Motorola Madness: The Basics of Collecting Mid Century Radios

1949 Motorola Model 68X-11Q Bakelite Tube Radio — Plastic or wood, tabletop or pocket-sized, mid century radios, like this 1949 Motorola Model 68X-11Q Bakelite tube radio, are a colorful and fun collectible to bring home. Photo by Henry Z. De Kuyper.

The mid century radio—iconic to the era, it’s a perfect item to start collecting as an MCM enthusiast. Here’s a brief history and some go-to tips for collecting.

General electric table radio — This General Electric table radio from 1946 bridges the gap between the Art Deco look and the clean lines of mid century style. Photo courtesy of Paul Sanders of Paul Sanders Classic Radios.

1930 and ’40s

To talk about mid century radios, we have to start before WWII in the Great Depression. At this point, most radios were large—they served as pieces of furniture and weren’t portable. Many collectors consider this the “Golden Era” of radios because of their handcrafted beauty. “The independence of design is very often missing from today’s mass-produced and mass-marketed items,” says Paul Sanders, who restores radios from the 1930s and ’40s.

As more materials became available after the war, radios began transitioning from wood to metal and plastics. It was during the ’40s that portable radios also became more popular. While they were available in the ’30s, the post-war versions were smaller and easier to transport.

Akkord peggie radio — The Akkord Peggie was the first transistor radio sold in Germany, 1957. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

1950s and ’60s

In the 1950s, the invention of the transistor changed the face of the radio. “The bulky tube radios disappeared and were replaced with smaller transistor radios that could fit in a shirt pocket or purse,” says Camil Moujabar of Midcentury Radios. “These radios were icons of technological triumph and dominated the market until the late 1960s.”

Catalin radio fada model 652 — This 1946 Catalin radio was called “The Temple,” and is a Fada, model 652. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Styles to Collect

When it comes to mid century radios, there are two types you’ll want to keep an eye out for: plastic and transistor.

This advertisement from the May 23, 1960 issue of *Life* magazine advertises the perks of a new transistor radio, which at that point was the most popular radio type. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Plastic Radios

These include Bakelite, Plaskon and Catalin. Bakelite was the first type of plastic to appear as a radio, in the early 1930s. It was quickly followed by Plaskon, which could produce colors such as white, beige and red. The most popular mid century plastic radio, however, was the Catalin, which created bright neon colors that became popular with the general public.

Transistor Radios

Invented in 1947, the transistor made radios smaller, sleeker and more user-friendly. The most popular transistor radios to collect are Japanese and American. Look for Japanese radios from 1956-1963, made by companies such as Toshiba, Sharp, Sanyo, Mitsubishi, Realtone and Sony. For American radios, the sweet spot fwas 1955-1960, made by companies such as Regency TR-1, Zenith, RCA, GE, Moterola and Emerson.

Identification

The best way to identify a vintage radio is to look for the model number, which will be a combination of letters and numbers printed somewhere on the piece. If it’s not visible on the outside, try inside the chassis, the inner workings of the radio. The model number may be stamped on the tubes or another part of the components.

Want some mid century and retro-inspired music to go with your radio? Check out Contemporary Music with Throwback Mid Century Sounds and The Music of the Mid Century.

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