1950's Japan ~ Crystal Radio ~ Stylized Mini Rocket ~ NIB ~ Warehouse Find

Description

1950’s Japanese Import
Stylized Mini Rocket ~ Crystal  Radio
Warehouse Find ~ Original Dime Store Box
Not a toy. This small, (4 ¼ inches tall with the tuning rod down as shown above). Radio needs no batteries. It is a “Crystal Radio Set” and works on a Germanium Crystal Diode. It actually pulls its own power out of the air from the AM radio waves to operate. You tune the stations by adjusting the top knob/rod up and down.
Distinctively shaped, stylized like a space rocket with 3 boosters, Red, White & Black. It is one of the most distinctively designed Rocket Radios to come out of Japan in the 1950’s. The 1950’s Japanese crystal rocket radios have a collectors following of their own because they are so unique. Rarely do we find several dozens of one type “Still in the Original, Dime Store Box”.
It is simple to operate. It has an ear plug for listening. It also has a “Ground” clip attachment. Just clip onto a good electrical ground to attract the AM radio waves out of the sky. A gas pipe, water pipe, etc. Anything that has a metal pipe going deep into the ground will do. The antenna is also one of the wires that goes to the earplug. It can pick up any AM radio station that is nearby, and some of the powerful AM Stations it can pick up for miles. Because the earplug antenna wire is only a few feet long, weak or distant stations sometimes won’t come in well. However a longer antenna wire is all that is needed! It is simple to add an auxiliary antenna.
NO BATTERY OR ELECTRICITY EVER NEEDED
This clever little radio comes with complete instructions. Because it works on the minute power it gets from the radio air waves, it will not work in a metal building. If you want to listen to farther stations, or live in a metal building, there is a place on the radio to connect an antenna extension. A thorough explanation of how it works, and connecting it up, can be read on the instruction sheet.
There is no guarantee that you live close enough to an AM station to receive it loudly. These were recommended in the early 1960’s for bomb shelters because they need no electricity. In the early 1950’s, they understood this technology to make a reliable unit. The earphone wires are rubber coated, the radio case is hard 1950’s plastic. It has been wrapped in its original Store Display Box for over 65 years. The cardboard box has typical warehouse handling patina for something that is 65 years old, minor bruises or tears, rubbing, etc. Nothing serious.
You get one boxed radio right out of the wholesale box, just like the dime store received them in the 1950's.
We have an AM Transmitter nearby and test each one before shipping to ensure it works.
Notice;
We Cherry Pick them for you.
On this model, There will be minute cosmetic blemishes on the skin of the body, where the rubber coated Earplug wires were wrapped around the primitive plastic body. The early 1950's hard plastics were not compatible with the rubber coating on the wires of the earplug, and over 65 years wrapped up in their boxes in a warehouse, the wires left small marks where they came into contact with the plastic body. This does not affect the operation of the radio, and are generally on one side, so it can be displayed without the marks showing. We took a "Close-Up" photo of 4 typical "Good" units, with some marks. (Any worse than these we put in a reject pile). We adjusted the contrast and sharpness of the photo, taken under bright lighting, so the photo shows the marks a little more significantly than they really are. The last photo is a photo of 4 of them, side by side. The marks are either on the red pylons, or the body, or both. Look Closely. The one that looks perfect has some marks on the back. We wanted you to see both sides. Some collectors use an emery board to smooth them out. Others prefer the original Age Patina, and leave the small marks alone as part of the story of this Historic Crystal Rocket Radio.
Last Photo Above of 4 Radios shows the minute marks made by 65 years of contact with the rubber Earplug Wire.
We ship it by First Class US Postal.
7396