Bargain Hunt PYE suitcase radio - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

electronicskip · 22nd Jul 2020, 1:06 pm

Just been watching bargain hunt today and one of the items bought by the contestants was a rather tatty Pye suitcase radio for £18.
No idea if it even worked but it looked a very average example and even the seller admitted he had had it for some time.
Looked like a P31 Version although I didn't take much notice until the auction started.
Final selling price was £40 .
The auctioneer did say that these suitcase radios were in vogue now.
Any thoughts on this ? it just seemed expensive to me, but I'm probably wrong.

paulsherwin · 22nd Jul 2020, 1:21 pm

They are being bought by the design trendies, possibly for 'upcycling'. The Pye models with nice shiny interiors seem to be particularly sought after. £40 did seem a bit pricey, especially as it was externally tatty, but sometimes prices take off at auctions.

I don't think these radios are being bought by enthusiasts for restoration - I can't see many of them being used to listen to 5 Live with big stacks of PP3s and D cells. It's not clear that the buyers even appreciate that they're valve sets, and they are often misdescribed as 'transistor radios'.

Station X · 22nd Jul 2020, 1:24 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulsherwin

They are being bought by the design trendies, possibly for 'upcycling'.

Suits me! We don't want valve portable radios to become the new record players!

Paul_RK · 22nd Jul 2020, 1:53 pm

Yes, a P31 from 1951, conjectured as early-to-mid '60s by a contestant and confirmed as pre-1967 by the resident expert when he noted the Light Programme on the dial. I just sought out the segment involving its purchase from a stall, the sale price does sound curiously high. I'd never owned one until last year when an example failed to attract an opening £5 at our local auction and so was put with the next lot, which happened to be a KB Pup.

Paui

slidertogrid · 22nd Jul 2020, 1:54 pm

Quote:

Suits me! We don't want valve portable radios to become the new record players!

Or it will only be a matter of time before there is a Steepletone, Crossley or GPO plastic imitation one with a 2" speaker glue gunned inside !

paulsherwin · 22nd Jul 2020, 2:07 pm

I suspect one of the uses people are putting them to is Bluetooth speakers. You just need a Bluetooth module and an LM386, bit of T-Cut and foaming cleanser and that'll be £150 sir

electronicskip · 22nd Jul 2020, 3:15 pm

Well for my part i love my collection of suitcase radios, i dont think i will be upcycling them anytime soon.

stevehertz · 22nd Jul 2020, 3:22 pm

To a lot of 'trendies', £40 isn't a lot of money to pay for a 'very old', 'very desirable' radio. I recall the day when you couldn't give those things away at BVWS Harpenden meets in the 70s. Each to their own!

McMurdo · 22nd Jul 2020, 4:31 pm

Someone might have thought £40 was a bargain for 10 seconds of TV fame!

Scotorvm · 22nd Jul 2020, 5:20 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by McMurdo

Someone might have thought £40 was a bargain for 10 seconds of TV fame!

£40 does seem a bit steep for tatty sets.

Picked up 2 OKish Pye picnic sets for £19 and £20, another mint unit for £45 this now has a battery eliminator built into a case and surrounded by a period scanned battery cover, now mains operated, but completely reversible, nothing cut or soldered. Have breadboard and PP3 battery snaps for another day and type C battery holder..

I don't do picnics anyway

Radio Wrangler · 22nd Jul 2020, 5:31 pm

No doubt Facebook will be full of messages pointing friends and relatives at the programme, then a few selfies with the item afterwards.

David

crackle · 22nd Jul 2020, 5:36 pm

Does anybody want my spare P31MBQ, I feel an ebay auction coming on.

Mike

AC/HL · 22nd Jul 2020, 5:46 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulsherwin

I suspect one of the uses people are putting them to is Bluetooth speakers. You just need a Bluetooth module and an LM386, bit of T-Cut and foaming cleanser and

...A thread on here!

I caught a glimpse of that, no audio as busy sorting out a recalcitrant baby Grandson, but I was amused, as we all were!

paulsherwin · 22nd Jul 2020, 5:51 pm

Attaché case portables do turn up on BH quite frequently, and mostly seem to sell for £10-20, which is what I'd expect unless they were absolutely pristine. The contestants often pay silly prices for them and lose money.

Vintage Engr · 22nd Jul 2020, 5:56 pm

I've a suitcase radio, but mine's B2,... - I wonder what B.H. would make of that!

David.

rontech · 23rd Jul 2020, 8:52 am

I had sub titles on and the system decoded it as a Pie radio!

AC/HL · 23rd Jul 2020, 2:46 pm

One post split to a new thread: https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...d.php?t=169274

electronicskip · 3rd Aug 2020, 12:49 pm

Another PYE Radio on bargain hunt today, I don't know the model number this time, bought for £24, slow bidding but it did end up being sold for £30.

Maybe someone here can identify the model .

paulsherwin · 3rd Aug 2020, 1:11 pm

P117 I think.

It wasn't particularly good cosmetically so I was surprised it got to £30. It did have FM though, which I guess widens the market.

Edward Huggins · 3rd Aug 2020, 7:42 pm

The design brief for the mid 1950s Pye"Piper" series was what you might expect. To build a small mains set with the fewest possible components (hence Reflexing) at the lowest possible cost. Many of these sold as second sets or to cheaply replace failing (and there were many) late 1930s table radios.

22nd Jul 2020, 1:06 pm	#1
electronicskip Nonode Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Gloucester, Glos. UK. Posts: 2,150	Bargain Hunt PYE suitcase radio Just been watching bargain hunt today and one of the items bought by the contestants was a rather tatty Pye suitcase radio for £18. No idea if it even worked but it looked a very average example and even the seller admitted he had had it for some time. Looked like a P31 Version although I didn't take much notice until the auction started. Final selling price was £40 . The auctioneer did say that these suitcase radios were in vogue now. Any thoughts on this ? it just seemed expensive to me, but I'm probably wrong. __________________ Oh I've had that for years dear!!

22nd Jul 2020, 1:21 pm	#2
paulsherwin Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 27,937	Re: Bargain hunt PYE Suitcase radio They are being bought by the design trendies, possibly for 'upcycling'. The Pye models with nice shiny interiors seem to be particularly sought after. £40 did seem a bit pricey, especially as it was externally tatty, but sometimes prices take off at auctions. I don't think these radios are being bought by enthusiasts for restoration - I can't see many of them being used to listen to 5 Live with big stacks of PP3s and D cells. It's not clear that the buyers even appreciate that they're valve sets, and they are often misdescribed as 'transistor radios'.

22nd Jul 2020, 1:53 pm	#4
Paul_RK Dekatron Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Fakenham, Norfolk, UK. Posts: 4,255	Re: Bargain hunt PYE Suitcase radio Yes, a P31 from 1951, conjectured as early-to-mid '60s by a contestant and confirmed as pre-1967 by the resident expert when he noted the Light Programme on the dial. I just sought out the segment involving its purchase from a stall, the sale price does sound curiously high. I'd never owned one until last year when an example failed to attract an opening £5 at our local auction and so was put with the next lot, which happened to be a KB Pup. Paui

22nd Jul 2020, 2:07 pm	#6
paulsherwin Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 27,937	Re: Bargain hunt PYE Suitcase radio I suspect one of the uses people are putting them to is Bluetooth speakers. You just need a Bluetooth module and an LM386, bit of T-Cut and foaming cleanser and that'll be £150 sir

22nd Jul 2020, 3:15 pm	#7
electronicskip Nonode Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Gloucester, Glos. UK. Posts: 2,150	Re: Bargain hunt PYE Suitcase radio Well for my part i love my collection of suitcase radios, i dont think i will be upcycling them anytime soon. __________________ Oh I've had that for years dear!!

22nd Jul 2020, 3:22 pm	#8
stevehertz Dekatron Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Rugeley, Staffordshire, UK. Posts: 8,830	Re: Bargain hunt PYE Suitcase radio To a lot of 'trendies', £40 isn't a lot of money to pay for a 'very old', 'very desirable' radio. I recall the day when you couldn't give those things away at BVWS Harpenden meets in the 70s. Each to their own! __________________ A digital radio is the latest thing, but a vintage wireless is forever..

22nd Jul 2020, 4:31 pm	#9
McMurdo Dekatron Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Staffordshire Moorlands, UK. Posts: 5,270	Re: Bargain hunt PYE Suitcase radio Someone might have thought £40 was a bargain for 10 seconds of TV fame! __________________ Kevin

22nd Jul 2020, 5:31 pm	#11
Radio Wrangler Moderator Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Fife, Scotland, UK. Posts: 22,867	Re: Bargain hunt PYE Suitcase radio No doubt Facebook will be full of messages pointing friends and relatives at the programme, then a few selfies with the item afterwards. David __________________ Can't afford the volcanic island yet, but the plans for my monorail and the goons' uniforms are done

22nd Jul 2020, 5:36 pm	#12
crackle Rest in Peace Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Basildon, Essex, UK. Posts: 4,100	Re: Bargain hunt PYE Suitcase radio Does anybody want my spare P31MBQ, I feel an ebay auction coming on. Mike

22nd Jul 2020, 5:51 pm	#14
paulsherwin Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 27,937	Re: Bargain hunt PYE Suitcase radio Attaché case portables do turn up on BH quite frequently, and mostly seem to sell for £10-20, which is what I'd expect unless they were absolutely pristine. The contestants often pay silly prices for them and lose money.

22nd Jul 2020, 5:56 pm	#15
Vintage Engr Heptode Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK. Posts: 838	Re: Bargain hunt PYE Suitcase radio I've a suitcase radio, but mine's B2,... - I wonder what B.H. would make of that! David.

23rd Jul 2020, 8:52 am	#16
rontech Heptode Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Southport, Merseyside, UK. Posts: 646	Re: Bargain Hunt PYE suitcase radio I had sub titles on and the system decoded it as a Pie radio! __________________ Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana

23rd Jul 2020, 2:46 pm	#17
AC/HL Dekatron Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 9,642	Re: Bargain Hunt PYE suitcase radio One post split to a new thread: https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...d.php?t=169274

3rd Aug 2020, 12:49 pm	#18
electronicskip Nonode Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Gloucester, Glos. UK. Posts: 2,150	Re: Bargain Hunt PYE suitcase radio Another PYE Radio on bargain hunt today, I don't know the model number this time, bought for £24, slow bidding but it did end up being sold for £30. Maybe someone here can identify the model . __________________ Oh I've had that for years dear!!

3rd Aug 2020, 1:11 pm	#19
paulsherwin Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 27,937	Re: Bargain Hunt PYE suitcase radio P117 I think. It wasn't particularly good cosmetically so I was surprised it got to £30. It did have FM though, which I guess widens the market.

3rd Aug 2020, 7:42 pm	#20
Edward Huggins Dekatron Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Southwold, Suffolk, UK. Posts: 8,327	Re: Bargain Hunt PYE suitcase radio The design brief for the mid 1950s Pye"Piper" series was what you might expect. To build a small mains set with the fewest possible components (hence Reflexing) at the lowest possible cost. Many of these sold as second sets or to cheaply replace failing (and there were many) late 1930s table radios. __________________ Edward.