Vintage radios have always had a charm and appeal about them that I have a difficult time expressing in words. It’s probably better illustrated through the starry-eyed look I give while running my hand over them. There’s something about the design of them. The grip you get on the knobs. The way the dial glides over the numbers with the buzz and static interchanging with the brief sound of a station coming in tune. If anything gives the deep nostalgic feel, it’s the look, feel, and sound of a vintage radio.
I found this gem on eBay after months and months of searching for just the right radio. I find so many radios during my antique and thrift shop excursions it’s surprising I didn’t already have ten in my possession.
However, none of them felt quite right (or at the right price). It’s a beautiful gold and turquoise Bulova radio, with a small crack in the plastic over the clock face and two knobs missing. It’s in working condition though it does have a hum. Perhaps a tube needs replacing inside. Oh, is it beautiful though! Even with it’s flaws, I fell absolutely in love with it, and even more so when I saw it in person.
My lack of handiness, that I have written about before, is once again a bit of a problem. Perhaps I can find a clock repair shop or such who can help me out in this area. A search for Bulova knobs comes up short, and apparently they are hard to come by. If it comes down to it, I don’t mind circulating the one knob to each spot in order to operate the whole thing! Ha!
Now that I have found the radio I fell in love with, I may have to add a few more and make a collection. They really are fantastic and as I said before, I come upon so many that it won’t be difficult to find some more beauties to keep this one company.
Was tempted, but too expensive.
Gorgeous!
There is such a variety out there, the abundance is quite overwhelming. There are radios from the 1930s through the 1970s, transistor radios, clock radios, radios with an 8-track player, radios in working condition that are functional, ones that are purely for display purposes, and so much more.
Psst. . .I touched it. Shh
When I buy my next one, it’ll probably be one like this!
Simple, yet a beauty.
While I’m sure I’ll have no problem finding more vintage radios to adorn my house, I may have a problem finding places to sit them all. A small concern compared to the enjoyment of having these beauties on display and hearing the buzz of an AM radio station floating through the house from which ever lovely radio I choose.
Lovely Shades of Nostalgia 
Excellent article!! It is great that you bought a classic radio that is working. I had almost forgotten that Bulova manufactured radios. I love the color and design of your radio. Last I knew tubes can still be bought for old radios, that would eliminate the hum, but finding which tube needs to be replaced may be difficult. Main thing is you have a working radio from many years ago, when radio ruled the airwaves, before we had 500 cable channels to watch on television, except there is nothing worth watching sometimes.
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Exactly, so many TV channels and not much worth watching! Next week’s post touches on that actually.
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That gold and turquoise works for me too..as apparently so does the radio. I too had forgotten Bulova made radios. That’s the “sound of history” there for sure!
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I’ve seen quite a few Bulova radios, they have such a great design. And some are pink!
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I love vintage radios. 🙂
Thanks for writing this article.
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I’m glad you enjoyed it!
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Like you, I have a love affair with radio.
It started 16 years ago when I purchased a beautiful 38 Philco upright. It didn’t quite work, but a few vacuum tubes later, I had an operational link to the past. I used to listen to the local classical station while I made breakfast with my (then 2-year old) daughter on Sundays.
Well, the station switched formats. I suppose I could have just played classical music from my computer…but that defeated the purpose! I wanted my 10 seconds of warm-up time. I wanted that mellow AM sound.
So I built a little AM broadcaster out of a kit. Took me just a few hours. I hooked it up to a little laptop, and now I own the airwaves around my house (tune in to AM 670!)
Since then, I’ve acquired a ’56 Zenith in an amazing shade of maroon. I’m occasionally attempted to get more radios, but I haven’t found as many pretty ones as you have.
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Yeah, that’s been one of the downsides of using my beautiful radio, there just aren’t appropriate stations to listen to. See, unlike me, you are handy, you built your own station! Very cool.
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My father-in-law helped. It’s actually no great difficulty to learn out to solder.
Baking, on the other hand…I don’t know how you’ve mastered that mysterious art!
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I have a Motorola like the one shown worKS well
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