VOLUME 25               JANUARY 2008                NUMBER  1

EDITOR'S COMMENTS

From Antique Radio Classified for January 2008
(Copyright 1996-2007 by John V. Terrey - For personal use only.)

As the saying goes, "Variety is the spice of life." Well, how better to start a New Year than with a celebration of the tremendous variety in radio collecting. One way to do that is to take a look at what is offered at an outstanding meet like ARCI's Radiofest. It makes you realize that there is plenty of spice in a radio collector's life.

Daniel Schoo's report and photos attest to the wide-ranging collector interests on display especially at a flea market. Dan's meet photos run the gamut of decades of radio history from a 1920s Magnavox horn speaker, to 1930s-1940s Art Deco wooden cathedrals, to later TVs, pocket transistors, and Ham equipment. A flea market touches on just about everyone's interest.

In addition to a flea market, a major meet has other standard ingredients in its offerings: an auction, a banquet, and a contest. But each meet also has its own character. Radiofest, for example, offers free admission to the flea market, an appraisal tent open to the general public, a Ham radio station that operates throughout the meet, and a Boy Scout merit badge program, capturing the interest of a possible next generation of collectors. The boys can actually earn their badges at the meet. All of these special offerings add up to variety with a capital "V" and make Radiofest one of the major shows in the U. S.

Sometimes we're also struck by the infinite variety in radio history. Dave Crocker diverged from his usual pursuit of Crosley history when he came across the story of a 1919 Navy contract for four airplanes intended for World War I use. However, the war ended before the planes could be put into action; instead, they were entered into a trans-Atlantic crossing contest. Only one finished, and Dave credits the radio operator for the success. You'll be interested in the photo of the plane's equipment and an identifying schematic.

Good photos always tell even a small story well. Ian Sanders picked up on the Heathkit IT-28 capacitor checker in the October "Photo Review" and sent in photos of his three similar sets. Manufacturers created variety in products with color, in this case, light or dark front panels.

Color obviously gives variety to a collection. The turquoise plastic case of an Emerson transistor portable caught Bob Enemark's eye, and with a little repair, it made a bright addition to his collection.

Claude Chafin's good photo of a Viscount 1660 multiband portable radio with a description of his repair job is an example of how a short article can often fill our bill. Articles need not be pages long to impart valuable information.

Some of us, of course, don't necessarily require variety in our collections. Roland Jennings championed the Thompson "Minuet" Neutrodyne in a 1997 A.R.C. article and still looks for ways to make repair of these sets easier. In a follow-up, he suggests a Chidester prefab cone for use by the next generation of restorers.

And some of us, despite the invasion of modern technology into our lives, hang on to the old as long as possible. Chris Jones describes his exhaustive effort to mix the old and the new when he was forced to replace his 27-year old TV. Somehow the audio in his modern replacement didn't suit, and he put together a vintage sound system to meet his standards. Now we know that no matter what new gadget appears, vintage equipment collectors will carry on.

Speaking of standards, we all have our own, and for Howard Stone, they involve excellence in research. That's what he found in Eric Wenaas's book Radiola: The Golden Age of RCA, and that's what compelled him to write an unsolicited review. For Howard, the book is a model for how to go about researching and writing a book on "this earth-shaking invention." We appreciate Howard's addition to the praise the book has already received.

A.R.C. Benefits. Be sure to take advantage of A.R.C. benefits: a toll-free number (866) 371-0512; Discover, MasterCard, American Express, Visa accepted; the Web, www.antiqueradio.com; books shipped free in the U. S. by USPS media mail; and for current subscribers, a 10 percent discount on all book orders.

Coming Radio Events. The new year begins with a list of 5 meets, 29 meetings, and 2 auctions. Be sure to venture out of your winter workshops to attend at least one of these events.

Happy Collecting and Happy New Year to all!

John V. Terrey, Editor

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New in 2008 for A.R.C.

Rates. Our subscription rates have been the same since 1999 and during that time, mailing, production, and other costs have continued to increase. We are finally forced to respond with a rate increase. On January 1, 2008, U.S. subscriptions by Periodical Mail will be $45.00; by First Class Mail, $60.00.

The "good" news is that current subscribers may renew now at the old rates. So, renew now and save.

Foreign rates by air mail will remain the same, but unfortunately, international periodical surface mail is no longer offered by the postal service.

Web Site. Changes are being made on our web site also. To reduce the exposure of our subscribers to scams, we no longer make ads available to nonsubscribers. And, we have improvements to our marketplace in the planning stages and hope to add a past auction price search capability soon.

ON THE COVER

Our colorful cover photo taken by Daniel Schoo at Radiofest pictures six of nine plastic Crosley "Dashboard" radios. The nine were offered as a set in an antique mahogany bookcase for $3,600 by Harrison Smith at the flea market. They illustrate that variety is certainly the theme of a great meet.