I actually regret buying that 'mint condition' 1950s transistor radio

Everyone in this group loves a vintage radio find, but mine turned into a real headache. I spotted it at a flea market in Des Moines for $35, seller swore it powered on, and it did for about 10 seconds before the smell of burnt plastic filled my car. Turned out the original capacitors were rotted and it nearly shorted the whole circuit. I spent another $60 on a repair guy who said the speaker cone was also cracked beyond saving. Now I got a pretty paperweight and a lesson: 'mint condition' from a random table just means it was stored in a dry basement. Has anyone else had a cheap electronic that cost triple to fix and still wasn't worth it?

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2 Comments

green.jessica2mo ago

Whoa, cracked speaker cone on top of rotted caps? That repair guy basically told you the whole thing was done for.

5

ray6482mo ago

Did you open it up before handing over the cash? Sometimes that burnt smell is the only real test.

3