Featured National Brand 2 Channel 8 Transistor Radio (1960's)

Hiya
My brother found this working 2 band, 8 transistor radio at the op shop. The brand is "National" which is now Panasonic. Does anyone know anything about it (we know it's from circa 1960)? He was curious to know more about it such as how much was it at the time? Was it considered a luxury item? etc.

 

I have one very similar...also leather bound...it was ...I think...my 1st radio.
I remember it being important to me....as maybe a 1st cell phone might be to a kid in the 2000's...but I doubt it was considered a luxury....unless you lived in a 3rd world country !

 

when they started to be mass-produced after transistors got so cheap, they lost to be luxury status. 2-band high and mid replaced the single band and another system (superhet) around 1954/5.
the advantage was size and low energy-consumption.
Japan started to destroy the US and European markets with cheaply produced but good quality items end-50s into the 60s - be it cars, motorcycles etc..
it's nice that it has its original travelling pocket and seems working okay.
prices are all over the place.

 

Here it is at the Radio Museum website.....

National 2-Band 8-Transistor T-40 Radio Panasonic, Matsushit (radiomuseum.org)

 

I remember getting a transistor portable radio with a leather case for Christmas around 1960-61. I was so excited !! My mother told me to be very careful with it..as it was "very expensive "!!!! Back then everything was expensive to my mom.

 

I love that

 

Thanks for the info. I can't believe seventy years old and it still works. The sound is so nice as well, a warm crackle to it.

 

Is yours also this salmon colour? This plastic really holds it's colour huh, 70 years old and hasnt really faded.

 

I will forever equate Transistor radio's to Alan Sherman and the "12 gifts of Christmas"....lol.

Yours is not a "Nokashuma" in a leathette case with a thing on a cord to put in your ear, yet it is of the same vane! Fun stuff !!!

(30) The 12 Gifts of Christmas - Allan Sherman - YouTube

 

I had a transistor radio that I took to the beach back in the day. I wonder where it is??

 

Transistor radios were treasured posessions in the 60s. They weren't terribly expensive but certainly more than I made in a week on my paper route. I remember strapping mine to my bicycle handlebars when doing my route. We always took one to the beach and remember sunning and listening to AM top 40 tunes. We always made a point to hide it out of sight when we went to swim. They frequently were stolen if you did not take care.

 

ooooops!!!!

 

those were the days ! hidden under the blanket so no-one saw me after 8 pm when the hitparade was on radio. much Beatles, Tremeloes, Joe Cocker, Doug Sahm Mendocino...
and then the awakening ! 1970 ! one night, out of a sudden that hell of a riff... Paranoid! Black Sabbath !

 

don't worry, the beach will come to you in a few years !

 

it was a link to the outside world.....and they were playing my song !!

 

Those were the day, transistor radios at the beach, friends and fun.
Noted, the baby oil was not a good idea.

 

Predecessor was the portable tube radio, very popular in the 1940's and 50's. Huge, heavy with several big batteries (90V and 15V if I remember). Had one and repaired a bunch in the 1960's when they were still around.