VOLUME 16               JUNE 1999                NUMBER   6

EDITOR'S COMMENTS

From Antique Radio Classified for June 1999
(Copyright 1996-9 by John V. Terrey - For personal use only.)

EDITOR'S COMMENTS

An anniversary always gives us pause. We take time to reflect on what's gone before and then move on. A.R.C.'s 15th anniversary is no exception we pause, reflect and marvel! We're still here doing what we set out to do!

We've become the largest print-publication for the radio-collecting community and our distribution is worldwide. In addition to being a conduit for buying and selling and for radio information, we have published numerous significant articles on a wide range of historical and technical subjects. Some of our contributing writers go back almost to the beginning; others are quite new but equally ready to share stimulating ideas.

Needless to say, we're proud of our accomplishments, but we know that we cannot be complaisant. We too must move on. The world is changing more rapidly than the early radio pioneers could have imagined, and we must meet that challenge. And so in this issue comes the announcement of a target date on which the A.R.C. Web site will expand to include classified ads and more.

Of course, this move into the technological future doesn't detract from our primary interest in the past. A good example is our lead article by John Wolkonowicz, which fills a knowledge gap the mystery of why the set on our cover, part of the early 1924 RCA radio line, was not announced until after the lucrative 1923 Christmas selling season. John describes the original radio line planned for the 1923 Christmas season a totally different group of Radiolas that were never produced and have been unknown to collectors until now.

We might call this article "a scoop." It certainly shows how the evolution of an A.R.C. article can be something like a labyrinth. This one started with a document your editor purchased at a radio meet. John Wolkonowicz, author of numerous RCA articles, was intrigued by the subject and agreed to write an article. He, in turn, contacted Alan Douglas, another RCA historian, who contributed photos from his collection. Then, your editor found the advertising slide of the related Radiola Super VIII in his archives.

Finally, Mike Brazil's chance Photo Review submission of his Radiola Super VIII in its crate rounds out the story. And so it went one thing led to another until this exciting historical piece, like the recent ones on Atwater Kent and Cortlandt St., was complete.

Another bit of RCA history is described by Ray Bintliff in his story about the early days of television. Ray worked for the RCA Service Company converting prewar sets to postwar standards, installing new sets, and responding to the need to receive the TV signal from farther and farther away. Ray describes some wild and crazy working conditions of the times.

Digging even more deeply into the past, Howard Stone writes about the restoration of the centerpiece of his collection a Marconi Magnetic Detector. His find inspires all of us not to give up the chase for key pieces desired for our collections. A sidebar describes the operation of this early novel detector.

On the subject of our more recent past, our fifteenth anniversary seemed to call for a restrospective article about A.R.C. Dorothy Schecter, our managing editor, rose to the task, though her inclination to "tell it like it is" around the office had to be constrained. Her article is accompanied by covers illustrating key milestones and the breadth of our coverage.

Radio history is always brought into the present by an auction. Once again, Ray Chase acts as our eyes and ears at another auction. Norm's Radio Auction in Hanover, Pennsylvania, sold the collection of Charles Mooney. This over 300-lot event drew a good crowd. Highlights included a Crosley grandfather clock radio, a Scott All-Wave, and a Zenith shutter-dial console.

Dick Desjarlais continues his trip into the future as he learns more about the Internet and WebTV. This month he makes his purchase decision and sets out to buy.

Photo Review is expanded by a page for this anniversary issue and includes quite a variety crystal sets, a console, a desk set radio, a fireplace radio, and even a wind-up tape recorder.

Radio Miscellanea includes several letters on past A.R.C. articles and an enlightening letter regarding meets from one who runs them.

Internet. Finally we made it, or at least we have a target date July 1. The article on page 31 describes the Web site enhancements, the most significant of which is searchable classified ads. There also will be a searchable data base of historic auction prices, and an easier-to-use A.R.C. store. The classifieds ads initially will not include photos, but very soon, photos will be added and display and business card ads will follow.

Support A.R.C.! All of this the printed magazine you receive each month, the web site all costs real money. We urge you to support A.R.C., not only with your subscriptions, but also with your orders for books, videos, etc. We stock what we sell and usually ship the day we receive the order.

Coming Radio Events. The Coming Radio Events calendar is filled with over 41 events in June alone. For this anniversary issue, we have included our full listing of radio clubs, U.S. and foreign. I encourage all of you to attend a meet near you or to go to one of the many major meets meet other collectors, learn a great deal, and perhaps find an item or two for your collection!

Happy Collecting!

John V. Terrey, Editor

ON THE COVER

Our cover is the reproduction of a movie theatre advertising slide from your editor's collection. Such slides were projected in movie houses to advertise local businesses. In this one, Hoyt's Drugstore claimed to sell "Reliable Radios." The words "Easy to Buy Ask Us" imply that people must have been apprehensive about radios just as some are today about the Internet. The Radiola Super VIII pictured is a 6-tube, top-of-the-line superheterodyne, one of several sets that replaced the abandoned 1923-1924 line, the subject of our lead article.