Father’s Classic Catalin

Q: My father was an engineer, but his real passion was old radios. He loved to tinker with them in his basement workshop. Hundreds of radios came and went, but this one he held onto. It was his favorite. When he passed away, most of what could be salvaged went to his radio buddies, but […]

Tuning In for Catalin Radios

Escaping the Great Depression, and with another world war looming, Americans were looking for something to make their days cheery and bright in the late 1930s. They found it with Catalin radios. Catalin is an early, clear plastic made from phenol formaldehyde resins developed by the American Catalin Corporation in the 1930s. Catalin could be […]

Kovels Antique Trader Debut Issue – August 2023

Thrifty Threads…Archival Fashion…Lamps and Lighting…Catalin Radios…’70s and ’80s Toys…Magic Memorabilia…John Dillinger & Gangster Memorabilia…Fruit Salad Jewelry…Thrift Shop Tourism…Ceramics Marks…Collector’s Gallery      

The Beat Goes On: Vintage Radios 

Vintage American radios from the 1930s and 1940s still command high auction prices.  Bonhams Los Angeles recently sold a collection of 88 radios that included some of the most important radio makers from the 1930s and ’40s. The selection represents the finest radio makers from the era, including Air King, Sparton, Fada and Emerson. Director […]