What models (grail or grail-ish) were not sold locally brand new in Australia back in the 80s apart from the M90?
Scott
Scott
Sold in Australia?
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tshorba
Member (SA)
Lasonic was never sold in Au
If you look at who had a local operation they probably sold most of the models in their range (like Sharp), distributors on the other hand had to balance cost vs sales (eg hagermeyer not bringing in the M-90) I also think the top models only had very limited numbers brought in to the country
If you look at who had a local operation they probably sold most of the models in their range (like Sharp), distributors on the other hand had to balance cost vs sales (eg hagermeyer not bringing in the M-90) I also think the top models only had very limited numbers brought in to the country
Gluecifer
Member (SA)
From my limited knowledge and experience, these weren't sold in .au.
If they were, they were sold in tiny amounts, as TSHORBA says:
Intersound J1/J747 Super Jumbo
Conion/Technisonic TC-999
Panasonic RX-7000
Toshiba RT-S90
Sharp VZ-2500
Sharp GF-999
Crown SZ-5100
Realistic SCR-8
Toshiba RT-S93
Crown CSC-970
Sony CFS-99
RISING 20/20
Aiwa CS-880
Panasonic RX-7200
Toshiba BomBeat 40
Telefunken Studio 1M
Plus, as TSHORBA says, every Lasonic and the M90
Members have been known to pick up one of the above in their travels, but this doesn't necessarily mean they were sold here. I'm convinced the odd rare radio that turns up on ebay or a local find was brought over by someone who emigrated to Australia. None of the above models have ever been found locally by collectors in numbers greater than 2 or 3 in the last 5 or 6 years. For instance, AZA picked up an RT-S93 (the Toshiba with the remote) but thats been the only one ever found by any collector locally (that's been online anyway!). I think that pretty positive proof they never got sold over here.
With my own observations and talking to longer term collectors over the last five years, I'm certain that if these models indeed were sold over here there would be more than one or two reports of them through here and ebay over that period.
Of course this is just my opinion, but I'm convinced after what I've seen and heard over the years.
Another thing to look at when collecting, and this is just another of my theories, is geography. Much like the U.S where these radios turn up consistently is pretty well based on where they were solid originally. The big cities where boomboxes were populalr prove as rich hunting grounds, and other places that weren't so affected by street culture are more sparse, this is the same in Australia, but for different reasons.
I'm convinced the places where there was or still is heavy mining or work that required people to travel to for extended periods are the richest places for finding vintage boomboxes. Mining jobs are very well paid and workers would've bought good quality portable stereos to use while working away from home for months at a time. This explains, to me anyway, how so many boomboxes and grails turn up in the west where our mining communities have been established for a long time. For those unaware of mining in Australia one of the main locations is in and around where AZA and Shane live.
Lots of families would have emigrated to Australia from other countries for this type of work too, bringing with them the boombox that would eventually be sold off second hand, or at markets or such. The point is they'd HAVE to be in the area to begin with during the hey days of boombox production for them to be found there now. Of course boomboxes were sold every where during the late late 70s onwards but I think there had to be regions where they sold a lot more than others that would then explain why there plentiful in some places and scant in others. In my town, the second biggest city in my state, there have been very few big grails found, or sold through on ebay. I think back to the times in the early 80s and I for one never ever saw anyone carrying one around, and also Geelong never had any of the kinds of electrical retailers that sold these models. I remember seeing catalogues from more independant retailers in Melbourne and seeing lots of killer boomboxes that were never sold in my local stores, back then I used to think (and still do!) twin antennas were the hallmark of a true classic boombox, and I never saw one of these in person at any local electrical retailer. Not saying they weren't ever, but a lot of the great models I've seen sold in Melbourne hi fi stores (like TSHORBA posted a while back) were ones I've never ever seen sold on ebay, or at flea markets, or through tip/dump shops in my town. I think the models had to be sold in decent numbers in the region your looking for them originally for them to still be there now.
Based on this theory, I think areas like Broken Hill and Mt Isa and other established mining towns will be the real boombox paradises in Australia. Being inland and massively isolated I think they'd still be there as they would've been taken there en mass since the 70s.
Saying all this though, I'm still convinced a good 80% of all the boomboxes in Australia are sitting out in retired dude's sheds tuned in to some AM talkback stations after the kids were bought them new in the 80s, and then once the belts deteriorated in them was relegated to their dad's shed cause it 'still works and we paid too much for it to throw it out'.
These are just my ideas, I can't back any of this up with solid facts and numbers, but based on where the biggest collections are in .au and where we find or don't find boomboxes I think it's something to at least consider.
Rock On.
If they were, they were sold in tiny amounts, as TSHORBA says:
Intersound J1/J747 Super Jumbo
Conion/Technisonic TC-999
Panasonic RX-7000
Toshiba RT-S90
Sharp VZ-2500
Sharp GF-999
Crown SZ-5100
Realistic SCR-8
Toshiba RT-S93
Crown CSC-970
Sony CFS-99
RISING 20/20
Aiwa CS-880
Panasonic RX-7200
Toshiba BomBeat 40
Telefunken Studio 1M
Plus, as TSHORBA says, every Lasonic and the M90
Members have been known to pick up one of the above in their travels, but this doesn't necessarily mean they were sold here. I'm convinced the odd rare radio that turns up on ebay or a local find was brought over by someone who emigrated to Australia. None of the above models have ever been found locally by collectors in numbers greater than 2 or 3 in the last 5 or 6 years. For instance, AZA picked up an RT-S93 (the Toshiba with the remote) but thats been the only one ever found by any collector locally (that's been online anyway!). I think that pretty positive proof they never got sold over here.
With my own observations and talking to longer term collectors over the last five years, I'm certain that if these models indeed were sold over here there would be more than one or two reports of them through here and ebay over that period.
Of course this is just my opinion, but I'm convinced after what I've seen and heard over the years.
Another thing to look at when collecting, and this is just another of my theories, is geography. Much like the U.S where these radios turn up consistently is pretty well based on where they were solid originally. The big cities where boomboxes were populalr prove as rich hunting grounds, and other places that weren't so affected by street culture are more sparse, this is the same in Australia, but for different reasons.
I'm convinced the places where there was or still is heavy mining or work that required people to travel to for extended periods are the richest places for finding vintage boomboxes. Mining jobs are very well paid and workers would've bought good quality portable stereos to use while working away from home for months at a time. This explains, to me anyway, how so many boomboxes and grails turn up in the west where our mining communities have been established for a long time. For those unaware of mining in Australia one of the main locations is in and around where AZA and Shane live.
Lots of families would have emigrated to Australia from other countries for this type of work too, bringing with them the boombox that would eventually be sold off second hand, or at markets or such. The point is they'd HAVE to be in the area to begin with during the hey days of boombox production for them to be found there now. Of course boomboxes were sold every where during the late late 70s onwards but I think there had to be regions where they sold a lot more than others that would then explain why there plentiful in some places and scant in others. In my town, the second biggest city in my state, there have been very few big grails found, or sold through on ebay. I think back to the times in the early 80s and I for one never ever saw anyone carrying one around, and also Geelong never had any of the kinds of electrical retailers that sold these models. I remember seeing catalogues from more independant retailers in Melbourne and seeing lots of killer boomboxes that were never sold in my local stores, back then I used to think (and still do!) twin antennas were the hallmark of a true classic boombox, and I never saw one of these in person at any local electrical retailer. Not saying they weren't ever, but a lot of the great models I've seen sold in Melbourne hi fi stores (like TSHORBA posted a while back) were ones I've never ever seen sold on ebay, or at flea markets, or through tip/dump shops in my town. I think the models had to be sold in decent numbers in the region your looking for them originally for them to still be there now.
Based on this theory, I think areas like Broken Hill and Mt Isa and other established mining towns will be the real boombox paradises in Australia. Being inland and massively isolated I think they'd still be there as they would've been taken there en mass since the 70s.
Saying all this though, I'm still convinced a good 80% of all the boomboxes in Australia are sitting out in retired dude's sheds tuned in to some AM talkback stations after the kids were bought them new in the 80s, and then once the belts deteriorated in them was relegated to their dad's shed cause it 'still works and we paid too much for it to throw it out'.
These are just my ideas, I can't back any of this up with solid facts and numbers, but based on where the biggest collections are in .au and where we find or don't find boomboxes I think it's something to at least consider.
Rock On.
Very interesting read Glue and some good theories with the mining towns in the West of Australia.
In reference to your list i have found an RT-S93 locally as well as a Crown 970 and 2 Telefunken 1M's
and Shane has found from the list the Bombeat 40 as well as an RX-7000 (National not Panasonic so most likely
locally sold)
I have wondered about these finds myself and with the Crown 970 i think it has been proven by the photos Tshorba
posted that it was sold in Australia (but where are they all :annoyed: ) all be it in small numbers perhaps ??
Also i am aware of maybe 3 National RX-7000's that have also been found (none by me) in Australia and like the 970 perhaps
the sale of the RX was very limited. The RX-7000 looks to me to have been an expensive unit and most likely had the
price tag to match, and therefore maybe not too many sold.
As for the RT-S93, Bombeat and Telefunken's i dont know ?? There is every chance they where sold in limited numbers,
or just as likely brought into the country with original owners moving to Australia.
A few years ago i picked up some speakers from a local dump shop that i sold on Ebay and the short story is i had many
people tell me that they where rare and most definately NOT sold in Australia and must have been imported by the owners.
Not to mention the speakers where over 6ft tall !! So anythin is possible i guess.
What about the JVC RC-550 ?
One for the list ??
In reference to your list i have found an RT-S93 locally as well as a Crown 970 and 2 Telefunken 1M's
and Shane has found from the list the Bombeat 40 as well as an RX-7000 (National not Panasonic so most likely
locally sold)
I have wondered about these finds myself and with the Crown 970 i think it has been proven by the photos Tshorba
posted that it was sold in Australia (but where are they all :annoyed: ) all be it in small numbers perhaps ??
Also i am aware of maybe 3 National RX-7000's that have also been found (none by me) in Australia and like the 970 perhaps
the sale of the RX was very limited. The RX-7000 looks to me to have been an expensive unit and most likely had the
price tag to match, and therefore maybe not too many sold.
As for the RT-S93, Bombeat and Telefunken's i dont know ?? There is every chance they where sold in limited numbers,
or just as likely brought into the country with original owners moving to Australia.
A few years ago i picked up some speakers from a local dump shop that i sold on Ebay and the short story is i had many
people tell me that they where rare and most definately NOT sold in Australia and must have been imported by the owners.
Not to mention the speakers where over 6ft tall !! So anythin is possible i guess.
What about the JVC RC-550 ?
One for the list ??
Arron, Rick or the man himself,
Can one of you link me with Tshorba's post?
Thanks for the info too guys...this is exactly what sort of info i've been looking for.
Scott
Can one of you link me with Tshorba's post?
Thanks for the info too guys...this is exactly what sort of info i've been looking for.
Scott
Gluecifer
Member (SA)
Very interesting AZA!!
I really think if there's less than 5 found/seen/documented domestically by long term collectors over the last 5-10 years that it wasn't sold here by a retailer. Between the guys that have been collecting for a long time, and what we see on ebay, I think we can at least make an educated guess over what was sold here and what wasn't
Also, it's worth checking the backs of yours to see if they have a suffix like an AU or something in the serial number, as a lot of manufacturers did that, or if they denote they're from the UK or EU by other standards they have on ther backs. I'd be very interested to see if there's any discerning information on the backs of the Telefunkens. You're right on about the Crown 970, I forgot they were in TSHORBA's photos.
I know of ONE RC-550 that was found in the wild in .au, but that's it so far, all the others have been imported that I know of. I'd hazard to guess this wasn't distributed here officially either.
I'm sure theres lots more we can come up with.
Here's the link to TSHORBA's photo Scotty: https://boomboxery.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=6644
Rock On.
I really think if there's less than 5 found/seen/documented domestically by long term collectors over the last 5-10 years that it wasn't sold here by a retailer. Between the guys that have been collecting for a long time, and what we see on ebay, I think we can at least make an educated guess over what was sold here and what wasn't
Also, it's worth checking the backs of yours to see if they have a suffix like an AU or something in the serial number, as a lot of manufacturers did that, or if they denote they're from the UK or EU by other standards they have on ther backs. I'd be very interested to see if there's any discerning information on the backs of the Telefunkens. You're right on about the Crown 970, I forgot they were in TSHORBA's photos.
I know of ONE RC-550 that was found in the wild in .au, but that's it so far, all the others have been imported that I know of. I'd hazard to guess this wasn't distributed here officially either.
I'm sure theres lots more we can come up with.
Here's the link to TSHORBA's photo Scotty: https://boomboxery.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=6644
Rock On.
Gluecifer said:
Was going to suggest this Rick. Good idea.
And that photo....wow, just wow! What year would that have been roughly?
I might just go down to JB and take a photo of their stock and report back here in 30 years to gather all the amazement again.
Scott
The Box of Boom
Member (SA)
Thanks for the info about Australia. I seem to notice that ALOT of the boomboxes on ebay are from VICTORIA. I am a noob, but I am set on finding a sweet box locally for cheap one day.
Love that shop pic on the other thread as well. I am going to stick a mr fusion onto a delorean and head back there.
Love that shop pic on the other thread as well. I am going to stick a mr fusion onto a delorean and head back there.
The Box of Boom said:
and when you do post some pics
we all like to see nice boxes that have been found local
sony_apm_fan
Member (SA)
Hey Glue,
Were the WX1's sold here?
And you mention the GF-999 in your list. Should that include all others in that chassis excluding the 767 and 777? i.e. 909, 919 and the 1000 as they were japanese models only?
Scott
Were the WX1's sold here?
And you mention the GF-999 in your list. Should that include all others in that chassis excluding the 767 and 777? i.e. 909, 919 and the 1000 as they were japanese models only?
Scott
shane higgins
Member (SA)
The toshiba with the remote was sold at a department store in freo called parrys
My auntie had it for her aerobics classes in the 80s the remote was very handy for her volume up volume down
This is how I inherited her gf 515
And the bloke teaching wind surfing had it as well nice and loud for out side
But my aunties ended up in one of my cousins concerts and thrashed
My auntie had it for her aerobics classes in the 80s the remote was very handy for her volume up volume down
This is how I inherited her gf 515
And the bloke teaching wind surfing had it as well nice and loud for out side
But my aunties ended up in one of my cousins concerts and thrashed
shane higgins
Member (SA)
ledmeter
Member (SA)
My two complete Toshiba RT-S931 came from inland queensland where they were sourced locally.
Also from memory the only WX-1 I've seen happen within Australia was found by S2G member Dreem... one the side of the road... with no speakers.
I've only just noticed this thread. Awesome Glue. Simply Awesome.
Also from memory the only WX-1 I've seen happen within Australia was found by S2G member Dreem... one the side of the road... with no speakers.
I've only just noticed this thread. Awesome Glue. Simply Awesome.
Apparently back in the 70s and 80s things here were taxed heavily, and duty free was actually significantly cheaper than what you'd pay in stores.
Lots of people would've brought back electronics from work trips to Asia/Germany/USA etc.
My dad's JVC mono came from Singapore, and my old FH-808R was from Hong Kong.
Lots of people would've brought back electronics from work trips to Asia/Germany/USA etc.
My dad's JVC mono came from Singapore, and my old FH-808R was from Hong Kong.
tshorba
Member (SA)
wills15 said:
The sales tax on most hi-fi, until the GST was brought in, sat between 18 & 25%. The 60's, 70's & petering out in the 80's we had high import tariff to "protect" local industry.
The local importers didn't want to risk bringing any high volume of expensive boxes in due to the loss they would face when the units didn't sell. We are only a very small market and even smaller back then (a whopping 14 million people).
shane higgins
Member (SA)
Radio 80's FM
Member (SA)
I can tell you that, growing up in the North West of WA in the 80's that there were a lot of BBX up there as there was the $$$ to buy them.
While I had my System 1 salvaged from the tip (where all but 1 of my boxes came from) other "rich" kids had Disco Robos and gf777's.
I swapped a **** load of gear to get my mates dad's gf that as just sitting in thief carport gathering dust.
Ah....what memories!! :'-(
While I had my System 1 salvaged from the tip (where all but 1 of my boxes came from) other "rich" kids had Disco Robos and gf777's.
I swapped a **** load of gear to get my mates dad's gf that as just sitting in thief carport gathering dust.
Ah....what memories!! :'-(
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