Collectors Tune In To Soulis Auctions Rare Radio Sale

Before the 19th century, wireless radios seemed like a far-fetched concept until physicist Reginald Fessenden changed that on Dec. 24, 1906, when he sent the first long-distance transmission of human voice and music from his station at Brant Rock, Mass., and set the stage for commercial broadcasts.

A steady stream of inventions from then on changed the way the world connected and communicated, and radios eventually became a staple in homes everywhere.

More than 100 years old, the radio is still a powerful force in American life. Antique and vintage models are also avidly sought after by collectors for their historical appeal and cool aesthetics.

One consummate collector was Bob Lane, who amassed a “thinking man’s” collection over 50 years. “Doc Lane,” as he was known by many, co-founded the Mid-America Antique Radio Club in 1974 and was always eager to share his knowledge and support the hobby he loved.

Over a three-day sale from Nov. 1-3, “R.A. Lane’s Midwest Wireless Museum: The 50-Year Collection of Bob ‘Doc’ Lane,” Soulis Auctions offered his collection that documented the history of commercial radio in America from 1908 to 1980. It included Pre-WWI avionics, rare early crystal sets, large breadboard models, hard-to-find cathedral and cabinet models and hundreds of early and rare transistor radios.

Day three included radios from the 1930s to 1980s and featured Bakelite, Catalin and mirrored models styled by American industrial designers, 1930s rarities like comic character models and sets in cabinets, 1930s Tombstone, Cathedral and Console cabinet models, camera radios, microphones and much more.

The top lot was a rare 1937 General Electric Tone Tester radio that sold for $8,000—four times its high estimate. The circular tower-form countertop radio includes seven back-lit celluloid panels that show pictures of radios from 1927 to 1937, along with two panels advertising General Electric radios.

Rounding out the top five and also handily exceeding their high estimates: a rare 1933 Crosley bottle-form novelty radio for Coca-Cola with the classic hobble skirt shape that sold for $7,500; a hard-to-find circa 1936 Philco radio cocktail bar with its original glassware that fetched $4,600; a mid-century Abbotwares Model Z487 radio with an animated hula girl that brought $4,200; and a c. 1940 Fada Blue Bullet Catalin radio that sold for $2,800.

In the 1920s and 1930s, the use of modern plastics like Bakelite and Catalin were used to create streamlined, Art Deco designs, signifying contemporary technical advancements in production.

Developed in 1927, Catalin radios are a favorite with collectors for their eye-catching appeal. Ten other Catalin radios were offered in the auction and pushed past their estimates, including a Sentinel Model 284 with a wavy grille that sold for $2,200; a c. 1937 Fada 5F60 marbleized green radio that brought $2,000; and a Fada Temple Series Model 652 with grille that fetched $1,400.

Other highlights were several examples by American industrial designer and architect Walter Dorwin Teague, including his iconic “Bluebird” radio for Sparton, c. 1934, that sold for $2,400. Teague was known for his Art Deco designs and the Bluebird is considered a masterpiece of that style, with its dramatic chrome accents and bold blue glass body.

For more results, visit soulisauctions.com.

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