The Collectors
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Episode 40, Friday 14 November 2008
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Andy visits the annual Radio, TV and Phonogram Festival in Canberra for the best in bakelite, valves and cathode rays. This is where enthusiasts of sound and vision from the 1920s to the 1970s gather, and the crowd grows bigger every year. The very best in vintage radios are here, represented on several stalls, and Canberra’s Greg Williams shows off a wonderful collection of TV sets from the early days of timber cabinets to the futuristic plastic and chrome of the 60s and 70s. Beautiful and ingenious phonograms are also here.
The attraction of this show is that it is highly interactive. Most of the restored items are for sale, vast numbers of spare parts are available at absolute bargain prices, specialist restorers are there to share their expertise and advice, and workshops and lectures are continuous.
And Andy can’t help himself, and promptly starts his TV collection with a canny purchase.
The Festival is now run in conjunction with the HRSA (Historical Radio Society of Australia.
For information go to the Historical Radio Society of Australia website, write to PO Box 2283, Mount Waverley, VIC 3149, or phone 03 9539 1117.
