MODEL, YEAR, FEATURES: This oblong bullet shaped radio got the football name for obvious reasons. It was made in Jackson, Michigan by the Sparks Withington company, producer of some of the most sought after radios. They produced it in several colors and trim variations in 1950, but none as colorful as this reddish maroon Model 132 with its brass trimmed knobs and dial pointer. For a 68 year old appliance, its looking remarkably nice, and has been well cared for. Controls are simple Volume and Tuning. Photos will represent it well; note: my outside photos in skylight make the cabinet appear a bit more red than the indoor shots. CONDITION, SERVICING, PERFORMANCE: The glossy maroon Styrene plastic cabinet is in excellent undamaged condition as seen in the photos. The only scratches I found were on the underside, well out of the normal viewing area. There are no chips or cracks, the perforated metal face is free of dents, and the dial scale is free of scratches with sharp graphics and numerals; radio displays nicely. The electronics have been recently gone through with tuner mechanics lubed, and all the typical checks performed for any out of tolerance components or defective wiring. Radio is equipped with a sensitive loop antenna inside, and receives all our stations with no trouble. Theres a clip on the backboard where an external aerial can be connected to receive outlying stations. Knobs are correct, original fasteners are present, and the small factory tube layout diagram is intact and legible on the backboard. The backboard has been reinforced on several mounting holes to stay firmly fastened. Radio is clean inside and out with no dust build-up or odors, and the five tubes inside are easily accessed if needed. It would make a great gift not only to football fans, but to anyone appreciating a vintage nostalgic working piece of Americana to display and play. Tall, and is 7 in. Deep from the front of the knobs to the backboard old 6.5 Oz. Coke bottle in photo placed to give sense of scale. The item “Sparton Model 132 Vintage Football Tube Radio From 1950 Restored Works Well” is in sale since Monday, December 04, 2017. This item is in the category “Collectibles\Radio, Phonograph, TV, Phone\Radios\Tube Radios\1950-59″. The seller is “radiozetc” and is located in San Jose, California. This item can be shipped worldwide.
- Brand: Spartan (Made in Jackson, Michigan)
- Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
