Remember McGee Radio?

[Sofa Slug]

Does anyone remember McGee? I always looked forward to receiving their
catalogs: http://xrl.us/McGee (not my auction)

[Michael Black]

On Wed, 28 Dec 2011, Sofa Slug wrote:

> Does anyone remember McGee? I always looked forward to receiving their
> catalogs: http://xrl.us/McGee (not my auction)
>

When a lot of those places were still in existence, I was too young to
have money to order from them, so at best I had the catalogs, and the ads
in the catalogs. And sadly, I didn't keep the catalogs (well, I do have
one from the local Etco Electronics). Then just a few years later, they
had mostly disappeared, Lafayette, Olson, and the like.

Odly, I was watching the movie McHale's Navy, this is from the nineties, a
sort of remake of the tv series, and at some point someone says something
about needing an "Olson [something something] connector", and I figured it
was a reference to the small chain Olson, rather than to a person. It was
a made up thing so someone could go and goof off, but it just seemed that
since the name was that of a small electronic chain, it was in there
rather than for some other reason.

Michael

[DaveW]

They were located here in Kansas City, on McGee street near downtown. I
bought some speakers from them in the mid-70's. As I remember, it looked
like a run-down operation then.


"Michael Black" <et...@ncf.ca> wrote in message
news:Pine.LNX.4.64.11...@darkstar.example.net...

[JimCo]

On Dec 28, 12:49 pm, "DaveW" <davi...@alienos.com> wrote:
> They were located here in Kansas City, on McGee street near downtown.  I
> bought some speakers from them in the mid-70's.  As I remember, it looked
> like a run-down operation then.
>
> "Michael Black" <et...@ncf.ca> wrote in message
>
> news:Pine.LNX.4.64.11...@darkstar.example.net...
>
>
>
> > On Wed, 28 Dec 2011, Sofa Slug wrote:
>
> >> Does anyone remember McGee? I always looked forward to receiving their

> >> catalogs:http://xrl.us/McGee(not my auction)

>
> > When a lot of those places were still in existence, I was too young to
> > have money to order from them, so at best I had the catalogs, and the ads
> > in the catalogs.  And sadly, I didn't keep the catalogs (well, I do have
> > one from the local Etco Electronics).  Then just a few years later, they
> > had mostly disappeared, Lafayette, Olson, and the like.
>
> > Odly, I was watching the movie McHale's Navy, this is from the nineties, a
> > sort of remake of the tv series, and at some point someone says something
> > about needing an "Olson [something something] connector", and I figured it
> > was a reference to the small chain Olson, rather than to a person.  It was
> > a made up thing so someone could go and goof off, but it just seemed that
> > since the name was that of a small electronic chain, it was in there
> > rather than for some other reason.
>

> >    Michael- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

I don't remember McGee, but I sure do remember Lafayette and Allied
Radio. Back in the 60's and early 70's I ordered a lot of stuff from
Lafayette. Indeed, I think I still have a partoal box of miscellaneous
size capacitors from Lafayette, as well
JiimCo

[JimCo]

On Dec 28, 4:56 pm, JimCo <chemc...@ksu.edu> wrote:
> On Dec 28, 12:49 pm, "DaveW" <davi...@alienos.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > They were located here in Kansas City, on McGee street near downtown.  I
> > bought some speakers from them in the mid-70's.  As I remember, it looked
> > like a run-down operation then.
>
> > "Michael Black" <et...@ncf.ca> wrote in message
>
> >news:Pine.LNX.4.64.11...@darkstar.example.net...
>
> > > On Wed, 28 Dec 2011, Sofa Slug wrote:
>
> > >> Does anyone remember McGee? I always looked forward to receiving their

> > >> catalogs:http://xrl.us/McGee(notmy auction)

>
> > > When a lot of those places were still in existence, I was too young to
> > > have money to order from them, so at best I had the catalogs, and the ads
> > > in the catalogs.  And sadly, I didn't keep the catalogs (well, I do have
> > > one from the local Etco Electronics).  Then just a few years later, they
> > > had mostly disappeared, Lafayette, Olson, and the like.
>
> > > Odly, I was watching the movie McHale's Navy, this is from the nineties, a
> > > sort of remake of the tv series, and at some point someone says something
> > > about needing an "Olson [something something] connector", and I figured it
> > > was a reference to the small chain Olson, rather than to a person.  It was
> > > a made up thing so someone could go and goof off, but it just seemed that
> > > since the name was that of a small electronic chain, it was in there
> > > rather than for some other reason.
>
> > >    Michael- Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> I don't remember McGee, but I sure do remember Lafayette and Allied
> Radio. Back in the 60's and early 70's I ordered a lot of stuff from
> Lafayette. Indeed, I think I still have a partoal box of miscellaneous
> size capacitors from Lafayette, as well

> JiimCo- Hide quoted text -

>
> - Show quoted text -

(damn, I hit the send button before I finished!) -----as well as some
spools of various color Belkin hookup wire.

(There, I got it finished)
JimCo

[gregz]

Sofa Slug <sofa...@invalid.invalid> wrote:
> Does anyone remember McGee? I always looked forward to receiving their
> catalogs: http://xrl.us/McGee (not my auction)

I think I still have an issue or two.

Greg

[oldcoot88]

Who all remembers listening to Fibber McGee and Molly?

:)

[Mike McGinn]

On 2011-12-29, oldcoot88 <oldco...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Who all remembers listening to Fibber McGee and Molly?
>
>:)

I still isten to them on Sunday night. Bill Everly hosts an old time radio show on
WVKR FM (available on the web) Sunday Evenings from six until nine EST.

Mike

[JimCo]

On Dec 29, 8:53 am, oldcoot88 <oldcoot7...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Who all remembers listening to Fibber McGee and Molly?
>
> :)

I certainly do, as well as listening to Lum and Abner, Amos and Andy,
and several others. There were many 15-minute kids' serials I always
listened to, such as Tom Mix and the Ralston Straight shooters,
Captain Midnight, Dick Tracy, Terry and the Pirates, Little Orphan
Annie, The Air Adventures of Jimmy Allen, etc. etc. Also Jack Benny,
Fred Allen, Red Skelton, Gang Busters, The Inner Sanctum, etc. Golly,
it's a wonder that ever got anything done as a kid!
JimCo

[Buck Frobisher]

"oldcoot88" <oldco...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:154b579c-2b54-4298...@l16g2000prg.googlegroups.com...

> Who all remembers listening to Fibber McGee and Molly?
>
> :)

That darn closet!

[J.B. Wood]

On 12/28/2011 01:16 PM, Sofa Slug wrote:
> Does anyone remember McGee? I always looked forward to receiving their
> catalogs: http://xrl.us/McGee (not my auction)

Yes, and Burstein-Applebee and let's not forget those 33-cent vacuum
tubes from Cornell. Remembrances of those born in 1950 (and before).

(Off topic but do some fellow boomers out there remember an American
clothing manufacturer called "H.I.S"? Can't find anything about it on
the web.)

Sincerely,

--
J. B. Wood e-mail: arl_1...@hotmail.com

[Bill M]

J.B. Wood wrote:
>
> (Off topic but do some fellow boomers out there remember an American
> clothing manufacturer called "H.I.S"? Can't find anything about it on
> the web.)

Actually I do. My childhood friend's father was a salesman for them.
High -end stuff. This was 62-63 ish.

-Bill

[Michael Black]

For a while, I'd listen to WBBM (I guess in Chicago) that aired Old Time
Radio at 1am every night, but then either interference or maybe they
changed the time and I got out of the habit.

I was really lucky, back in the fall I found a set of "When Radio Was"
CDs, 30 of them, at a used book sale and they only wanted a dollar or two
for them. I figured it was because the cover had gotten wet at one point,
but I eventually discovered one of the CDs was missing. It's the sort of
thing that aired on WBBM, a selection of differing radio shows. Not a
surprise since it comes from the company that supplies WBBM with old time
radio.

It was a great day, a set of The Shadow CDs too, the same price. I tossed
back two other collections of old time radio recordings since they were on
cassette. When I changed my mind and went back, the one that I decided
was worth getting despite being on cassette, a collection of memorable
moments in radio history (like the announcement of the Hindenberg
explosind, "Oh the humanity") was gone.

Michael

[Michael Black]

On Thu, 29 Dec 2011, J.B. Wood wrote:

> On 12/28/2011 01:16 PM, Sofa Slug wrote:
>> Does anyone remember McGee? I always looked forward to receiving their
>> catalogs: http://xrl.us/McGee (not my auction)
>
> Yes, and Burstein-Applebee and let's not forget those 33-cent vacuum tubes
> from Cornell. Remembrances of those born in 1950 (and before).
>

Some I actually got the catalogs from, others were just prominently in the
ads. I remember the Cornell tube ads, was it actually called Cornell or
was in in Cornell? I had waited to mention them till I got around to
looking up the ad. They had fairly small ads, at least in the seventies,
but they were a constant, and seemed sort of mysterious to me at the time.

Michael

[Michael Black]

There was a time, about 1974, when Wayne Green ran an ad for pants in
"73", his comment at the time was that everyone wore pants, and it was a
way of widening the chance for ad revenue. I don't think the ad ran more
than once.

Michael

[Paul P]

"JimCo" <chem...@ksu.edu> wrote in message
news:b014f84d-accc-41e4...@g41g2000yqa.googlegroups.com...

On Dec 29, 8:53 am, oldcoot88 <oldcoot7...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Who all remembers listening to Fibber McGee and Molly?
>
> :)

I certainly do, as well as listening to Lum and Abner, Amos and Andy,
and several others.

I listen to Lum and Abner too. 1410 KQV 10pm each night broadcast OTR
shows. It is the, "When Radio Was" show. I have pair of headphone drivers
(cut off of the head band) under my pillow.

Paul P.

[buddy]

"Michael Black" <et...@ncf.ca> wrote in message
news:Pine.LNX.4.64.11...@darkstar.example.net...

I worked there in the 60's just outta high school ,everyone had to take
lie detector tests every 6 months to see if anyone was stealing parts lol,I
think they had 24 stores across the U.S.they handled bulk stuff and parts .

[WKW]

JimCo <chem...@ksu.edu> wrote in
news:8facb014-e239-413e...@f1g2000yqi.googlegroups.com:

I used to get a lot of those catalogs too from different companies when
I started tinkering in High school and college back in the mid 70s. My
favorite was Poly-Paks. I remember the $350 8080 chip advertised in one!
I wouldn't mind getting my hands on some of those catalogs. I ordered
from them all the time until they went under in the early 1980s. But
nothing beats eBay and online stores now. Don't have to put up with big
minimums and high S & H charges like back then!

[J.B. Wood]

On 12/29/2011 05:10 PM, Michael Black wrote:

> Some I actually got the catalogs from, others were just prominently in
> the ads. I remember the Cornell tube ads, was it actually called Cornell
> or was in in Cornell? I had waited to mention them till I got around to
> looking up the ad. They had fairly small ads, at least in the seventies,
> but they were a constant, and seemed sort of mysterious to me at the time.
>
> Michael

Hello, IIRC it was Cornell (Electronics?) and the 33-cent price applied
to used and tested 7-pin and 9-pin miniature tubes. They often came
relabeled by Cornell (see
http://www.wellgainelectronics.com/ProductImages/vacuum_tube/TELEFUNKEN%20CORNELL%2012AX7A%20%20ECC83%20DIAMOND%20MARK%2017mm%20PLATES%20O%20GETTER%20%201PCS%20W1.jpg)
Looks like for a time Cornell was a successful recycler of tubes (and
ya didn't have to submit bids ;-)) Sincerely,

[J.B. Wood]

Hello, and I remember my Grandmother long ago mentioning being a big fan
of F&M. At the time I had no idea what she was talking about. Then,
about five years ago I discovered someone webcasting archived F&M shows
via live365.com. Fibber and Molly (and their friend Gildersleeve) were
absolutely hilarious IMO and I now see why Grandma loved the show.

[Michael Black]

On Thu, 29 Dec 2011, WKW wrote:


> I used to get a lot of those catalogs too from different companies when
> I started tinkering in High school and college back in the mid 70s. My
> favorite was Poly-Paks. I remember the $350 8080 chip advertised in one!
> I wouldn't mind getting my hands on some of those catalogs. I ordered
> from them all the time until they went under in the early 1980s. But
> nothing beats eBay and online stores now. Don't have to put up with big
> minimums and high S & H charges like back then!
>
>

Oddly, I never mailed order from those places.

But one summer when we went to Maine for a family vacation, I did talk my
mother into going to the vicinity of Massachusettes to take in someof
those places. So I actually visited Poly-Paks, not that there was much to
see. A front desk where you'd fill out your order, they'd send it to the
back and someone would gather the items while you waited. I got some
stuff that at the time was pretty interesting, a 256bit RAM, a clock IC
that was actually outdated by the time I got it (there was some reason
that I never built a clock with it when I got home), I suspect some
"surprise packs", but things that were rapidly outdated with coming
advances.

I think I went to Meshna's, but all I remember buying was copper circuit
board, and I don't have a deep memory of that. I didn't have much money,
so it was more an actual visit than buying much.

When I started reading the hobby electronic magazines at the beginning of
1971, I looked in the yellow pages and almost randomly picked a place
downtown to go and buy my first set of parts. It was "Etco Electronics"
that did a fair amount of mail order, and eventually the owner moved the
operation to the US, where he did mail order industrial surplus (and
advertised in the hobby magazines). This was an old style electronic
store, two floors and old wooden floors, the building still there now.
You could buy parts, but they also had industrial surplus (computer boards
for 99cents that I grabbed loads of transistors off), and some military
surplus. In the fall of 1972, they got a load of Command Set
transmitters, still plentiful enough that they sold them for 9.99.

But a random choice turned out to be a good choice. Unknown at the time, I
soon dsicovered Payette Radio a block over, a much bigger place that had a
ham radio section. And then a smaller place that seemed to be trying to
be a local Poly-Paks. He just reused the Poly-Paks ads, so I assume he
was buying parts from them in bulk and reselling. That was an interesting
store at the time, since the two older stores were not the place for
cutting edge ICs, they were still old style electronic stores (where you
could buy tubes and Airdux coils and such), while this place, "Corenet",
did carry more of that newer stuff, though like Poly-Paks, not necessarily
in top condition (not always well marked, I remember buying LEDs there and
they were often weak, at a time when LEDs weren't that bright to begin
with, or the polarity was reveresed from what it should be, clearly
factory rejects).

That Yellow Pages also said there was some store affiliated with
Lafayette, I never did get to it but the ad in the Yellow Pages indicated
such. And somewhere there was a Heathkit outlet, I never got to that one
either, somewhere off and not accessible for an 11 year old getting around
on the subway.

Michael

[Jim Mueller]

Cornell tubes still show up at hamfests and similar venues. Most of the
ones I see are in generic red, white, and black tube boxes, generally in
a big corrugated cardboard box mixed in with RCA, GE, Sylvania, etc.
boxes which sometimes also contain Cornell tubes. Each tube is marked
that it is used or a factory second. Of course, these are all claimed to
be NIB, but are frequently sold at ridiculous prices (i.e. $5 for the
whole box).

It's always a good idea to look inside those tube boxes to see what they
really contain. Sometimes it isn't even the type number printed on the
outside.

Burstein-Applebee also had branch stores in other cities. The one in
Tucson outlived the parent company by several years.

--
Jim Mueller wron...@nospam.com

To get my real email address, replace wrongname with dadoheadman.
Then replace nospam with fastmail. Lastly, replace com with us.

[rrus...@hotmail.com]

I used to drive a truck once a month or maybe six weeks to Kansas City
where we'd pick up stuff or deliver to B-A, McGee radio, and a few
other places. A lot of the surplus sold there came from Motorola
plants in Illinois and from Emerson, McDonnell Douglas and a couple
other places in St. Louis. There was also a Zenith TV plant somewhere
in south Missouri as I remember. Any part that fell on the floor wound
up being swept up and bagged as Experimenter Specials.

We had one customer in the town of Sikeston, MO, in the middle of
nowhere, hours and hours from anywhere. When we dropped we always got
a card good for a free meal at a place where they threw the dinner
rolls at you like a baseball. The food was good but all the drinks
tasted terrible because the water had disgusting minerals in it. I
used to hate that trip because of the cops and general isolation of
the place.