Yes they are collectibles. I am a boombox freak. I recognize that they are not audiophile systems but many of them do put out decent quality sound, definitely better than modern portable gear. Also they typically have line inputs which make it possible to hook up MP3 players directly.
The main forum for boombox collectors is
http://www.stereo2go.com/ which is affiliated with the Pocket Calculator show Delawheredad linked above. They also cover Walkman cassette players and cassettes themselves. You'll find me over there but I have not posted in a while.
Just as with vintage TVs there is a pecking order of desirability and some people like certain models more than others. Usually the most desired model is the Conion C-100F. It is a very large radio with a soft-touch cassette record deck and a slot-load cassette player. It has nice big analog and LED sound meters (2 sets!). Conion stands for "Coney Onkyo" but I don't know if they are affiliated with Onkyo home audio or not. There are also some clones that have different brand names like Helix and Clairtone. The C-100F is iconic in the hip-hop world. It is also available in a hip-hop "Dingbat" font called Deejay Supreme, making it a common sight in hip-hop graphics, flyers, etc.
After that there are a number of high-end Japanese models, each of which has its enthusiasts. I am personally a JVC RC-M90 fan, that's the big one that appears on the cover of L.L. Cool J's "Radio" album. Single full logic cassette recorder, shortwave, mixing mic inputs, etc... I have one I restored a few years ago and it is the jewel of my collection.
You'll find others into Panasonic, Sharp, Sanyo, Toshiba, Aiwa and many other models/brands.
We also recognize the presence of "BPC"; in the boombox area, it started appearing in the late 80s and is still with us. Some of the far eastern non-Japanese models and brands are referred to as "black series" because they are newer, black plastic, and you see multiple brands on the same models. This includes Helix, Lasonic, etc... Some 80s black series models like the Lasonic TRC-931 and Helix "Wheely" are still very desirable (the Wheely is so big that it has built-in wheels!!!).
The most despised boomboxes are the 90s+ models that are tiny and egg-shaped, disparagingly referred to as "eggs". They might have a cassette deck or cd player. Even the major brands are making eggs nowadays.
Three-piece units (those with detachable speakers) have their fans, but vintage one-piece units are generally preferred. The same goes for CD players. The first-generation CD players are sought after by some, but others only want cassette decks in their boom boxes.
Lasonic is still making a variant of the TRC-931. That model originally came out in the late 80s. It was revived in the late 90s in a lighter, slightly more rounded but still cassette-based model. The latest iteration has the same body shape as the 90s version but it has digital tuning, an aux in jack and an iPod dock. It has no built-in cassette or CD mechanism. Some people are fans of this one and others hate them, it is a matter of preference.
There was an eBay price bubble a few years ago, which appears to have collapsed but some models are still quite pricey. At one point clean RC-M90s and C-100Fs were going for over $1000 each but that is not the case anymore (AFAIK).
There used to be a shop in Tokyo, Turbosonic, that sold only boomboxes (it is linked from the Pocket Calculator website). I had the opportunity to go to Japan on business so we went to their location. They no longer sell boomboxes as a rule, but they rent them out and have a nice display of rare specimens. My coworkers did not quite understand but they enjoyed themselves anyway. Here's pictures from my trip:
Turbosonic pix
I have at least 50 in my collection. Here are some pics of my collection:
Shelf o' boomboxes
me sportin' the JVC RC-M90 (and
before I got it)
JVC RC-M70, Panasonic RX-5600 and Panasonic RX-5500
Panasonic SG-J555 with radio, cassette and turntable
Daughter with Panasonic RX-C52 3-piece (she is 6 now)
12-05-2010, 01:41 PM
Threaded Mode