A pair of TR-1s recently sold for $5,000 at auction on-line. Later versions of the TR-1 offered additional color choices.Īlthough it is not an outstanding performer, the Regency TR-1 is touted as the “First” transistor radio and is probably the most valued and sought after transistor radio by collectors. It was available initially in red, gray, ivory, green, and mahogany. The TR-1 was produced in a variety of colors right from the start. Regency first priced the TR-1 at $49.95 and offered an optional earphone and leather carrying case. The Regency model TR-1 was the first widely marketed transistor radio. This lead to higher production levels and lower production costs and made the price to the consumer affordable. It differed from other prototypes in that due to its circuit design, hand selection of transistors for each individual radio was not necessary. Developed by both Regency and Texas Instruments, the Regency TR-1 used four germanium transistors, which allowed the small 22.5-V battery to last for more than 20 hours. ![]() Introduced in October of 1954, the Regency model TR-1 was the first widely marketed transistor radio. ![]() It is rumored that one manufacturer of these early transistor radios even supplied shirts to its salesmen with an oversized pocket to fit their radio. They were first advertised as “Pocket Radios” but you needed an awful large pocket to carry one. From the start these transistorized pocket radios were made available in a rainbow of colors. The smaller size, lighter weight, and increased battery life gave these new portable radios a distinct advantage over their vacuum tube predecessors. The first transistorized radios began appearing in stores in the mid 1950s. Although tubes had become smaller, the drain on the batteries required to power these portable tube radios gave them a short life. Many had plastic cases, which made them lighter and more colorful than the bulkier wooden portable radios available just after World War II. Most of these were lunch box size with a carry handle on the top. Small vacuum tube portable radios were available in the early 1950s. It is not uncommon to find a transistor radio at a yard sale for $4 or $5 and sell it the next week for several hundred dollars. Some models are highly sought after by collectors and regularly sell for hundreds of dollars. Today pocket transistor radios manufactured in the 1950s are very collectable. Not only did the plastic protect the painting, but it also provided the illusion of depth.What’s It Worth: Vintage transistor radios They would do this by taking the clear plastic dial from the front of the radio and painting an image on the back. One popular feature most common in Japanese radios was reverse painting. The company had supplied its sales teams with shirts with oversized pockets to enable this feat. Another collectable model is the Sony TR-63, which advertised as fitting in a shirt pocket. The 1954 Regency radio from the US was the first commercially released transistor radio and is popular with collectors the world over. Not only are Zenith and National radios popular despite their foreign origins, there are others that are collectable for their own sake. Another thing to look for is FM band support, which was later coming to Australian radios, as the country did not adopt FM radio until later than the US. Astor, AWA, Kriesler and STC are all popular brands and Australian models have some of the more popular stations already in print on the dial instead of just numbers. While foreign brands such as Sony played a huge part in the history of transistor radios, many Australian collectors prefer to start with homegrown Australian brands. ![]() ![]() Minor cosmetic issues like paint splatters are easy to remove, so they have a fairly small effect on value. Functionality is an important part of condition a radio that works is worth more than one that doesn't. Even a very rare early Zenith model will have its value determined by condition as well as rarity. What to Look ForĪs with any collectable radio the first thing to look for is condition. Music could finally go anywhere and the idea that summer could have a soundtrack was born. Unlike the larger collectable valve radios of the era, transistors made radio truly portable for the first time, and a whole new generation took that idea and ran with it. Following their introduction in 1954, transistor radios soon took the world by storm.
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