Early Wireless pre-1930

£125

c.1925. 4 valve TRF, made by the Daytona Fan and Motor Co. Never heard of them, but this looks a good quality set, solidly made, 3 valves present (USA types of course). Good condition.
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£195

1926. 2 valve receiver by the most famous company in radio. Very genuine original set, some scratches and marks but all original and a nice little set at about half the price they fetched ten years ago.
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£165

1927. A large 'portable' set, 5 triodes in a conventional TRF line-up. The controls are mounted on a 'mother of pearl' effect panel covered by a hinged lid with station card. Excellent original condition, really nice clean set that is also quite rare. Believed to be working.
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£165

Crystal set c.1924. Neat little set (only about 6" wide, 2" deep) in a rexine covered cabinet, very attractive with instructions in the lid and nice nickel plated fittings on ebonite panel. BBC and PMG marked. A feature is that it has the original 5XX loading coil, very rare to find and of unique construction for this model.The set is all in very good to excellent original condition and I think is one we sold around 1998, then again about 5 years ago.
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£220

1929. Very impressive 8 valve mains TRF in solid walnut cabinet, with brass details and inlays. Very high quality, heavy set. MW only and 110v of course, has push-pull triode output stage with 4 tuned stages. The chassis is covered by a gold crackle finish cover with the valves protruding through holes, which is almost a pity as the underneath is very impressive and in superb clean condition. It needs an external speaker, not sure of the impedance as I have not had a chance to check it yet but I am assured that the set works very well with high sound quality.
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£650

Chakophone model 1B c.1925. A rare and unusual set in the 'Smoker's Cabinet' style. Light oak cabinet, with two doors covering the panel similar to the Gecophone BC2001. (Only a rarer set.) Lovely original condition, 3 valve, originally presumably bright emitters.
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£150

c.1929. I don't really have any information on this set, it is a conventional 3 valve TRF battery set similar to many others produced around this time. It is however in outstanding original condition, the dark oak case and grained front panel being virtually unmarked and inside it looks practically as it must have been when new. It has access from a removable back panel, which has printed instructions inside. The components and valves are mounted on an engraved ebonite 'chassis' rather like a Graves.
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£95

c.1930. These sets were made by GEC as a kit, sold under the Osram name usually used for the valve division. A very good example, well above average condition, Battery 4 valve set in oak and painted alloy cabinet.
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£295

American 5 valve receiver, 1927. The unusual name comes from the location of the makers, at Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is a conventional 5 valve TRF, but of very good quality in an unusual curved front cabinet. The back of the cabinet is covered in a comprehensive instruction guide. The valves are US type 01A, and a label inside says that 'All filaments are OK'. (Wehavenot confirmed this.) In general the condition is very good and everything appears original.
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£95

'Super Range Portable 4' 1929. 4 valve screened-grid portable. Leathercloth covered wooden case. Not the same one from last time, this is presumably earlier as it has a wooden speaker fret instead of bakelite. Very good, clean, original.
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£450

Novelty crystal set 1925. Unusual novelty crystal set in the form of a bound book, only about 4" wide, which opens to reveal a miniature detector and slide tuning. In red, (also made in blue and tortoiseshell effect celluloid. ) The front is inscribed in gold 'The Listener, by E.R. Fone' - (Ha Ha!) The condition can only be described as excellent, appears totally original and in superb condition. Very rare item.
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Sold for £395

c.1923. Single valve receiver, quite rare and in exceptional original condition. It is almost as new, quite remarkable for a set of this age. Just a basic single valve circuit, but nicely made as you would expect from this company.
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Sold for £325

1928. An interesting high quality set in mahogany cabinet, with the early double-ended S625 screened grid valve visible in the top of the cabinet. Appears absolutely original, very good condition (some scratches on the lid) and complete with all valves. This set is believed to have changed hands a few years ago for over four times this price.
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Sold for £95

c.1924. Neat little horn speaker, about 10" high. Made by the firm of C. A. Vandervell, famous of course for their motor accessories. Small is beautiful as far as horns are concerned, and this is a nice little specimen in original black crackle finish and working condition.
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Sold for £145

Crystal set 1923. With original carton. These cheap and cheerful crystal sets must have sold in good numbers as they are not uncommon today, but there are not many with their original carton. The set is not damaged but is missing the cardboard base plate and the box is a bit tatty, but very interesting as every surface is covered with printed information, including instructions and prices of accessories etc
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Sold for £275

1929. Philips made several mains sets around this time and a range of unusual looking speakers. This is a 3 valve TRF in an enclosed bakelite cabinet with lift-up lid. The speaker is one of the flecked bakelite 'dish' types which has very attractive figuring in the bakelite. Both set and speaker are excellent examples, working.
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Sold for £895

1925. 4 valve luxury receiver (cost new £30.10s) in mahogany cabinet with lift-up lid. Verygood example of the products of this Wolverhampton based manufacturer, better known of course for their motor cycles. A.J. Stevens went in to the wireless market during the 20s but gave up when the price of sets began to fall in the 30s and designs became morecomplex. This is a very nice set with a good provenance- it was part of the Pat Legatt collection auctioned at Christies in 1999, where it sold for over £1300. Looks very original apart from bottom plywood panel missing.
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Sold for £295

1 valve crystal set 1923. Very impressive and quite rare valve-crystal receiver,similar in part to the 'Radiola' crystal set, but has an additional valve stage which uses a single triode dull emitter mounted under the panel. Typical high quality BTH product in solid walnut cabinet and moulded panels. This is a lovely original example which has not suffered from cracking of the lid due to shrinkage, a common problem in these sets. Original polish and transfers, original BTH valve.
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Sold for £875

Fine example of this classic, one of the first sets on the market as the BBC started in 1922. Original cabinet finish. Has 3 range blocks, 2 regen. units and original working BBC marked Marconi valves. Unusual later model, has 'EBM' type transfer. Superb.
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Sold for £95

c.1929 Four valve screen grid TRF. Peto Scott were an early entrant into the wireless industry but never seemed to have a high profile. They made sets and kits in the 20s, some using the name 'Pilot'. Later sets are rare with the exception of a model produced in the 1940s. The name crops up in connection with television equipment in the 50s and 60s, eventually disappearing into Pye TVT. This is a technically competent looking piece of kit, typical of the period but unusually is mounted in a slightly Art Deco influenced cabinet. Seems all original and unmolested, good condition and complete.
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Sold for £250

c.1925. Very impressive set in a large solid oak cabinet. 4 valve, with 'swinging coil' reaction, this seems to have been the flagship of the Edison Bell range. The company of course dated from the 19th century amalgamation of interests in telephony by Edison and Alexander Graham Bell. They made radios and gramophones, also owning the 'Radio' record label. This set has been through our hands ten years ago. It has BBC (EBM) transfer and the Edison Bell name on the cabinet. 6 E-B 'Bell' coils. A rare set, good original condition
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Sold for £195

Twin Crystal 1924. These sets are not uncommon, but they are very hard to find in this condition. This must be one of the best in existence, in first class condition. Yes, you can pick these up cheaper, but if you want one of the best you are ever likely to see, this is worth the extra.
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Sold for £75

Well known horn loudspeaker by BTH, made from 1925 until 1929. Good clean condition, working order.
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Sold for £75

Amplion Dragon AR111 horn speaker, c. 1924. Small horn speaker, all original, metal flare, all good condition, working order.
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Sold for £75

American 5 valve 1920s set, lift -up lid, attractive front panel with windows for 0-100 tuning scales. The cabinet needs a little cheering -up, lid is slightly warped, all valves (expect are all the same 201 type) are missing.
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Sold for £195

Possibly the only example of this set in existence, made by a small company in Bedford. It is a 5 valve battery 'Transportable' of very unusual design. The controls are on the 'back', behind a lockable panel, the 'front' having the speaker fret and a cover over the valves. pristine oak cabinet with nickel fittings, gleaming throughout. Very rare and unusual, possibly unique, with several sheets of notes and diagrams from a former owner.
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Sold for £695

Crystal set by MetroVick (Metropolitan Vickers Ltd.) This is an amazing find, one of the rarest crystal sets, in apparently unused condition in its original carton with instruction card. It looks as new, and may well never have been used, the blue and gold box being also in very good condition, having printed information in the lid. It might have been unsold stock when crystal sets went out of fashion. Very rare item.
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Sold for £750

1924. Single valve receiver, by the most famous maker in early wireless. All original condition, complete with original BBC marked top pip valve, range unit and with original battery cable and terminal block. It also has the hard to find Marconi aerial and headphone plugs. This is not an easy set to find, and this very clean original example is a good specimen. There is a slight split in one edge of the lid, otherwise the condition is very good with clean BBC and Marconi transfers. This radio is only about 8" square.
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Sold for £1250

Marconi V3. 3 valve receiver 1923. One of the classic sets of the period by the world's best known manufacturer. This was an expensive set new, and despite its large and impressive appearance was intended only for headphone use. This is a beautiful original example, 2 range blocks and regen. unit for MW coverage. All original inside, correct DE3 and DE6 valves.
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Sold for £85

Columbia battery portable, in excellent original condition, looks absolutely original but as clean as a whistle, believed working.
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Sold for £120

American 9 valve TRF set, late 1920s/early 30s. 110V mains, superb condition and high quality, might be a kit or a small factory,but no name on it. Cabinet professionally made. Has push-pull 71As in the output. Very heavy, has big Thordarson transformers. Superb condition and works very well.
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Sold for £95

Home built 5 valve TRF. Superb quality home built set using a screen-grid valve so probably dates from 1929/30. Has a puch-pull output stage, quite unusual for a battery set, The qulity of the construction is far better than average, better than some commercial sets. In superb condition, solid mahogany and ebonite construction.
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Sold for £150

Chakophone Eagle 3 valve receiver, c. 1928/9. Sets by this maker, based in Warwick, are fairly rare. This is a late 20s example in dark oak, all complete and original, with a very good colour logo showing Warwick castle inside the lid.
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Sold for £75

Pye 25C. Very early (1929/30) rising Sun portable by Pye, all original as found condition, complete and with a pretty good cabinet.
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Sold for £75

Umello 5 valve battery set, 1930. Quite rare, looks all original and in good condition.
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Sold for £150

J. G. Graves 'Aeriel' crystal set. C.1923. J.G. Graves was a Sheffield entrepreneur who made a fortune by mail order and H.P. sales. Goods sold varied from radio through watches to machine tools. Well made set in oak cabinet, monogram transfer and BBC marked. Nice clean original condition complete with a pair of headphones.
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Sold for £220

Marconi 22 1926. 2 Valve set, range changed by plug-in tuning unit. Solid mahogany cabinet with lift-up lid. Very original set, all complete and absolutely right, a bit tired looking but with a bit of cosmetic TLC it would come up well. A good chance to buy a 20s set by the top name- a few years ago these were touching £400, and prices seem to be looking up.
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Sold for £95

Osram 'Music Magnet' 1928/9. Battery kit set for home constructors, complete with original assembly plans, diagrams etc, a fascinating historical document in itself. Excellent original condition, working.
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Sold for £275

Ekco 313 1930. 3 valve AC TRF in dark brown. With 'Ekcone' LS1 speaker. The 312 and 313 were the first radios by Ekco to use a bakelite cabinet. The sets were supplied with either a balanced armature or moving coil speaker housed in a large but flimsy bakelite cabinet. This is a very good all original example, (ex-Caten collection) no cracks or damage, except a small tear in the cloth of the speaker.
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Sold for £275

Burndept 'Ethodyne' 7 valve superhet 1926. One of the very earliest superhet designs sold in the UK, this was a prestigious set that originally sold at an unbelievable £80.12.6d. It should have a spectacular frame aerial, or rather one for each wave band, which fits into a socket on top. This is a rare set and complete examples can make over £500, so there is room to buy or even make an aerial. The cabinet finish is dull but original, and the whole set is otherwise complete and unmolested. An opportunity to acquire a rare, interesting set with potential for improvement.
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Sold for £295

Millet Junior (Marconi RB2 Crystal Junior) Crystal Set 1922. Made by Marconi's Wireless Telegraph Co. It uses the same slide tuned range block idea employed in the V1-3 valve sets, and was supplied with interchangeable holders for conventional Galena or 'Perikon' (steel/carborundum) detectors. (As described in 'Radio! Radio!' (p.66) This one has the red 'Millets' label on the lid through which you can feel the ivorine Marconi inset label. Very good original condition, has both detectors, one MW block and original cell cover, and a rare headphone plug. BBC/PMG transfer.
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Sold for £275

Peto-Scott 'Chelmsford' Crystal Receiver De-Luxe. c.1924. This is a very impressive looking and rare crystal set, quite large (nearly a foot wide, about 8" high) in a medium oak cabinet. Superb original condition, enclosed detector, brass fittings. It has an LW coil (standard type). Appears as on p.103 of "Tickling the Crystal 2", except it has no evidence of a BBC stamp in the lid. Perhaps this was dropped when the scheme was abandoned in 1924.
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Sold for £195

Gecophone No.1 Crystal Set 1923. Quality well-known model in very good all-original condition.
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Sold for £195

Efescaphone 'Benbow Junior' Crystal set1924. The strange name is derived from the manufacturer; Falk, Stadelman & Co. of London. They were an electrical wholesaler who sold a range of sets, some very exotic, under this trade name. This is their basic model, the later version having provision for a Long-Wave coil. It is complete and all original, polished brass and ebonite on a mahogany case. Quite rare, and in very good condition.
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Sold for £125

Brownie No. 3 crystal set, later version of the No.2, has a switch for Daventry (LW) in place of the plug-in coil. Excellent original example with original card base, no damage.
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