioned in an original RCA print ad from 1960: "The smallest BIG radio ever made!" This radio is by far the richest looking pocket radio that RCA made with its bright metal speaker grille and red "Nipper" medallion in the front. This all original example is in excellent cosmetic condition. The coin slot is perfect. This uses a 4 volt battery and when power was applied, it picked up only one station in my area. As a bonus, this includes the original leather case also in excellent condition. $125.00. (0520553)

Silvertone 4209
Here is an early seven-transistor from Sears in Blue Mist color. This Silvertone is in working condition. This offering also includes the original leather case. Only 4"H. $24.00. (0520560)

Zenith Royal 10 (1970)
Here is a Zenith Royal 10 shirt pocket radio from 1970. This eight-transistor radio has an original chassis 8XT52Z9 and operates on two "AA" batteries. It is clean inside and out and plays like new with strong volume and sensitive station selection across the band. 4-1/2"H. $45.00. (0520545)

Zenith Royal 40 (1962)
Offered here is a nice turquoise Zenith Royal 40 in exceptional condition. This beauty features a clean quality label on the back. Inside it is clean and the original inspector tag is still folded up in there. The exterior has no damage and only the faintest signs of wear on the front silver painted trim. When tested, this gem played as new with strong volume, clear tone, and is very sensitive. It uses two common "AA" batteries. Be sure to click on a picture to hear this radio play. 4-1/2"H. $65.00. (0520571)

Zenith Royal 50L (1962)
Here is a rare find. It is a Zenith Royal 50L from 1962. The Royal 50L is the third version in the Royal 50 family. This style features a reverse painted tuning window (a rarity for Zenith Royals) and a recessed tuning dial that allows you to put the set into your pocket without the station getting disturbed, an improvement over the first two versions. Another change is the back now snaps on and off without a screw. To aid in opening the radio, there is a coin slot at the bottom that is almost always chewed up. The 50L came in red, yellow, turquoise, or black with the black and yellow models having a gold face and grille, and the red and turquoise ones have silver. The original price in 1962 was $19.95. This gem is in excellent condition and the original box, case, guide, and accessories all look new. When tested, the radio played to my satisfaction on two "AA" batteries. Weight is only 7.9 ounces. 4-1/2"H x 2-1/2"W x 1-1/2"D. $175.00. (0520564)

Zenith Royal 50L (1962)
The Royal 50L is the third version in the Royal 50 family. This style features a reverse painted tuning window (a rarity for Zenith Royals) and a recessed tuning dial that allows you to put the set into your pocket without the station getting disturbed, an improvement over the first two versions. Another change is the back now snaps on and off without a screw. To aid in opening the radio, there is a coin slot at the bottom that is almost always chewed up. The 50L came in red, yellow, turquoise, or black with the black and yellow models having a gold face and grille, while the red and turquoise ones have silver. The original price in 1962 was $19.95. This is a clean example in the bright red cabinet. It is in excellent used condition. The chassis is in original condition and is playing loud and clear with good sensitivity on two AA batteries (not included). As a bonus, the original carrying case is also included. Weight is only 7.9 ounce. 4-1/2"H x 2-1/2"W x 1-1/2"D. $75.00. (0520562)

Zenith Royal 300 (1957)
On the heels of the popular Royal 500 "Owl" came this smartly styled Royal 300 in 1957. Similar to the Ford Thunderbird, the 300 has a round "porthole" tuning window. Otherwise the 300 was very similar to the 500. These radios were offered in ebony, maroon, sea green, and a few in white. The gem offered here is the scarce early version labeled "Seven transistors" at the top, while later more common issues say "All transistor." The cabinet is ebony in color and is chip and crack free. It is in fine playing condition and you can hear it play by clicking on a photo. 6"H x 3-1/2"W x 1-3/4"D. $75.00. (0520565)

Zenith Royal 500H Gift Set (1962)
This is a nice Royal 500H Deluxe complete gift set with a cosmetically excellent and fully functioning Zenith radio. The gift set includes the original accessories including the carrying case, private earphone, operator guide, and battery box. All items are in nice original condition. The gift box is clean, solid and strong with no split corners, tears, stains or smells. Inside is also clean and solid and includes the inserts. The radio is a beautiful one. It is black and gold in color and runs on four "AA" batteries. It was made in 1962 and has just been bench tested and found to be in excellent operating condition as it pulled stations across the band with strong volume and rich tone. Its electronics are in original condition and the battery box is clean with no corrosion. You would be proud to add this set to your collection. It also would make a suitable gift to a loved one. The Zenith Royal 500H is the one to have! Be sure to click on a picture to hear this radio play. 6"H x 3-1/2"W x 1-3/4"D. $275.00. (0520566)

Zenith Royal 500 (1957)
Beginning around the middle of 1956, the Royal 500 was revised to this 2nd generation 500. The major change outside was larger knobs for easier operation. Inside, a mass-produced printed circuit board chassis replaced the hand wired one to help keep up with the high demand. Zenith added the color white to the black and maroon line up, and for a short time, tan and pink versions were offered. Tan and pink are scarce and highly sought after by collectors. The gem offered here is serial number 232,939 and this is dated the 36th week of 1957. The seven-transistor 7ZT40Z1 chassis has been recapped and aligned to assure peak performance for years to come. The chassis is clean and has all seven of the original transistors. The maroon cabinet has a nice shine and is almost scratch free. Be sure to click on a picture to hear this radio play. 6"H x 3-1/2"W x 1-3/4"D. $195.00. (0520568)

Zenith Royal 500 Hand Wired (1956)
This is Zenith’s first transistor radio. Their unique design of the volume and tuning knobs and the grille earned them the nickname "Owl." These earliest hand-wired Owls' knobs have a bar through them and when they were introduced in November 1955, sales took off and exceeded all expectations. It was an expensive item for the day at that time: $75, equivalent to over $650 today. These were offered in black or maroon cabinets. It operates on four common "AA" batteries. This gem is an early example with a serial number of 20,752 and is dated the 6th week of 1956. The seven-transistor 7XT40 chassis has been recapped and aligned to assure peak performance for years to come. The chassis is clean and has all seven of the original black transistors. The maroon cabinet is chip and crack free, has a nice shine to it and is almost scratch free. Be sure to click on a picture to hear this radio play. 6"H x 3-1/2"W x 1-3/4"D; weight 16-1/2 ounces. $225.00. (0520569)

Zenith Royal 800 (1956)
Offered here is Zenith's first all-transistor AM portable radio. The powerful seven-transistor chassis is enclosed in an ebony nylon cabinet with a pop-up handle that houses the antenna. The large 4-inch speaker is behind the gold metal grille and the Vernier (gear-reduced) tuning knob is on the right side. The volume control is on the left side. Inside, the hand wired chassis is mounted to a metal board that has plug-in GE top hat style transistors. The radio is powered by eight "C" batteries that are housed by a red battery tube. Click here for more information on this model. The gem offered here is in excellent used condition. The 7ZT41 chassis serial #85,019 has been recapped and the antenna restored so this radio is playing like new again. Very powerful. The cabinet is without chips or cracks and the back cover shows only minor warp as these are known to have. A hefty package, this weighs over 4 pounds without batteries. Be sure to click on a picture to hear this radio play. $595.00. (0520570)

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