[seventysixersfan]

To my great dismay, I discovered yesterday that my wife had "accidentally" donated my Proton 320 clock radio to Goodwill. I was really heartbroken! For those of you who are not audiophiles or radio-addicts, the Proton 320 is a classic radio produced in the early 1980s and was one of the very first "high end" table/bedside radios on the market. It had terrific sound quality and outstanding reception capability. Plus it looked sleek and futuristic (for a clock radio at the time, that is). It originally cost $100, which was a lot compared to the crappy Sony dream-machines that were selling for $25. Even now, you can find them for sale on eBay for upwards of $50-70, so these are definitely sought-after collector-items that have retained their value even after two decades. I've heard it referred to as the "Cadillac" of alarm clock radios of its day.

The sentimental value of this radio for me is enormous. I have owned the Proton 320 since I was in high school, which was 25 years ago. It's served me really well, and I only stopped using it on a daily basis a few years ago when I got an iPhone-dock Sony radio for the sake of my wife, who wanted to listen to her iPhone music on it in our bedroom. After I got the Sony, I moved the Proton to our guest room, where it was barely ever turned on. When my daughter moved into the guest room recently, I unplugged the Proton and put it in our basement storage area "for safe keeping"-- thinking that I might either sell it someday or set it up in another room that needs a radio.

Anyway, long story (sorry!) short, my wife saw it sitting there unplugged in the basement, near the pile of old clothes and books that we were planning on donating to charity, and assumed I meant to donate the radio as well. I went looking for it yesterday and couldn't find it anywhere in the house, and I then--my suspicions aroused-- I looked at the recent donation inventory form that she had filled out, and the very first item she had written there was "clock radio." Damn!! Somebody at our local goodwill may stumble upon a real diamond in the rough. They might not even fully appreciate this radio's history and value.

So I have thought about going to the Goodwill location to try to find it and buy it back, but I think I'll just let it go and say good-bye to that old electronics gear that was part of my past. I'm now moving on, thinking about getting a new Sangean WR-22 clock radio that has bluetooth capability! But I'll always feel sad about the way in which my Proton met its fate. (I tried not to get too upset at my wife, as it was an honest mistake. But she thinks I'm a big packrat and has not been happy with my keeping things that we don't use or need, so perhaps there was a little more motivation to her "mistake" in giving away the radio...)

Has this ever happened to you?? I thought this episode reminded me of when we hear of stories of estate sales where people are selling old camera lenses for ridiculously low prices because they don't know anything about their true market value. Like someone selling the FA 43mm limited lens for $250 or something like that. Or people that find amazing deals at thrift stores, where a nice copy of the F 35-70mm or F 28mm is attached to an old film camera that is selling for $15. Etc.

Oh well, c'est la vie. Thanks for reading. This concludes my 5-step coping process in dealing with my grief over losing this radio-- the "acceptance" stage. Good-bye, old friend!

---

Last edited by seventysixersfan; 08-08-2013 at 12:35 PM.

[Rupert]

Yes, Mrs Rupert is always throwing away my stuff. What gives her the right I don't know? I finally broke her of it when she gave away my electric hair clipper set. Didn't cut my hair for months until she bought me a new one!

Regards!

It got even worse.....if that is possible?
[IMG] [/IMG]

Finally got back to the "well groomed" look, and she doesn't touch my stuff anymore!
[IMG] [/IMG]

Regards!

[seventysixersfan]

Hilarious, Rupert! Yes, after this experience (and my wife seeing how shocked and upset I was), I think she will think twice when it comes to touching any of my belongings (that is, things that I acquired before I married her!). At the very least, I think she'll know to double-check with me first before throwing or giving anything away!

[ChrisPlatt]

Classic Proton design and still my choice for clock radio.
I am listening to WNYC on mine as I write this post.
I recently bought another one, new old stock, for too much money.

Chris

[seventysixersfan]

Ah hah, so Chris, I'm sure you can appreciate my pain and anguish over this unexpected loss. As I said, I am tempted to either go back to the goodwill store to see if they still have it, or get another one on eBay... BUT, at this point, I'm thinking of moving forward in technology, to get a bluetooth-enabled streaming radio. I will definitely miss the nice design, compact form factor, and legendary excellent sound quality of the Proton. My wife never appreciated its retro-charms, like the lack of station presets and no auxiliary-input. Grrrr....

[kcmadr]

That's the same as when you were a kid and came home from school to find out that the family pet had been put down due to [miscellany of reasons kids don't understand].

Cheer up, it might be singing its heart out somewhere.

[seventysixersfan]

Yes, I am a hoarder. And I have an unnatural emotional attachment to material things. (See how I feel towards my FA 43mm or DA 70mm; LOVE them!!). I am also a control freak and perfectionist. Not great qualities for my spouse to live with, I admit. It's one thing if I made a mistake that lead to either the loss or damage of my property, but when it was my wife who caused it... well, I guess there's that saying-- "forgive and forget"!

[Reliant K1000]

I hear you. I still have the family Philco transistor radio that's older than me. My dad worked for Ontario Hydro and used to take it on the jobsite so it's fairly banged up, but since the case is made of brown leather, it's lasted. It still has the bright orange 550 Volt sticker on it he put on it, and it has that wonderful bass-heavy sound that those old radios had back then.

After Googling, found out it's a T802-124, made in 1960 and is better shape than one I found on E-Bay for $32.



My wife knows there will be major repercussions if it is donated or given away!

[Kozlok]

My wife threw out a stack of Guitar Player magazines. She thought I didn't need them anymore. Ha.

[wombat2go]

Hi 76Fan,
When I met the future Mrs Wombat she had purchased this old Philco at Salvation Army store and was using it as a cocktail bar!
Some research indicated it was one of the first FM receivers from about 1948 and it had the original RCA local oscillator and ratio detector.

This is still compatible with mono reception of FM, although it only "just" works. Being mass produced in boom times these are not worth anything.

So i got it working (in 2001 ). I removed the 78 rpm turntable, adding some matching fabric to re cover the turntable base and mounted a cd player there.
We used it for period cds 1920's to 1950's for many years but it is now failing in the audio stages so i have to fix it again.
Maybe I will take some liberty to update the tube circuitry a bit.
Number #2 son added some slight patina to it with an exercise weight when he was 2.
So I told him he now owns it.
Mrs. Wombat will therefore never throw it out.

Taken with the ist ds in manual and the 18~55 kit lens at f/16 and 2 second with the AF360fgz in manual as on camera fill for the dark wood.

[seventysixersfan]

wombat-- great story and I love the look of the Philco!

[Tom S.]

A friend of mine had a bottle of Pepsi that was specially printed, licensed and sold for the first Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl appearance. He kept his cherished souvenir right next to his computer - right up to the day his wife got thirsty and drank it.

[Blue]

A friend of mine had a bottle of Pepsi that was specially printed, licensed and sold for the first Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl appearance. He kept his cherished souvenir right next to his computer - right up to the day his wife got thirsty and drank it.

I have a 31 year old Paul "Bear" Bryant Coke. I wonder what would happen if some one drank it.

[pickles]

Proton Clock Radio?...We have had one for ages....bought it new, & it has sat alongside our bed ever sinse. I LOVE a good sounding radio, & this was the best one that was available to us at the time....good bass, & good volume.
From memory, I think a matching additional speaker was also available.
Ours sounds as good as the day it was bought.
Cheers, Pickles.

[OrangeKx]

I would try and get it back, and if you don't want it, sell it yourself. When I read a while back what Goodwill pays its CEO I stopped giving them good stuff that I could sell myself or give to other organizations.