VOLUME 15            JUNE 1998                NUMBER  6

RADIO MISCELLANEA -- June 1998

From Antique Radio Classified for June 1998
(Copyright 1996-8 by John V. Terrey - For personal use only.)

"Antique Radio Classified" invites its readers to contribute letters and information for inclusion in "Radio Miscellanea" and elsewhere in the magazine. "In The Marketplace" is based on information submitted by the businesses themselves. All topics should be of general interest and sent to A.R.C., P.O. Box 2, Carlisle, MA 01741. All material submitted should be verified for accuracy and may be edited for publication, which is not guaranteed. See the masthead for more details.

A.R.C. Fills Florida Hole and Is #1
Dear Editor:

I have just received my first issue of my subscription to A.R.C., and I want you to know that I think your publication is just great. There are very few clubs in this area in Florida, and you fill a big hole in my ability to get radios and parts.

--Alex Kaplan, Boca Raton, FL

Dear Editor:

Would like you to know that A.R.C. is the #1 item that I look for in the mailbox every month. My #2 favorite magazine is Playboy.

--Robert Gardner, Fort Pierce, FL

Good to know that A.R.C. can compete with a publication reputed to emphasize a topic a bit more universal than radio. (Editor)

April Fooled 100 Percent
Dear Editor:

Your April Fool cover fooled me 100 percent. I should have suspected.

I still laugh when I think how you fooled me with the "Crosley Dog" article a few Aprils ago. Next April, I'll assume the entire contents of the the issue is a goof unless proven otherwise.

--Fred Kaeppel, Shaker Heights, OH

Other readers may also remember the "Crosley Dog," a creation of Dan Merz, whose article in the April 1991 A.R.C. set many folks up to believe that this "prototype" was never produced "because of tube shortages and patent violations." Obviously a memorable and enjoyable ruse! (Editor)

Ad Guidelines for Battery Sets
Dear Editor:

I have a question regarding advertising 1920s battery-operated radios. Do you believe that an ad should state that a radio of the 1920s vintage has no speaker or tubes? Various radio-collecting guides say that the convention is that, when the value of a radio is stated, the fact that it has no speaker or tubes is understood.

What are A.R.C.'s guidelines on this? You may have guessed that I have had a problem regarding this issue.

I greatly enjoy your publication -- it is invaluable!

--Mike Itzo, St. Pete Beach, FL

Most early battery sets are sold without a speaker, since speakers were usually separate units (and not always made by the same manufacturer as the radio). Some early battery sets had "built-in" speakers. Unless "with speaker" appears in the ad, you should assume that early battery sets are without speakers.

Regarding tubes, the situation is less clear. It is a good idea to state specifically "WT" or "~NT," as we do in auction reports whenever possible. (Editor)

Forget the Net!
Dear Editor:

I can't imagine curling up in my easy chair for an evening with the new A.R.C. via a computer!! Forget the idea!

--E.E. Lohn, Rolling Hills, CA

Dear Editor:

As a subscriber for about 10 years and a computer engineer for 22 years, I am shocked at the tack of putting A.R.C. on the Internet.

The idea is a ploy of what I call "the rich and powerful." I am talking about the corporations and full-time dealers who are in this hobby, along with the collectors who are in a position to access the Internet at any time of the day.

All of your subscribers are looking for that special "deal." Because of staggered mailings and delivery by the postal service, we all have a somewhat equal chance of being first. If the "For Sale" ads are put on the Internet, the same 3 or 4 percent of collectors would get all the deals. Some full-time dealers can access the Internet all day long, while employees of international corporations can access the Net 24 hours a day.

The average collector who works on an assembly line can't access the Internet during his work hours. By the time he gets home and can check a computer, the deals are gone. He doesn't have a chance. Don't let the corporations and full-time dealers control the hobby. Keep the "For Sale" ads off the Internet at least until about three weeks after the issue of A.R.C. is mailed.

--Sam Hevener, Richfield, OH

Thanks for the comments. A.R.C.'s current Internet web site (www.antiqueradio.com) contains a selection from our editorial pages, coming radio events, and links to over 250 related web sites -- but, no ads. Orders can be placed for subscriptions, books and free samples. Nearly 25 percent of our mail is now e-mail! (Editor)

In the Marketplace
Gary Schneider's Play Things of Past Catalog #7 is now available. This is the largest edition yet at 116 pages and over 13,000 separate items, some of which are illustrated. Many are vintage, one-of-a-kind items.

The user-friendly index will guide you into one of six basic sections: transformers, tubes, parts, literature, books, and magazines. There are 2,100 listings of transformers; hundreds of vacuum tubes and tube-related items; thousands of parts, from binding posts to Waldom speaker cones; and a broad range of manuals, catalogs, books and magazines.

Catalog #7 can be ordered by mail for $6 from Gary B. Schneider, Play Things of Past, 9511-23 Sunrise Blvd., #J23, Cleveland, OH 44133.