RacerXtreme
09-22-2005, 07:02 PM
Ever seen one?
They were used in a few of the gangster movies of the 1930's.
What they are - or were - was a short wave radio and speaker mounted underneath a bar that had a top that flipped up and opened backwards, and two sides (like gull-wing doors on an OLD Mercedes) that opened horizontally to reveal a chromed out bar. There's an engraved mirror in the top and a side door for stashing your expensive liquor. The company that made them was called Radiobar.
My grandma bought one new in 1935. She gave it to me 20 years ago and it's sitting in my garage at the moment.
Should I keep it or sell it ?
I'm not much of a drinker, and I really haven't done much with it in 20 years. The original Philco radio died a long time ago (before Ebay.....) and I threw the radio and speaker away because I couldn't find parts for it.
I could shoot myself for that ............
Duh.......
For a while, I put 2 smoked glass doors on the front of it and used it as a really nice stereo cabinet. People would freak out when you flipped open the top and showed them the bar. The original set of shot glasses and glassware that went with it disappeared probably 30 years ago. So it's not 100 percent original, but it is in really nice shape and has one really unique feature. I know this sounds strange, but the face of a man with long wavy black hair is easily visible directly in the front of the cabinet - 1/2 on each of the doors that open sideways when you fold out the top. It looks like the face of God or what you may have seen in a book depicting him. I know that sounds weird, but it's true. My mother and grandmother showed it to me when I was 8 or 9 or 10 yrs old and we were listening to the radio from Germany or somewhere overseas.
I can't believe I threw the radio and speaker away.
For a while I had a JBL E140 in the bottom of the cabinet tho........
Someone hit me with a brick.
Keep it ? Or sell it ? The fact that my 88 yr old grandma (who still has a drivers licence and drives) bought it new makes me hesitate. It is unique, but I just don't use it like it should be used.
What do you think? I'll post photos tomorrow.
c-ya
Guy
They were used in a few of the gangster movies of the 1930's.
What they are - or were - was a short wave radio and speaker mounted underneath a bar that had a top that flipped up and opened backwards, and two sides (like gull-wing doors on an OLD Mercedes) that opened horizontally to reveal a chromed out bar. There's an engraved mirror in the top and a side door for stashing your expensive liquor. The company that made them was called Radiobar.
My grandma bought one new in 1935. She gave it to me 20 years ago and it's sitting in my garage at the moment.
Should I keep it or sell it ?
I'm not much of a drinker, and I really haven't done much with it in 20 years. The original Philco radio died a long time ago (before Ebay.....) and I threw the radio and speaker away because I couldn't find parts for it.
I could shoot myself for that ............
Duh.......
For a while, I put 2 smoked glass doors on the front of it and used it as a really nice stereo cabinet. People would freak out when you flipped open the top and showed them the bar. The original set of shot glasses and glassware that went with it disappeared probably 30 years ago. So it's not 100 percent original, but it is in really nice shape and has one really unique feature. I know this sounds strange, but the face of a man with long wavy black hair is easily visible directly in the front of the cabinet - 1/2 on each of the doors that open sideways when you fold out the top. It looks like the face of God or what you may have seen in a book depicting him. I know that sounds weird, but it's true. My mother and grandmother showed it to me when I was 8 or 9 or 10 yrs old and we were listening to the radio from Germany or somewhere overseas.
I can't believe I threw the radio and speaker away.
For a while I had a JBL E140 in the bottom of the cabinet tho........
Someone hit me with a brick.
Keep it ? Or sell it ? The fact that my 88 yr old grandma (who still has a drivers licence and drives) bought it new makes me hesitate. It is unique, but I just don't use it like it should be used.
What do you think? I'll post photos tomorrow.
c-ya
Guy