Transistor Radios - Novelty In no particular order Click on a radio for an enlarged view...

 

Ladybugs A pair of ladybugs. When the radio is turned off, the wing covers are closed - as you turn up the volume, the covers open, revealing the speaker grille underneath. The orange one is closed, the red one opened. Neat!

 

Spectra Radio Sunglasses Tres hip eyewear! These ladies glasses came in a soft plastic pouch. The radio is inside the incredibly thick earpieces, with a little tube for you to stick in your left ear. Knobs are near the back of both sides. Looks like an early piece; definitely a fashion must...

 

Coca-Cola Cooler A replica of a replica! This large (almost one foot wide) plastic transistor radio is a replica of a 1949 tube radio, which was itself a replica of a Coke cooler. The top opens to reveal a cassette player and storage area.

 

Stutz Bearcat An early metal car from Japan. Tuned by the spare tire; volume by the spinner on the spare.

 

Rolls Royce Metal car, Japan.

 

Rolls Royce Phantom II Another nice metal car from Japan. The volume control is the passenger's side spare tire; tuning is via the driver's side spare.

 

Winston Cigarette Pack A well done novelty. This is a good copy of a flip-top hard pack. From Hong Kong.

 

Coke Bottle & Can Very realistic depictions of a bottle and can. The bottle radio is tuned by rotating the bottom - its volume adjusted by turning the entire clear portion at the top.

 

Super Jet Fighter A big futuristic fighter with a pair of chrome fin units surrounding the "engines." Control knobs are underneath.

 

Panasonic Loop Radio Shown twisted open here, it can be closed to form a loop (for your wrist?).

 

Panasonic R-70 These radios came in many colors and are quite common. This one kinda reminds me of the one-person space pod from 2001: A Space Odyssey.

 

K-Mart 31-31 Telephone Dial Radio This radio sports a chain nearly 16 inches long; the radio itself is about 6 inches long. The dial is designed like a telephone dial. Made in Hong Kong for the S. S. Kresge Company.

 

Mickey Mouse Radio Mickey looks very comfortable in his chair! Very soft plastic.

 

Old Parr Whisky Bottle An excellent replica of an Old Parr whisky bottle. The controls are concentric at the top. Japan.

 

TRHIL-300 Lamp Radio There's a battery-operated radio in the base of this lamp. The chrome metal piece (pulled out from the bottom of the base in the picture) was probably used to prop books for reading. At least, that's my guess. I'm not sure of the manufacturer; it has "TRHIL" on the tuning knob and "TRHIL-300" on the chrome pull-out bar. Six transistors, Japan.

 

Polaroid Film Pack An AM/FM radio which looks like a pack of film. You can even power it with an empty Polaroid pack (the radio gets power from the battery in the pack) or you can put regular batteries in an adapter tray.

 

Fleetwood Globe Radio A novelty transistor set (60's?). Reverse-painted plastic globe, about 6 inches in diameter, on a black plastic base.

 

World Globe A nice globe radio. The rings and supports are metal, and the globe spins. Covered with a paper depiction of an old map of the world.

 

Knight's Head A metal radio depicting a knight's head. The speaker grille is behind the faceplate. Nice Japanese unit.

 

Knight's Head with Face Another metal radio depicting a knight's head, but this one includes a face. Made in Japan. Contributed item.

 

Radio Shack Radio Take a guess what store this originally came from. Thumbwheel controls are on the sides by the "R" and the "o."

 

Avon Skin-So-Soft AM/FM unit. Controls on the back. A decent replica.

 

Flying Saucer You can see the radio's "guts" through the clear plastic dome, and turning the dome tunes the radio. From Tandy (Radio Shack).

 

Musical John A Japanese unit from 1967. The speaker grille is in the bowl, and the controls are on either side of the tank.

 

Wrist Watch Big, well-built metal watch from Japan. Leather strap. Volume on the side, tuning in the middle.

 

Paul Masson Burgundy Carafe AM/FM radio. Has thumbwheels on each side, and a telescopic antenna which slants up in the back.

 

Champion Spark Plug A large (14 inches) plastic Champion spark plug; the volume and tuning controls are concentric. Made in Japan. Contributed item.

Copyright © by Don Adamson. All Rights Reserved.