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Zenith radios sold!
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Zenith Royal 500 Hand Wired (1956)
(plastic transistor shirtpocket radio)

Zenith Royal 500 Hand Wired (1956)

THIS RADIO HAS BEEN SOLD!

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.

Zenith Royal 500 Hand Wired (1956)

THIS RADIO HAS BEEN SOLD!

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.

Reported sold by Gary Ball on January 26, 2020
Listed price on date of sale - $168.75
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