Monday, October 12, 2009

Radio Days

There's not many things in life I love. Sure. There's a lot of things I like. But I really don't have a strong feeling about very many things.

However, one thing I do have a great passion for is .... radio. I have no idea why but I do. I remember my parents had a radio that looked sort of like this when I was a child.



I always remember having a TV around but, for some reason, the radio seemed more authoritative. I remember listening to a radio in the kitchen or upstairs. When I got a little older, I remember always having a radio in the barn when I milked cows or on the fender of a tractor when I was in the field.

Of course, transistor radios were pretty special when I was in school. Listening to the top 40 was, well, just a part of life. The idea of not having a radio was, well, unthinkable.



Now, 40 or 50 years later, I still have a radio in my bedroom and I always listen to it when I go to bed. Several years ago I got a radio I really liked -- it was a combination record player, cd player, cassette tape player and a radio. It was made by Crosley. It looked identical to this.



A couple of weeks ago the volume knob broke. Not wanting to buy another one, I contacted the Crosley Radio Company and they said to mail it to them along with a check for $45. So, I did.

Today I was shocked to get a large UPS package delivered to my door. In the box was a brand new Crosley 73-3 unit -- the same combination radio unit I had sent them except brand new!



I was shocked. At first I thought it was the radio I had sent to them - just packed really nicely. But then I saw a remote control - which I never had - and it was obvious this radio was brand new. They must have figured it would be easier to just send me a new radio rather than try to fix the old one.



So I am taking my hat off to Crosley Radio of Louisville, Kentucky and saying a big THANK YOU! to them.



In this day and age of fancy flat screen TVs and high definition this and that and DVDs and high tech -- it is wonderful to know that there is still a company out there that continues to make such things as radios and record players.



I like new things that have bells and whistles and the latest gadgets -- but I still love the old fashioned radio and record player. Some things are too good to change.

Thank you to the Crosley Radio Company!

7 comments:

Maureen said...

When I was kid on a US Army base in Germany, we didn't have TV. I listened to the American radio station in bed at night, and remember being really scared by a show called The Inner Sanctum", I couldn't get enough of it.

Anonymous said...

I've always liked listening to the radio whether it be music or a talk show. My husband prefers silence so when I drive somewhere in the car alone I always turn up the volume and enjoy whatever is on at the time. Good old radio... Love it!

Di

Small City Scenes said...

I love the radio when I am driving. My Mother has a similar radio as your Crosley. Hers is a Bose though. She loves her radio too. I like the news on the radio. It seems TV News shows are just that...shows. Radio news seems to have more authority. what a nice thing for Crosley to do for you. MB

Jo said...

What a nice story!

I never listen to the radio anymore. I listen to CDs or the "talkless" radio on the computer, that plays music only. I also have several music stations on my TV.

That's a great radio. Now you just seem some good old-fashioned records to play on it.

Jo said...

I meant "need" not "seem". I sometimes have some very weird brain miss-fires. :-)

Hilary said...

That's the kind of machine I'd like and the kind of company that others should emulate. Nice of you to promote their good service. Maybe you could contact them with a link to your blog post.

Marge said...

We didn't have a TV until I was in eighth grade. Before that it was always the radio. We'd listen to the news, the farm reports, the Iowa girls basketball games, Gunsmoke, The $64,000 Question, and of course, as I approached my teens, the top 40 on WDGY, Minneapolis/St. Paul or WLS in Chicago.

Now I always have the radio on when I'm driving somewhere, only it's usually turned to MPR, Minnesota Public Radio.

Loved the photos you found, Russell!