Submitted by HERMANNATOR85 t3_ymv4w9 in BuyItForLife
Comments
KanonBalls t1_iv5qr8d wrote
Ai ai, we used to have one of these.
the_darkener t1_iv5se0t wrote
r/vintageaudio
SkylerBlu9 t1_iv5t6cv wrote
new fallout game looks great
StephBGreat t1_iv5ul4i wrote
I had this as a kid!
avalanches t1_iv5vhur wrote
not gonna lie this doesn't look used at all. And it looks kind of cheap actually.
I thought buy it for life wasn't just for old shit.
I thought but for life was for items that had gone through the rigours of use for decades.
this is a 35 year old, New In Box radio. This shouldn't be posted here
MODS
[deleted] t1_iv5vptu wrote
[deleted]
zmannz1984 t1_iv5xdkc wrote
I think I recall seeing these for sale in some collectibles catalog at my grandparent’s house around 1990.
Xyspade t1_iv5y7ts wrote
People actually are capable of being careful with an item and treating it nicely in order to keep it pristine over the years, especially if it's something unusual that they care about. But even if it was just taken out of the box yesterday and it works, that's a good sign of its BIFL status. Many electronics that sit dormant for decades don't work because the capacitors and other parts spoil not being used.
I have an SOSL radio as well, different model, it has been in use almost daily for decades, and it looks almost this nice. Admittedly it is built pretty cheaply and has needed DeoxIT several times, but it still works otherwise. So while it may seem cheap, it has lasted this long and what didn't last was easily repirable. Don't judge a book by its cover.
(and by the way this is a manual post approval sub, the mods already saw this)
Candera t1_iv60udh wrote
I think I remember seeing these at Sharper Image/Brookstone in the 90s.
bishopazrael t1_iv61qip wrote
This brand of electronics IS BIFL.
Weekly-End-2897 t1_iv6592h wrote
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYVh2Ab5MBk
"Transistor Radio," Cloud Cult
thenameispanda t1_iv65iro wrote
It's 1985 /s
Fusseldieb t1_iv678h1 wrote
W have a similar one, I might post it here sometime
avalanches t1_iv67mrc wrote
mister_skippy t1_iv6asnp wrote
This is definitely not BIFL material. These are overpriced collectible radios that were sold by places like Sharper Image and the like.
Quality of components are average or lower. Performance is, at best, meh.
The only way this is BIFL is if you put it in a box or on a shelf for display and never use it.
elrico_suave t1_iv6c2u2 wrote
Thank you for the sub recommendation!
gentlemandinosaur t1_iv6dbns wrote
Thank you!
cleverkid t1_iv6e43k wrote
The Grundig Sateliit 800 is the real Buy It For Life Radio.
https://radiojayallen.com/grundig-satellit-800/
Or a Zenith transoceanic
Or the Tivoli, model one:
OP’s radio is like a PT Cruiser.
Thenameimusingtoday t1_iv6h6ez wrote
One sold for 10.99
qtx t1_iv6i27j wrote
Is it really Buy It For Life when the technology (shortwave radio) is obsolete?
MedonSirius t1_iv6k0wh wrote
How heavy is it? I imagine it being very heavy
Funny_Addendum4430 t1_iv7cc7u wrote
That’s a beauty
Runnin4Scissors t1_iv7kiu2 wrote
Shortwave radio is not obsolete. 🧈🧠
YouJustDid t1_iv7ljko wrote
great sub, but OP’s radio’d be considered off-topic there
YouJustDid t1_iv7m9ht wrote
it’s deceiving — the electronics are as cheaply made as they get; this is just fake “vintage” enclosure design (like Crosley)
KY_4_PREZ t1_iv7n8ht wrote
I somehow doubt that a radio from 1985 was designed with the same approach that a fake vintage 2022 JcPenny radio used…
YouJustDid t1_iv7ne4i wrote
that’s your prerogative, fake is fake
KY_4_PREZ t1_iv7nost wrote
I’m not arguing with you, my only “prerogative” is simply that electronics were fundamentally designed better in the past.
YouJustDid t1_iv7ootb wrote
The novelty radios they sold at Sharper Image used the cheapest sweatshop-manufactured crap they could get their hands on.
KY_4_PREZ t1_iv7poa1 wrote
Again, I’m sure they do, but that has absolutely nothing to do with my point.
YouJustDid t1_iv7qntp wrote
has everything to do with your point — the electronics are at best an afterthought
KY_4_PREZ t1_iv7r698 wrote
Ok engineering god, please forgive me for my transgression of questioning the legitimacy of cheap modern practices. 🙏
YouJustDid t1_iv7tc35 wrote
> questioning the legitimacy of cheap modern practices.
that’s a valid question, with which I agree completely!
…cheap disposability was already well under way by 1985, and the electronics inside the “Spirit of St. Louis” radio are a perfect example
Montecristo905 t1_iv7wc33 wrote
1985 or 1935?
PowerandSignal t1_iv7z6rs wrote
What, you haven't heard of the internet yet? All you need are servers, cell towers or landline connections, modems, routers, and computers, tablets or phones and you can communicate instantly all around the world!
So, obviously your little radio set is worthless now. Duh.
/S
whichgustavo t1_iv82vwb wrote
Used to sell one at Brookstone when I worked there in HS.
Dandan419 t1_iv8md9y wrote
Yeah I have one I got from my uncle when he passed. It’s extremely cheap. The dials all feel like they’re falling apart and it has terrible reception. It does look cool though.
FatDumbAmerican t1_iv8usc0 wrote
I'd build it it's robot body. Awesomeness
suckitdipwad t1_iv95i83 wrote
I'm not sure why everyone is baggin' on you.
There's likely sentimental value with that radio for you and that's what counts.
Does it work? Probably fine. Just enjoy it :-)
MeEvilBob t1_iv969oa wrote
I fixed one for a friend of mine. He said most of the lights didn't work. I opened it up and found that a bunch of the LEDs in the front panel were never even wired up.
It looked like a big steel box but it was actually a thin sheet of aluminum over a particle board box and inside it was a tiny circuit board and nothing else.
HERMANNATOR85 OP t1_ivabnis wrote
My grandpa was a super meticulous man. He kept everything it great condition. It works great except for the tuner knob broke on the inside so I can’t adjust the station right now, but I’m going to fix it because I’m the one who broke it!
mister_skippy t1_ivb6v5j wrote
People are “baggin’ on” him because this sub is Buy It For Life.
It’s for well-made/quality items that don’t fall apart right after you buy them. For things that are well designed and just work. For things not made of fiberboard and unsoldered connections. Not for crap made from the cheapest possible parts and materials sold at inflated prices to “vintage collectors”.
This radio, and products like it, are why this sub exists. People are tired of cheap things that don’t last. People are tired of things like radios made by “Spirit of St. Louis”. People want quality.
And this radio is the absolute definition of none of these.
Thus… the “baggin’”.
mister_skippy t1_ivb8cn2 wrote
I did a bit of digging and came up with an internal view of a SOSL radio. And it’s worse than I imagined. Not this exact model, but representative of the build quality of these products.
Autriyo t1_ivea2yz wrote
The Tivoli tends to break alot, all in the same way, luckily it's an easy fix. I forgot what exactly it was, I know 2 friends that own them, and they both had the same problem. According to the internet it's not unusual.
suckitdipwad t1_ivij5ti wrote
Looks like it's all of a piece and fully functional to me.
His grandfather had it for life, technically. And it still works and is missing nothing, so it might last this kid's life, too.
Your argument is invalid.
mister_skippy t1_ivijxn3 wrote
But it doesn’t work. OP said that he’d already broken the tuning mechanism and he was planning to “fix it”. He’s going to be quite disappointed when he discovers it’s non-repairable. Take a look at the example image I posted earlier. The tuning mechanism is made of cheap plastic gears. These aren’t user-replaceable, aren’t sold as parts, and are generally so fragile attempting to repair them will cause even more damage.
You’re either irretrievably stupid or you’re arguing for the sake of arguing. Either way, I have no more time for your foolishness.
It’s not BIGFL. Never was. Never will be. Period.
suckitdipwad t1_iw1iebo wrote
Guess what, sport? The man can speak for himself, and you're the only fool here.
Congrats.
[deleted] t1_iv5msm2 wrote
Wow this looks fucking awesome. A timeless piece for sure