Found some catalog pages from 1980, wow the top unit was big money. For those that don't know, Wards, Sears and JCPenney were powerhouse department stores. Wards had the more boring stuff and JCPenney was mostly sheets, curtains, pillows etc.
By 1981 the multiband one at the top was down to $269 and there was a new top of the range. If you preferred a personal stereo they could offer that What do you get if you cross a cheap tower system with a Discolite ? or was this the inspiration for the Discolite. p.s. Of all this type of catalogue the most memorable item I have seen in one was a "Radioactivity set" in the toy section, presumably for kids who had outgrown their Chemistry sets !
Hey thats the AKA General Electric 3-5256A, I want to say 1978 or 1979? Coincidently I was looking up a different JCPenney that's on ebay and Capetronics (Taiwan) came back as the builder.
Hello mister X, As in the day when I still had store front in the 80s and 90s I would see boomboxes and stereos sold by JcPenny and Wards and Sears . I do own the early portable radio sold by JcPenny that has the built in turntable . Sincerely Richard P.S. I just ordered some parts to restore one of my 1960s JcPenny transistor radios made by Toshiba I will post photo of it .
Good luck with the repairs! We had two malls across the street from each other, one had a Sears and Zayres, the other had Penny's and Wards. Going into Christmas us kids could spend hours in those malls looking at every cool thing for sale.
Hello guys, Here is one my Wards Airline radios that I restored this year it was a gift from a late friend who bought from the original over . I have the original box and owners manual and hangtag plus sales receipt it was bought in 1963 or 64 I completely recapped it and alighed the radio
It looks almost new, I love the antenna buried in the handle and who can't like a "LOUD" setting, that would have been cool on boomboxes.
Mister X, thank you this was a gift from another collector he bought from the original owner . He was a dear friend will be missed . Today I was at our cars and coffee drumming up more work I do a lot of car audio for collector cars . Sincerely Richard
While I love vintage car audio, I don't like twisting on my back under the dash. Cool hobby! Do you do new systems for old cars or vintage systems for old cars?
Hello Mister X , both and tonight after work I was replacing the electrolytic capacitors in one of my transistor radios it is a JCc Penny 1960s made by Toshiba in Japan. Sincerely Richard