[compucat]

The radio pictured below is a very common type seen in the Seventies and Eighties. It was the type you could by in the drugstore for five dollars and was a very simple six transistor set. I have recently purchased three of these on Ebay in new old stock condition in original boxes. They are quite often found in this condition. As vintage transistor radios go, these make great daily use sets as they are cheap, plentiful and no where near as valuable as most other models.

I've always liked the style of these sets and despite their low cost, the build quality and performance are not too bad. The cases are almost never cracked, even on the rough examples. They seem to be quite durable for daily use. Their simplicity makes them rather trouble-free. I was wondering if anyone knows any history on these sets. Specifically, who actually made them?, how long where they produced? I have seen them under many brands such as Computron, Nobility, Federal, Stewart to name a few and they all seem to be made in Hong Kong. I last saw them in stores in the early Eighties but some Ebay sellers claim to be offering some from as far back as the Sixties.

Do any of you have these sets and what do you think of them? Do you consider them real collectibles or just junk?