What’s It Worth: Zenith Radios

BY STEVE JOHNSON ( )

By far some of the most sought after and valuable radios found in today's collectors market were manufactured by the Zenith Radio Corporation. Zenith was founded in 1923 and quickly became one of the world’s largest radio manufactures. By the 1930s, Zenith had several large factories in the Chicago area, producing radio chassis, cabinets, and other electronics. Today, one Zenith model in particular is regarded as the most sought after antique radio on the planet.

The Zenith Z-1000 Stratosphere

The Zenith Z-1000 Stratosphere was Zeniths top of the line and marketed as a rich man’s radio. It sold for $750, which was higher than the average price of a new car in the mid 1930s. The Stratosphere consisted of a large floor-standing cabinet with a concave shelf on the bottom. The cabinet itself was over 52 inches tall with wood inlays and is a grand example of true mid ‘30s Art Deco design.

Advertisement for the top-of-the-line Zenith Stratosphere.

As seen in the ad above, some of the original advertisements for the Stratosphere featured a chalk ware cat figurine sitting on the shelf. The statue was most likely a prop and was never given out as a promotion with the radio as some rumors over the years have suggested. Today collectors lucky enough to have a Stratosphere in their collection usually display it with a similar cat figurine. An original 1930s chalkware cat matching the statues in the advertisements could easily sell for a few hundred dollars by itself.

Sporting a large round black dial with sliding doors, the Z-1000 radio chassis contained 25 vacuum tubes and even though it was unseen, had a mirror chrome finish.

Sales of the Stratosphere began in late 1934, and records indicate that only 350 were ever produced. The whereabouts of around 50 are known today. Once in a while another is found and the news of it travels quickly through the antique-radio-collecting community. Z-1000 Stratospheres have been sold as high as $50,000 in recent years. Even a Z-1000 in unrestored condition could easily sell for well over $10,000.

 Advertisement for the new Zenith “Robot Dial.”

In 1938 Zenith released several models of 12-tube table radios with what Zenith referred to as their “Robot Dial.” The Zenith robot dial was equipped with a tuning eye tube that indicated signal strength of a station and in several models the dials were motorized. The most-sought-after model today was not the top of the line, though. The 12-tube Zenith model 12-S-232 appeared on several episodes of 1970s TV series “The Waltons,” and to this day the model 12-S-232 consistently sells for double or triple what most other 1938 models sell for. It's not uncommon to see a “Walton” in good cosmetic condition sell at auction for $2,000 or $3,000.

Zenith Windchargers

By the 1930s, most metropolitan areas had electricity. Unfortunately, electricity had not reached rural America's farms. Zenith manufactured a line of battery-powered farm radios for use where electricity was not available. The cost of traveling to recharge or replace dead batteries was high, but a solution to the battery problem was in the works. In 1927, John and Gerhard Albers were working on perfecting what they called “Windchargers.” Windchargers were short, two-blade windmills that powered a small turbine generating enough power to recharge radio batteries.

By the mid 1930s, Zenith took notice, invested in the new wind-powered charging system, and placed an initial order for 50,000 Windchargers. Most of rural America remained without electricity until the government stepped in. The enactment of the Rural Electrification Act in 1936 brought funding and created jobs to run power to farms and rural areas. This ended the need for Windchargers, and by the 1940s battery-powered farm radios and Windchargers slowly went out of production.

Today Windchargers may still be found in the back of old barns. An original Zenith Windcharger is more of a conversation piece, but will easily bring several hundred dollars at auction.

The design of the wood cabinet of the 5-S-29 makes it popular with collectors.

Zenith continued to make many floor and table models through the 1930s. Today collectors are always looking for Zeniths with large black dials, but there are several popular models of Zenith table radios with smaller dials. One of these is the model 5-S-29. Sold in 1936 and 1937 for around $40, the 5-S-29 had only five tubes, which did not put it at the top of the performance list but it received several bands including shortwave and police bands. It has become more popular with collectors in recent years and usually sells for between $300 and $500, depending on condition. Once in a while, though, one is found on a shelf in an antique store for under $200.

A popular Zenith “Trans-Oceanic” portable shortwave radio.

Zenith radios were sold worldwide. Zenith portable “Trans-Oceanic” shortwave models were wildly popular with world travelers and are still popular with antique radio collectors. Zenith's advertising stated that the Trans-Oceanic was ideal for safaris, expeditions, and armchair travelers.

Zenith's Trans-Oceanic series shortwave radios were manufactured from 1942 through 1981. A typical Trans-Oceanic model was ac or battery powered. The earlier vacuum tube models could be run off a large heavy battery pack that was stored under the chassis. Later transistorized models, powered by easily replaceable D cells, weighed much less.

The Trans-Oceanic line had a 40-year production span and both the earlier vacuum tube models and the later transistorized models sell fast at auction. The most valuable were the early 1940s models now called The “Clipper” and ” Bomber” due to the artwork on their grill cloth. Selling prices are always changing, and it's difficult to place a value on any particular model, but I have seen early models sell for as low as $300 and upwards of $1,000, late 1950s tube models sell for as little as $150, and later transistorized models sell for $150 to $400 in fairly good condition.

Zenith produced hundreds of models from the 1920s through the 1980s and it's nearly impossible to put an accurate value on most. Many collectors focus their collection on a particular brand, era of radio, type of radio, or even type of cabinet. Some even collect only one particular model in every color it was manufactured in. Still others buy the radios in hopes of making a profit. Where ever your collecting takes you, there is most likely a Zenith radio that would fit perfectly in your collection. If you frequent auctions or swap meets, you will eventually find one in your price range.

For more information and examples of early electronic technology, view my collection at StevesAntiqueTechnology.com.