VOLUME 22               JANUARY 2005                NUMBER  1

EDITOR'S COMMENTS

From Antique Radio Classified for January 2005
(Copyright 1996-2005 by John V. Terrey - For personal use only.)

As always with a New Year, there's a sense of renewal, of hope that the "good days" of the past year will multiply in the year to come. For long-term radio collectors, those good days might combine the old and new ways of collecting. The new, of course, is represented by the Internet which offers a global market and sometimes instant satisfaction to buyers and sellers alike. However, it is also a largely impersonal venue that can lead to disappointment and loss. Since the person you are dealing with is often an unknown, in a worst case scenario, the result can be out-and-out fraud. That fact seems to be borne out by an increase in the number of scams reported to us in recent months.

What to do? How to maintain the old, more intimate ways of engaging in this hobby while still enjoying the new benefits of the Internet? What is slipping away is the sense of camaraderie and mutual support that comes from the more personal venues of clubs, meets, and publications, such as newsletters and A.R.C. Sadly, impersonalization is becoming the norm in radio transactions. Even the auctions that are proliferating today contribute to that sense of a loss of connection with the seller or buyer who would have met you face-to-face at a meet or talked to you on the telephone.

Reporting on annual radio events, we've noticed a gradual decline in attendance in recent years. Though seemingly insignificant at first glance, the cumulative effect of the decline doesn't bode well for the future. Make no mistake, decreased numbers and increased costs put a squeeze on those who put on events.

Thus far the only solution we've come up with lies in a challenge to you for 2005 and years to come: Make a New Year's resolution to support your local clubs and radio publications like A.R.C. All of these organizations, literally the bedrock of our hobby, are struggling to find a way to survive in this age of the Internet. It's time for everyone to step up to the plate to help preserve what is good about the old ways of disseminating information and of bonding with radio friends.

A.R.C. makes efforts to do that monthly, and our lead article by Managing Editor Dorothy Schecter and the A.R.C. staff is a case in point. When my archives yielded up a brochure on Day-Fan radios, we seized the opportunity to write about this 1920s company.

In the same vein, when Richard Arnold finds a set that interests him, like the Kadette 86X, he shares the information by writing about it. Richard's efforts are indicative of his strong support for the hobby.

The New Jersey Antique Radio Club's Saturday clinics are a prime example of how the old interpersonal ways of collecting can create good will, as well as preserve an old set. Walter Heskes writes about repairing an IF transformer in a Crosley 10-135 brought in by a grateful noncollector. Walt describes in detail what transformers are, what they do, how they are designed, why they fail, and how they can be repaired. Ray Bintliff supplements this information with a short piece describing failure in a Philco RF transformer.

Crystal, battery, AC and portable sets create a wide variety on the Photo Review pages. But perhaps most striking is the crate labeled "Radio Ginger Ale" on one side and "Superior Quality" on the other.

We have no greater contributor to the hobby in general and to A.R.C. in particular than Ray Chase who reports faithfully on Estes auctions. At about $60,000 total, this auction did not yield the largest proceeds, but it did offer over 1,000 items. Some were rare and seldom seen at auction, like the Zenith suitcase portable and the John Firth Vocaphone.

And as meets go, few are more successful than Michigan's Extravaganza reported by John Reinicke. This club seems to do everything right. First, it is open to all, and second, it is held on Friday and Saturday, convenient days to attract old and potentially new collectors, as well as casual shoppers. In addition, its Friday evening social is included in the cost of the event and everyone attends to enjoy good company. Hats off to Extravaganza and to all who supported it!

Radio Miscellanea includes feedback to articles, kudos, and a museum announcement. Most prominent is the example of scam attempts that should make us all take notice and be warned.

A.R.C. Benefits. Start the New Year by taking advantage of A.R.C. benefits to subscribers on books: a 10 percent discount and free shipping by book rate in the U.S. Discover, American Express, Visa, MasterCard accepted; a toll-free number (866) 371-0512; the Web: www.antiqueradio.com.

Coming Radio Events. The list this month includes 39 events, enough to get you started on that New Year's resolution. And, plan now to attend the Greater Boston Antique Radio Collectors' Radio XXXVI, organized by A.R.C., in Westford, Mass., on February 20, 2005. Many consider this a not-to-be missed event.

Happy Collecting!

John V. Terrey, Editor

Printed without comment

We continue to receive reports from advertisers of e-mail responses to their classified ads proposing to pay them with a check, sometimes via a third party, in excess of the purchase price. The seller is asked to refund the difference by wire. In more than one case reported to A.R.C., the check received was "bad."

To minimize problems, we always suggest that you know whom you are dealing with or ask for references.

ON THE COVER

Selling at the Estes Auction for a bargain $95, the Atwater Kent Model 37 in a Red Lion Cabinet Co. cabinet is an excellent example of how a 1920s set was built into furniture. The pull-down front, which reveals the radio, serves as a desk.