Antique Transistor Radios

Transistor radio was introduced to the public in the early years of the 50s. But it would take almost a decade before the transistor radio was publicly accepted. At the time of its launching, transistor radios are expensive as each unit would cost $50 or more. It was only during the 60s that public support to these devices started to increase. One reason for that success is the increasing supply of radios from Hong Kong and Japan which only costs half of the introductory prices of transistor radios. The radios that were introduced basically feature only AM stations. FM soon followed with the introduction of FM Stereo stations.

A transistor radio is a very small device when compared to their antique counterparts. As soon the transistor radio was introduced, miniature versions of the transistor radios were also introduced by Sony. The same company soon introduced the Walkman which became the symbol for miniature transistor radios and eventually, cassette tape players. Collectors are usually interested in the first wave of radios, particularly those that were developed during the 50s. A very popular brand of transistor radio when it was introduced was the Regency radio and the RCA radio. Sony’s pocket radio in 1955 is also considered as a collector’s item.