Customer Reviews

Collector's Guide to Antique Radios: Identification & Values (4th ed)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I collect radios and have used several editions of this book in identification and pricing of radios. It has an extensive catalogue of manufacturers and model numbers. It is full of factual, descriptive listings. Other books seem to fill their pages with quaint old advertisments,and other interesting but uninformative material. Bunis's books could improve on the accuracy of their descriptions. Many times in describing a radio, they list the number of knobs, number of tubes, shape of the dial, etc. The frustrating thing is, that just when you think you have identified your radio, you realize that the book forgot to list the number of knobs, or some other critical detail. The descriptions are inconsistant. The book has alot of nice photos of radios, but I find myself wishing for many more. If the Bunis's could solicit contributions from collectors and readers, maybe that would help. Overall, Bunis's books have been the most usefull guide I have found.

This 248 page softbound volume is the 4th edition of the popular guide. If features more than 600 full color, sharp photos and covers over 5,000 models. There is a useful introduction to the collectible, and it provides basic radio terms and descriptive information. Everything is listed by company. It appears to be a very comprehensive listing, but there are probably many models that do not appear. I'm certain no book has every model of all of the radios made. Items are easily located, and every major maker is included. Prices are updated for 1997. I'm a novice in this area of collectibles, but it appears to me that the book is quite comprehensive. It has been of value to me and I'm sure will be to others.

Without a doubt this Guide is another valuable asset to the antique radio collector, as have been all of the Sluser's previous editions. Attend a club swap meet, and you'll see fellow collectors with this author's book under their arms, on the seat of their vehicles, always "close at hand." Just a guide, never the "last word'" as some antique dealers like to think, we collectors alike have always used Sluser's books as a reference to identify those radios not often seen in our geographical area. For this use alone, it is worth the price many times over. Each new edition has many new and updated pictures/information, not found in previous editions, so it's always best to try and collect the older editions, too.

Whether you're a "sometimes" collector or "on fire" for the antique radio hobby, this book is more than a "must have," hey you've "got to have" it! Add this valuable tool to your reference library and stay on top of your hobby. Enjoy this book and happy collecting!

This guide gives a good overview of old radios. I agree with other readers that there are some iconic radios that should have been pictured.
However I can understand that the content had to be limited to make the book affordable. Myself, I would pay $60 for a larger book that had 4 times the content. Some short history on the manufacturers would have been nice too. On the positive side, this book has made me more aware of the variety of radios that were made. I can now better decide what I want to buy. The prices should only be used as relative value gauge.

This is the place to begin. Covers technical background, history, manufacturers and models. Price information is useful. Many illustrations in color. Covers battery and electric sets from 1920's
through the 1950's. Does NOT include Crystal Radios. An EXCELLENT
value. A ready reference for beginner to intermediate collector and enthusiast. Literally thousands of radios and many manufacturers covered. I could detect no gaps or ommisions. This is a catalog but well worth having on bookshelf as reference. Interesting commentary and fun to read. Well-written and informative.

This is a "must" have book for all antique radio collectors. It contains pricing and features for just about every early radio made. Look for the previous 3 editions too for more photos!

Marginally useful at best. There are much better sources of radio pricing data and photographs. The values are not real-world, and arbitrarily assume that the radio is NOT WORKING! What good is that? There are no adjustments for working condition, or other cosmetic condition assessments.

When I first started searching for tube radios to buy, I knew I needed a price guide. And, I had doubts about this volume after reading some negative reviews. Now, I find it invaluable and can't imagine shopping without it.

Any buying guide must be portable to be useful. This book is about as big as a practical buying guide can be. With 317 pages (7th edition) printed on 8.5 x 11 inch paper, you cannot stuff this guide into your shirt pocket. However, you can carry it in your briefcase or a shipping bag. (I assume that future editions will be available in a digital format for use on portable electronic devices.)

I had some concerns about omissions. Well, after attending radio swap meets, flea markets, yard sales and making inquiries about Craigslist and eBay postings, my experience is that the omissions are not overwhelming relative to the radios I have seen on the market. Moreover, several times I have found data on similar models that gave me valuable insights into a model not listed.

The book presents several pages explaining its approach to valuation. After reading the detailed comments, you will be better equipped to make adjustments for unique situations and your buying interests. No guide can account for all variables, but I can tell you that this guide can help you to avoid costly mistakes. Many sellers have no clue about market value, and are wildly optimistic about what they think their antique tube radio should sell for. I always define a "bargain" or "too costly to buy" by reference to this guide.

There are 800 color photographs in the 7th edition. Do I wish there were more? Sure, and typically each guide has more photos than the previous edition. Again, a buying guide must be portable and cannot contain photographs of all tube radios ever produced.

If you are buying, don't leave home without it. There are few buying situations where a beginner or even an expert would not be helped by referring to this book. This is a superb presentation of otherwise rare data on a niche hobby ... and a stunning bargain at under $25.

I have performed several market research projects in my professional life. And, I can only respect the years of research and data accumulation that have gone into the production of this unique work. If either the author or publisher ever stop producing this guide, it would be a huge loss to radio hobbyists. Moreover, this superb guide keeps getting better ... even as the population of collectors is likely diminishing.

I have owned previous issues of "Colector's Guide to Antique Radios" and found them very helpful in giving me much needed values of old radios in which I wanted to sell. They have also helped inform me about certain specs. about items that I was interested in purchasing. I am a big fan of old tabletop tube radios and old transistor radios. As a smalltime collector, I very much like the color pictures of some of the radios included in the issues. This issue gave me more of the same much needed info, as well as fascinating photos!

Collector's Guide to Antique Radios: Identifcation and Values (Collector's Guide to Antique Radios)
This book is a valuable reference for me as I look for bargains in antique radios.