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Page 36 The Antique Shoppe December, 2017
Airline “Lone Ranger” radio sold as a Airline Radios
private brand by Montgomery Wards in
1951. This radio is valued in the range of
Christmas Gifts of the 1950s
$250 - $650, depending on condition.

By Larry LeMasters

LeMasters’ Antique News Service

Colonial Record, which were all 1946 alone, 6 million copies of
considered premium US radio the book were distributed by the
factories. department store.
Aaron Montgomery Ward In 1951, Wards offered an
founded Montgomery Ward Airline “Rudolph the Red-
as a catalog-sales business in Nosed Reindeer radio and
1872, but in 1926 the company its “brother model,” a “Lone
broke with its catalog-sales only Ranger” radio, in time for
tradition and opened its first Christmas.
retail store in Indiana. Wards While the “Golden Age”
remained in business until of radio is gone, Airline
declining sales forced it to close radios remain popular with  Airline “Fruits & Flowers” radio from 1950s.
all of its retail stores and catalog many collectors (since Airline This radio is valued at $200.
irline was a radio brand operations in early 2001. produced well-made and well-
Asold in Montgomery In November 1921, in designed sets), particularly the Cute, Airline “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”
Ward department stores as time for the Christmas season, nostalgic radios of the 1950s. plastic radio offered for Christmas 1951 by Mont-
its own private label brand. Montgomery Ward began And no two radios “shout” gomery Wards. Today, these radios, in good –
Various manufacturers selling radios, made by the 1950s more than Rudolph and mint, condition, sell for as much as $1,000. 
produced Airline Klitzen Radio Manufacturing the Lone Ranger.
Radios for Wards, Company, in its catalog. By These radios were
including Belmont, May 1923, Wards was selling manufactured using a
Wells-Gardner its first Airline radios, which combination of Bakelite and
& Company of were made by the Tri City regular, modern plastics.
Chicago, and Radio Electric Supply Company Novice collectors should be
(TRESCO). aware that two other Airline
In 1939, as part of a radios were made from the
Airline “Poinsetta” Christmas promotional same mold casing—an Airline
radio from 1905s.
Sold exclusively by campaign, Robert L. May “Fruits & Flowers” and Airline
Montgomery Wards, this created the character and “Poinsetta.”
Christmas-looking radio is illustrated poem of Rudolph, Together, these four Airline
valued at $250. the Red-Nosed Reindeer radios make a stunning,
exclusively for Wards. In collectible set.
WANTED: OLD FLORIDA LICENSE PLATES

Motor Cycle Tags

County & City Porcelain Tags Metal Tags Small 1943 Tags from Glades & Union Co.
(undated + 1911-1917) 1918-1957 License Plate Tabs starting with ‘60 and ‘63
JEFF FRANCIS, COLLECTOR
(the former ‘Piccadilly Guy’)
727-424-1576 • gobucs13@aol.com

PO Box 41381, St. Petersburg, FL 33743
www.floridalicenseplates.com

Also buying accumulations and collections of license plates
from other states. Email or call me with what you have.
TOP DOLLAR PAID