Hi-This is mainly for some of well-somewhat older more time experienced colletors.
How may of you bought your 80's boomboxes and yes even 70's boomboxes brand new when you were younger?
I am one of those chosen few-I did buy brand new my JVC PC-55JW off of the shelf on sale for 599.00 which was going for 699.00 or 799.00.Suggested Retail back then was 999.00!!
I still have it!! That's where it's hard to be in this exclusive sector.

My Sharp GF-8989II I bought brand new but gave it to my girlfriend when she graduated in 1985'
I bought the 8989II brand new in fall of 1981'!!
I believe I paid 189.00. Worth every penny & then some! I still have to track this one down-I did buy a replacement back about 2 years ago.
I have one now but's it's of course not the same one.
I also remember buying my Sanyo 9970 brand new off of the shelf in New York City in 1980'!!
It went for 149.00 which was quite a sum back in 80'.
I sold it to my neighbor who passed away and I never inquired as to what happened to that.
It was very,very used by the time he was close to his departure so that's a hard one to find if I ever did.
I of course have one now-incredibly well built heavy box for it's size!
So-everyone let us know if you have any "Original Purchases" like this and let us know if you still have em'!
Have a great week-Ghettoboom777.

How old were you when you bought the JVC, and how did you afford it? $599 in 1980 is probably like $2500 today.

When I bought my M-90 I remember paying more than $200 plus. I guess when the stores saw that the M-90 was getting popular they decided to jack up the price. In those days they got away with it because most of the buyers were young and foolish like me.

I bought my tpr950 back in 1978 for dm849.

approx. 200 us$ at that time.

I Dont have my original Conion unfortunately i left it at my ex back then and she trahsed it when we broke up but i paid about 250.00 for back in 1985..
i do still own my brothers original sharp GF-777 with original owners manual and banner grill sticker...the box is in great shape for its age!!!...and he paid about 250.00 in 1985...

My first-ever boomboxes were the National Panasonic 5010F, from a flea market in Wisconsin in 1983, and the Quasar a few weeks later from American Appliances in Madison. Each was (I think) about $100.

Here are some other boxes I bought new:




(Not really a boombox. No radio.)


(Meets the definition of a boombox, but really a mono shortwave radio with a cassette recorder.)


(My only micro-cassette boombox.)


(Toshiba RT-85S, bought from a Toshiba rep out of a display at the end of the 1983 Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago. No box.)

quote:

Originally posted by Reli:
How old were you when you bought the JVC, and how did you afford it? $599 in 1980 is probably like $2500 today.

very interesting 2 questions --
kids almost never have that kind of $

quote:

Originally posted by baby boomer:




My first-ever boomboxes were the National Panasonic 5010F, from a flea market in Wisconsin in 1983, and the Quasar a few weeks later from American Appliances in Madison. Each was (I think) about $100.

Here are some other boxes I bought new:




(Not really a boombox. No radio.)


(Meets the definition of a boombox, but really a mono shortwave radio with a cassette recorder.)


(My only micro-cassette boombox.)


(Toshiba RT-85S, bought from a Toshiba rep out of a display at the end of the 1983 Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago. No box.)

BB i really like the little phillips sw radio with cass,i don't remember seeing that model in the us,did u buy it in europe?

quote:

Originally posted by Jaredscottfla:
BB i really like the little phillips sw radio with cass,i don't remember seeing that model in the us,did u buy it in europe?

You're right; it's a Euro model. Got it at a place in Washington DC called The 220 Store.

what's the model number?

D7456... on the upper right corner on the front.

Thanks did not see it.

My parents bought me this Sanyo M9902-2 for Christmas in 1982. It was my first "real" boombox. It cost $79.95 + tax.

My parents bought me a Pioneer SK303 for christmas in 1983. Complete with 'Thriller' on cassette. Always remembered how utter utter crap the recording level was from the radio.
Apart from that, nice box - basic, but nice.

My first box was a 3 piece bought in 1985-86, it was a TDR (or something close to that), a knock off no-name brand. Was awesome because it was my radio and I loved it as it was the biggest purchase I'd made in my life so far. I think it was around AUD$150 and I was about 13, and had to pay for all of it through my part time job as my parents refused to help me buy a 'ghetto blaster'.

The cassette mech died in that after a while, hard to remember exactly how much time elapsed, and I saved up and bought a marvellous Philips Compo as pictured on the cover below:



This was about AUD$200 and again was paid for by myself, but the burden was eased by selling the TDR to my brother for AUD$70 so he could use it as a shop radio...in the butcher's shop I worked in after school and during the summer. The detachable speakers meant one could be out in the shop and the other out the back, which was very useful.

I loved that Philips Compo though, the equaliser was awesome and the LED display was always captivating, the features and sound seemed much more expensive than the money I paid for it. My Dad bought me my first turntable that year and I had it running permanently into my Philips until the tape mech screwed up and then I moved on to components for making up a hifi.

The Philips eventually replaced the TDR at work though, so I still got to listen to her for a few years to come. Of course I don't have either now, but fully intend to add them to the collection eventually. Lovely memories of listening to American Top 40 broadcast late sunday nights over here, with my finger on the pause button and watching the LED meter dance up and down in my dark bedroom. Hearing the likes of Beastie Boys and Run DMC for the first time ever and then playing my tape compilations with my friends for the following week.

I still have some of the tapes from back then too, which are marvellous to revisit.


Sorry, I do go on after a few drinks



Rock On.

Never did buy a radio new then, because I had no money at all

My forst walkman I got also for Christmas as a
present , that was Christmas 1983 , I still
have that walkman with box today!

James's first boombox in the army @ work; Army post office; postal locator
Leighton Barracks 3rd Adjutant. Wurzburg Germany. Sometime in the Fall of 1978.
This is a Mono; Pioneer Centrex I think, I no longer have this.
and yeah that's me with my superior.

I have 3 originals, 2 copies & one desperately sought...

THE ORIGINALS
I have the very same Hitachi 3D7, that I bought new in the spring of 1987:
Then (new):


& now (after some major restoration):

I know that's late for buying a 3D7 new & here's why:
I always wanted a 3D7, but by the time I had the money, it had gone from the shelves, replaced by the 3D8. When I chose a 3D8 in the shop, they pulled a leftover 3D7 from stock by mistake. Then I got a discount as it was a discontinued product. Talk about a result

I also own the same Hitachi mono TRK5350 that I owned years before. It was an unwanted "Christmas bonus" gift that my brother got from his work (he already had a stereo b-box), so he gave it to me, brand new. When I upgraded, I passed it on to my mum for years of Radio 4 listening.
Recently, I swapped it for a better Philips stereo b-box to get my old mono back:


Finally we still own the first b-box I bought for my girlfrind (now my wife) Christmas 1988, a Sharp WQ-T238:



THE COPIES
In between those little & large Hitachis, I owned two Philips b-boxes a D8132 (left) in 1984 & a D8134 (right) in 1985:


I cheekily returned the D8132 to buy the D8134 before it was over a year old (still under warranty), & later sold the D8134 when I got the 3D7.


DESPERATELY SOUGHT

Here's a long shot. Before any of the above I got one of these for Christmas one year:

It's a Philips AR073, & if you see one (or an AR070) in any condition, anywhere, ever, please tell me or buy it for me. You know I'll be good for the money & the finders fee for this one is worth having
Germany seems to be favourite for old Philips stuff...

The 3D7 was loads better with the P. E. stickers

Hey Isolator, you should have kept the Public Enemy stickers on the 3D, it's period correct!

I still have my first box, a JVC PC-11 I got it for christmas in 84' it think. All I know is that it's been with me since I can remember.
My pops got it on sale @ Highland appliance cause it was a demo model and it didn't come with the accesories, handle, strap, or back cover. So thats how I ran into this site looking for these parts, but nothing yet. I did see a mint PC-11 with all the accesories go on the bay for $65. I wanted to kick myself in the head for not bidding.

So the search continues.....

I was young, foolish and never thought past tommorrow so I sold every one of the boxes I bought as a kid.

Panasonic RX-5100, Sanyo M-9902, Pioneer SK-21 and a Lloyds monster that I don't remember the model of.

I bought my Aiwa CS-600 in January 1984 (not the one I have now), cost £85.

Hi everyone-I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one here!
It's great that some of us have the originals that we had when we were younger.
By the way that PC-55JW that I bought new in 1985' was the result of working 2 jobs and a birthday gift.I paid for like half of it then I got the rest as a birthday present.
It was & still is really something!
I had more friends looking at that boombox when I got it.
You should have seen it when I brought it to Spring Break in Daytona Beach in 86'.
People were like gathering around it especially with that cool LCD screen!

I love collecting and I just may be able to someday find those original boxes that I had also.
Thanks everyone & have a great week-Ghettoboomm777.

I bought my Aiwa CS-880U on 08-27-82 thru a mail order store, think I paid $365 for it and still have it,




james, could this be the radio you had in your Army picture?



the Pionner Centrex was my first radio, when it's condition got real bad I had it taped to my bicycle, after the Pioeer I got the Sanyo M9990, than the 880 that I still own.

we need new member , ahardbody to post his pix here --

last saturday -- a bunch of us members saw and loved hearing his aiwa 880 --

he bought it brand new -and still has all the original paperwok , manuals and even the warrenty cards

----oops -one minute ago --ahardbody came thru !!

quote:

Originally posted by ahardb0dy:
the Pionner Centrex was my first radio, when it's condition got real bad I had it taped to my bicycle.

And here's one of those RK-113's in the flesh... uh, plastic.



Hey ahardb0dy, I just realized this could be your original radio. It still has the tape on it!

I still have my origional rxdt707 bought in 1998 for £350 i know it's not a retro box but it's the longest box i have owned of N on i say this cuz i sold it but yes i bought it back some years later in a trade for a kaboom and ill never part with it again even if it stops working lol.

quote:

Hey ahardb0dy, I just realized this could be your original radio. It still has the tape on it!

nope, mine had so much tape you couldn't open the tape deck, lol,

quote:

Originally posted by ahardb0dy:

Hi ahardbody-That's so cool that you have your original warranty card like that.That's a sweet Aiwa that you have-very nice! Aiwa is really good quality,very good tapes also!!
I'm trying to find my original receipt for my JVC-PC55JW.I know I have it but It might take a while to find it.
I also have the orginal owner's manual & warranty cards & all of that.
I remember buying it a Team Electronics in Minnetonka,Minnesota back in 1985'
I'll show you all of the stuff when I find it-the only thing I'm trying to find is the original receipt.
I'm really glad that alot of us are dedicated to our old nostalgic rare boomboxes!!
Have a super week-Ghettoboom777.

i had the original manual from my old Sanyo M9990 also but I gave it to JT saturday since he has the boombox and mine is long gone.

Hi ahardbody-I saw that there,I almost bought a 9990,They're very nice units.I have a 9970 that I just love,I really love the colors and they're built like tanks!!
Thanks for your reply and have a great night-Ghettoboom777.
(P.S.-I wish I could have been there for the meet but more than likely next year or maybe we could have aspecial meet when it's not so hot??
I love Florida in the winter or spring-just an idea.I still need to sell my 1974' Chevelle Laguna Type S-3!
I have to many cars! )

no problem, I suggested the same thing to have the next meet when it's a little cooler out, it was so hot last Saturday that the A/C in the clubhouse couldn't keep up.

quote:

Originally posted by J:
The 3D7 was loads better with the P. E. stickers

quote:

Originally posted by Master Z:
Hey Isolator, you should have kept the Public Enemy stickers on the 3D, it's period correct...

I toyed with the idea of leaving them as they did look ace, but in the end I wanted the original look. I got the sticker from the legendary Def Jam tour gigs at Hammersmith Odeon, London in November 1987.
Public Enemy, LL Cool J & Eric B were on the bill & if I remember right, a brand new act opened the show with only a couple of songs to their name: the Beastie Boys...! Now THAT was a gig...

I have my Akai PJ-35 that I bought new, still boxed with manual etc

Though it wasn't the original one I owned as that went faulty, tis a beauty in Red though

Nice to see that you kept all the info AHARDBODY, on your Aiwa cs880. I also got mine from a place in New York called Stereo Corporation of America. I think I paid 410.00. But dammit I dont have the info that you do but still have the owners manual somewhere here. Misplaced it since I moved 3 times in the last 3 years.

Sharp GF 777 H

1981----> 1,410 DM = 721 EUR = 1,120 USD

Let me turn you Question around a little bit, and ask :
How many of you out there have gone to the store and not
had the $$$ with you to purchase something BUT did have
your Camera with you and took a picture of whatever you
were looking at/for a later purchase when you were gonna
have the Money to do so, as I had done in the past see
here ( enter link 1983 Akihabara ) and as I had some phone conversations with some stg'r's
today & Ebay'r's ... I was remembering why I didn't have
any money way back when ( see link ) as I;James, was in
the US NAVY back when and on that long voyage I had foolisly
played poker with payday stakes and when I had gotten to
over there I didn have the required money to buy
anything significant ( oh yeah ) that sony where is it
( enter pic of it here Sony SEQ-50 Walkman EQ
100_3824 Sony SEQ-50 back view

100_3825 Sony SEQ-50 front view

and yes it still works as It on here in these pics via that
red led there ) I did have the fundage to buy that little
thing which i thought was really neato at the time

I have an Sony SEQ-50 in black.
I always wanted one of these to plug into my Sanyo M4440 walkman, which only had a tone hi/lo switch:

...but then I bought a Sony WM-60, which had it's own 5 band EQ:


...still wanted an SEQ-50 & picked one up from another s2g member NOD80808 (I wonder what happened to him - he was a nice guy...)

"Hi-This is mainly for some of well-somewhat older more time experienced colletors."

so being I have all my paperwork ( well except the receipt) does that make me an experienced (and older I guess) collector even though I only have the one boombox? LOL

I bought my JVC RC-727 new in 1979 for $259.95 plus tax with the first 3 paychecks from my job at the grocery store!

Hi ahardbody-Having 1 boombox from that long ago & still owning it,I think that makes us an elite group of collectors!
Buying a boombox from the 70's or 80's and have it still working & be the original-that's cool.
I just love my JVC-PC55JW and I'm still looking for my original GF-8989,maybe by this fall or winter??
I do have a very old Juliette flat boombox with the rare stick shift control for the play,ff,rew. But this has a am-fm radio w/dial light. and it got to be from 1973'74'.
I also have a soundesign radio but it's not a boombox that I bought over 25 years ago and it still works.
My favorite is the Sanyo9970 which is the 1st. true boombox I bought in 1980'.
The others are radios more or less.
The Juliette is some kind of a pe-boombox I think,it's wierd looking but sounds great.
I have to dig that thing up!

By the way-ScottInMilwaukee-I worked in a grocery stores from 1974 to about 2001'!
My first job was at Red Owl in 1974' to about 1984' You probably have heard of them!
That's how I got my second and third boombox partially!
Have a great weekend-Ghettoboom777.