Antique Trader Radio & Television Price Guide
Edited by Kyle Husfloen

Reviewed by Jim Moneghan & Dave Crocker

Web Edition

This new price guide has input by contributing editors Steve McVoy, Bob Ready and Harry Poster. The book covers radios from the 1920s to the 1950s, and television sets from the late 1920s to the 1970s. There are 272 pages with 750 nice big color photos.

The well known TV collector, Harry Poster, writes the introduction and provides a basic overview of radio/TV collecting that is easy to understand and appeals to the novice collector. However, the description of a crystal set is a little confusing, and the terms Bakelite and Catalin should be more clearly defined.

The Radio Section. The radio section, (not including transistor sets), consists of 58 pages of listings and prices. Quite a few manufacturers are listed, but, unfortunately, there is a very small representation of radio models for each one. There are only eight listings for Atwater Kent, 18 listings for Philco, 16 listings for RCA and a mere 14 for Zenith. Some of the high-end companies are not listed at all (Federal and Kennedy to name a few).

There are some mistakes in model numbers and descriptions in the radio section. The Amrad Neutrodyne is not a crystal set. The metal Atwater Kent 441 shown is really a Model 44. The console shown on page 17 is not an Atwater Kent but an Eveready. The Arvin 850T is priced at $435, instead of $35-45. In the introduction, the Stewart-Warner A6-1Q is priced correctly later, on page 61. The Crosley 51 is definitely not a "crystal set."

There are other items that could be mentioned, but let's get on to the TV section.

The TV Section. Where this book excels is in the television section that has 120 pages with lots of vivid color photographs. The comprehensive listing of manufacturers and models covers practically all of the collectible TVs you are likely to encounter in attics and at shows. The TV collectors will also appreciate the extensive listings and color photos for the rare prewar televisions. The prices in this section are very good and correspond with current values.

We found ourselves looking through this section over and over again. A lot of work went into this chapter and the results are excellent. This book is an outstanding resource for any TV collector from beginner to advanced.

There is a small section of original advertisements (25 pages), mostly from the 1940s to the 1950s, that are really fun to look over. Too bad they weren't dated as to year of publication. The special feature section (32 pages), contains an unusual group of radios with color photos and prices in reverse alphabetical order (Z to A).

If you are strictly a radio collector who isn't interested in TVs, there are other price guides on the market that will give you a more comprehensive listing of manufacturers and their radios. If you take an interest in antique radios and TVs, it wouldn't hurt to include this new publication in your library. But, if you are a real TV enthusiast, this book is a must! There hasn't been a TV price guide update since 1992. Enjoy!

The book in an 8¹/2"x 6" paper format may be ordered for $19.99 from the publisher, kp books, 700 East State St., Iola, WI 54990-0001 or A.R.C. Be sure to check the supplier for shipping information.

(Jim Moneghan, Lincoln Electronics, 45 Arnold St., Lincoln, RI 02865; Dave Crocker, 35 Santuit Pond Rd., #4B, Mashpee, MA 02649)