VOLUME 25               MARCH 2008                NUMBER  3

EDITOR'S COMMENTS

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

Many of us vintage radio collectors take pride in the wide diversity of our collections; others are dedicated to one or two manufacturers, periods, or styles. Whatever works for you -- whether high or low-end models or everything in between -- is what counts. And A.R.C. tries to cover all your interests at one time or another in these pages.

And so, when Phil MacArthur sent us a follow-up to his 2002 article on his Flavoradio collection, he again caught our attention. Here was a collector who, with not a little tongue-in-cheek, takes his pursuit of these inexpensive but very colorful sets to heart. Of course, Phil sent photos, and here begins the saga of a good cover photo achieved by a very cooperative contributor.

Like the digital photos sent by some contributors today, Phil's shots were marginal -- perhaps good enough for family albums, but not for magazine reproduction. He tried again -- and again. We realized that he had only a 0.03 megapixel camera, whereas we require a 4 or more megapixel image for a cover. We suggested that perhaps a friend with a better camera could help.

But, Phil asked first for instructions to improve the shots. We furnished these, telling him to pay attention particularly to the composition -- to stand back and get all the tops and bottoms. His response: "Oh, that's why all my photos have the family heads chopped off!" Then he set to work, followed our suggestions, and even went out and bought a new 8 megapixel camera!

All this is not to say that you have to have a camera with all the latest bells and whistles to submit photos, but it is important to try for the highest resolution possible. And it was a pleasure to work with Phil who responded so positively to instructions that we were able to achieve a good color photo for our cover.

Color is an important aspect of the diversity of the relatively inexpensive GE electric models of the 1940s, the subject of an article by Steve Auyer and Loren Ashworth. This is a follow-up to Steve's article on glow-in-the-dark radios which also provided a cover photo for the April 2007 issue. Here again we're reminded that you don't have to write about only the rarest sets for A.R.C. Often new angles to a previously covered topic are of equal interest to A.R.C. readers.

In fact, this issue could be called the "follow-up issue." Bryan Hodgson's follow-up to two earlier wire recorder articles is another case in point. Bryan writes about two uncommon, relatively inexpensive pieces of wire recording equipment that take us back to the early days of music and voice recording. He strikes a familiar note among collectors -- sometimes you think you're the only one with an oddity on your shelf, and through these pages, you find a kindred collector or two.

Walter Hughes had a somewhat similar problem in that he had found a simple box with such intriguing contents that he sent us photos hoping someone could identify it. Well, he came to the right place because I happen to have had a similar device in my collection. However, it is not directly radio-related, but a beautiful piece of quack medical apparatus. These "cure-alls" are relatively inexpensive items that appeal to many collectors of finely made equipment -- a category that certainly includes vintage radio collectors.

Those same collectors are avid followers of informative auction reports. We welcome the Eric's 18th Annual Antique Radio Auction report by Ron Ramirez, well known author of Philco Radio, 1928-1942. There were no highflyers in this auction, but it offered an opportunity to pick up bargains. This is often the case with smaller auctions, and seeking them out and attending with an empty truck could be a wise choice.

Our faithful auction contributor Ray Chase reports on an Estes Auction also with modest proceeds. However, it offers many interesting items which we select and feature in photos. Among them are a number of unusual speakers and four small table sets. Again the possibility of bargains was evident.

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. Among the special events this month are the CC-AWA Carolinas Meet, March 20-22, and an Estes Auction on March 15. The calendar lists a total of 9 meets, 2 auctions, and 27 meetings. Be sure to escape the winter doldrums and attend at least one of these.

Happy Collecting!

John V. Terrey, Editor

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ON THE COVER

Where once there were eight colors of the Realistic Model 12-166 Flavoradio, now there are eleven, and Phil MacArthur presents them all in our cover photo. Bottom row, left to right: strawberry, orange, lemon, avocado, blueberry, and plum. Top row, left to right: vanilla, strawberry and cream, peaches and cream, hot fudge sundae, and chocolate. All sound delicious enough for any collection.

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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 suggest that you always know whom you are dealing with or ask for references.