VOLUME 16               AUGUST 1999                NUMBER   8

EDITOR'S COMMENTS

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

EDITOR'S COMMENTS

As we pause in midsummer to reflect on the madness of the season, we realize that event follows upon event for radio collectors. In fact, the dedicated among us might easily plan a spread-out vacation and attend one 2- or 3-day event a month from spring to fall, provided, of course, that we can convince our families that this is also a way to see the country.

The itinerary is awesome. We could hit Radio Daze in Minnesota in May, Indiana's Spring Fling and Maryland's Radioactivity in June, Minnesota's Extravaganza in July, Illinois' Radiofest in August, AWA in New York in September, and lots of other events in between.

Among those that you will wish you had fitted into the plan are three spring/summer events featured in this issue. They prove that radio "action" can be found almost anytime, anywhere in the country.

The first is the annual Harris Vintage Radio Auction in Iowa. This quality event, reported by Jim Boellstorff, reflects prices notable enough to inspire many of us to plan to attend the next one in spring 2000. It is also a good example of how an auction house facilitates the exchange of items among collectors, thereby keeping equipment in the hands of those who really care.

The second event is the fourth annual meeting of the Military Radio Collectors Group in San Luis Obispo, California. As in his report on last year's meet, Hank Brown not only chronicles the happenings of the weekend, but also profiles individual sets.

Hank's report brings home the fact that a growing number of collectors are moving from the 1920s and 1930s into the World War II era and enjoying the preservation of later decades of radio history. In addition, they are engaged in an aspect of collecting that provides a lot of fun, especially when participants operate their vintage equipment.

And finally, we come to an event that surely could be called "the event of the summer" the 4-day Krantz auction the first installment of which is reported by the indefatigable Ray Chase in this issue. Many of you knew the late Frank Krantz primarily from his lengthy ads in A.R.C., or from our "Collector's Profile" in March 1997 and the announcement of his passing in our April issue. A frequently asked question here has been, "How could one man accumulate so many radios and so much related material in one place?"

Well, Frank did it, as this first 2-day auction, followed by a second later 2-day event, proves. With Frank's passing, we have lost a true friend of radio, as he probably saved more treasures from the dumpster than any other collector we know. And when his daughters asked advice about what to do with Frank's vast storehouse, I was glad of the opportunity to urge them to keep the collection in the hands of collectors who would carry on Frank's deep personal commitment to radio.

The auctions have done just that. Though Frank has passed away, his collection has not. Instead, it has been dispersed among collectors who really care about the preservation of radio history. The process, though difficult because of the limited space for the sale, was a tribute to Frank and a credit to his daughters.

As always, Dick Desjarlais is intrigued by the unusual, and true to form, he has contributed an article on a 6-tube TRF radio from a manufacturer called "Dilco." Fortunately, the set needed little more than a new line cord. Dick has included detailed photos in hopes that one of you can shed some light on this curiosity.

Dick also provides us with Part 4 of his journey onto the Internet via WebTV. As you will see, it hasn't been all fun and games, but with determination, he is actually transmitting his articles via e-mail. The A.R.C. staff cheers him on with each message received from dicksradiodays@webtv.net.

Projects never turn out to be as easy as you might expect. Walter Heskes provides us with a restoration saga, in which it seems that nothing had a straightforward solution. His work proves that how you solve unexpected problems and attend to details is the measure of your success. His story may yield handy tips for your next project.

Photo Review is a collection of small to large sets with an international flavor. Included are contributors from the U. S., Canada, Austria and Spain. A tiny, 3-tube, 1950s regenerative set contrasts with the RCA Radiola 67, a 1929 radio/phonograph highboy. A mystery item challenges the sleuths among you.

Feedback on recent articles in A.R.C. are prominent on the Radio Miscellanea page. A Sony book and a periodical for vacuum-tube buffs are the latest news of "In The Marketplace."

Internet. Implementing the additions to our Web site has become a frustrating experience, to say the least. Technical complications are inevitable in such projects and have led to a missed July 1 target date, as well as a later July 12 date. Work is proceeding, and about all we can say confidently is "soon." So please check our Web site frequently to find out the latest status of our new features: searchable classified ads, a searchable database of historic auction prices, and an easier-to-use A.R.C. store. And thanks for your patience.

Coming Radio Events. A perusal of our events pages shows that there are 32 events planned for August in various states. The one big multiday event is the annual Radiofest in Elgin, Illinois, August 4-7. Many of you won't want to miss that one. And, of course, we look forward to the big one of the year the AWA 38th Historical Radio Conference September 1-4. Hope to see you there.

John V. Terrey, Editor

ON THE COVER

The Harris Auction Co. always provides us with excellent photos of quality items included in its annual event. Some of them are shown on our cover. Clockwise from the bottom are an Atwater Kent Model 12 (4910), selling at $1,100; a unique "Antennae Lamp" at $400; and a 17-inch pink Philco Predicta, at $250.