Collecting Vintage Radios
by Mike Batch
Collectors
of
vintage
radio
receivers
have
seen
a
phenomenal
increase
in their
numbers
in the
past
few
years.
The
number
of
collectors in North
America is currently estimated at 1700.
In Canada
there are possibly 200.
The Antique
Wireless
Association
in
Holcombe,
N.Y.,
which
has
500
dedicated
members,
was
established
a
number
of
years
ago
and
has
had
a
remarkable
increase
in
membership
in the last few years.
Who
are
these
enthusiasts?
What
motivates
them to
spend countless
hours
restoring
an
old
radio
receiver?
Their
ranks
include
people
from all
walks of life,
and
perhaps
their
motivation
lies
in
Keats' line:
'A thing of beauty is
a joy forever'.
Indeed if we take
a
close
look
at
some
early
radio
receivers,
they are truly beautiful
masterpieces
of
gleaming bakelite,
mahogany,
and shiny brass.
The Latest
Radio
Instrument,
a Combination
Reflex
Set and
Player
Piano
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A
great
number
of
today's
collectors
are
young
people
in
their
late
teens
and
early
twenties,
who
have discovered that
collecting
and
restoring
antique
radios
is
an
interesting
and
rewarding
pastime.
Another factor
contributing to the
amazing
growth
of
this
hobby
that
we
must
not
overlook is that today's trend
in
electronics,
with
integration
and
micro-miniaturisation
of
solid
state circuits,
has
all
but
eliminated
the
enjoyment
of
building-it-yourself.
A
good
example is the
modern
solid state
integrated
circuit,
where
a
complete
audio
amplifier
is
manufactured
on
a
simple
chip
smaller than a postage stamp,
which
cannot
be
modified
or
tinkered.
Indeed
a far cry
from yester-years
radio
equipment
which
was
often
handcrafted
by artisans.
There are unfortunately few antique
radio collections
on display to the
public
in
Canada.
The
National
Museum of Science and Technology
in
Ottawa does not yet have any of its
large
collection
on
display.
The
Canadian
Bell
Museum
in
Montreal
includes
in
its
collection
an
exceptional
display of early tubes
and
some radio
equipment.
The most
recent
display
of antique
radios
can be seen
in the Ontario Science
Centre
in
Toronto.
Across
the
border,
there
are
a
number
of
displays
of
early
radio
gear
in
such
places
as
the
Smithsonian
Institute
in
Washington
D.C.,
the
Ford
Museum in
Dearborn Mich.,
and
the
Antique
Wireless
Association
Museum
in
Holcombe
N.Y.
Most
of
the
equipment
in these
places
is
restored
and
in
excellent
condition.
A dedicated collector of old radios,
Mike Batch's Toronto basement
probably
contains
one
of the best
private collections
in Canada.
Among his more than
one hundred
items are many that required hours
of restoration.
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