....an internet site devoted to the preservation of plastic tube radios...

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Prewar Bakelite
Postwar Bakelite
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Postwar Bakelite Radios

Click the smaller images to view a larger image.

  
Arvin 544AR, 1946


  I picked this great Arvin up at a local antique mall for $25. I love the deco look of this radio. The paint on the radio is in superb shape, without any chips or nicks. In fact, when I first saw this radio, I was sure that it had originally been a brown radio that had been painted white. Why? Well, how often do you see a white radio with brown knobs? Much to my surprise, I found a picture of this very same radio in Stein's Machine Age to Jet Age, Volume II (p. 66). So, I guess they did come in white with brown knobs after all! Another interesting feature of this radio is that the speaker is on the right side of the case - you almost never see that!
  
Automatic 614X, 1946


  This is one of my favorite bakelite radios. The case is flawless, a deep brown bakelite with unique grille. The dial glass is a glass circle which rotates when the knob is turned. It is in perfect shape, and looks great in the dark when lit from behind. The radio even has its original back, which is in excellent shape. I have the wood version of this radio as well, it's currently being restored.
  
Bendix 55P3U, 1949


  I love the swoopy case of this Bendix, and I also have the plaskon version in my collection. These are both nice looking radios, not real valuable, but not very common either.
  
Coronado 43-8180, 1946


  This Coronado was found in a junk shop for $15, with a large chip out of one side. It was probably overpriced! It has since been repaired and restored to like new condition. Read about the restoration.
  
Emerson 653B, 1950


  This Emerson is one of my favorite radios. I purchased it for the large sum of $4, and it worked great as soon as I got it home. The dial cord needed a little attention, and the case required a polish, but once that was done, it was all set to add to the collection!
  
Firestone 4A-25 "The Headliner", 1947


  "Ultra modern plastic design, ivory finish..." So reads the ad copy for the Firestone Headliner from 1947. This was one of the nicer Firestone bakelite sets from the 1947 line. It was purchased with a large crack in the top, but has been repaired, repainted and restored to like new condition. It worked well when found. For more information, read about the restoration. Click the ad to the right for a larger, more readable size.
  
Firestone 4A-27, 1947


  This midget Firestone was purchased with a large chip in the rear. It has been repaired, repainted and restored to like new condition. Read about the restoration.
  
Meck 5A7-PB11 Bakelite Radio, 1948


  I purchased this great Meck radio off of E-bay (and I'm guessing on the model number). Did I ever mention how much I like radios with handles? The radio case had a crack on the top, as well as a few chips in the paint, but the radio did work. I have since repaired and repainted the case. I really like this radio, it's one of the smallest bakelite radios in my collection. Read about the restoration of this radio.
  
Philco 46-420, 1946


  Some people call this the "Hippopotamus Radio" because of its interesting shape. I had always wanted one, and I found this Philco in an antique shop in Madison, WI, during a visit. It needed a new power cord, and a lot of cleaning, but now it works and sounds great.
  
Philco 49-500, 1949


  I picked up this beautiful Philco at a local antique mall for only $17. The case is ivory painted bakelite, and as you can see from the photo, there are almost no chips in the paint - quite a rarity for a 50 year old radio. When purchased, the radio had a cord which was completely disintegrated, so it was not safe to plug in. Once I got it home, I put a new cord on it, and was surprised to find out that it worked perfectly! The only other repair consisted of replacing the type-47 pilot light which lights the dial. What a great find this one was!
  
Stromberg Carlson 1400, 1949


  I picked this Stromberg Carlson radio up at a local antique mall. This one is a great radio - excellent machine age, deco type styling with horizontal louvers. The dial glass is reverse painted, and forms a handle from which the radio can be carried. This radio worked fine when it was purchased. It had obviously been worked on quite recently, as there was a new power cord installed.