Van Nuys : Radio Buffs to Hold Antiques Auction

About 200 radio enthusiasts from Southern California and beyond will descend on Van Nuys Saturday to peruse and purchase wireless communications gear, novelty transistor radios, vacuum tubes, horn speakers and books about broadcasting at the annual auction of the Southern California Antique Radio Society.

In all, about 300 radios and pieces of radio memorabilia will be on the auction block, according to Richard Gray, SCARS president. About $25,000 in merchandise will change hands, he predicted.

“My guess is that the hot item this year will be something like the Thorpla horn speaker,” he said, referring to a brand from the 1920s that sits on the floor and is about 4 feet tall. “It’s a real monster. I’ve had people from Germany call and say they’re coming just to bid on that.”

The Thorpla horn speaker could sell for $1,000, said Gray, who himself has collected 38 Jackson-Bell Art Deco radios, built in Los Angeles between 1927 and 1932.

For Gray, the appeal of radio is its historical significance.

“When people look back 1,000 or 500 years from now, people will see broadcast media--not just radio, per se--as the Gutenberg bible of this era.”

For Ricki Glassman, who sits on the SCARS board of directors, the lure of radios is more basic. “I like things that are old,” she said. “I like good workmanship.”

The auction starts at 9 a.m. at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, 15520 Sherman Way. Only SCARS members can bid at the auction, but anyone attending can become a member for $15 in dues. For information about the auction or the organization, call (818) 787-0376.