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Walkie Talkies

Things called 'walkie-talkies' span a range from the 'string phone' (essentially the old tin can telephone) through the wired communicators (essentially telephones) to full-fledged wireless transceivers. As you might guess, the 'Micro-Fone' here is a string phones. From 'Walkie Talkies' at the web's largest private collection of antiques & collectibles: https://www.ericwrobbel.com/collections/walkie-talkies.htm
Things called 'walkie-talkies' span a range from the 'string phone' (essentially the old tin can telephone) through the wired communicators (essentially telephones) to full-fledged wireless transceivers. As you might guess, the 'Micro-Fone' here is a string phones. From 'Walkie Talkies' at the web's largest private collection of antiques & collectibles: https://www.ericwrobbel.com/collections/walkie-talkies.htm
The stunning Toshiba ZS-7210A (Japan, c.1965) is a transceiver, a 'walkie talkie' of exceptional quality and design. From 'Walkie Talkies' at the web's largest private collection of antiques & collectibles: https://www.ericwrobbel.com/collections/walkie-talkies.htm

Things called “walkie-talkies” span a fairly wide range. Most primitive, I guess we could say, are the “string phones.” These are essentially the old “tin can telephone” you may remember from your childhood. Less primitive are the wired communicators— and these are essentially telephones. At the top of the heap in sophistication, and expense, are the full-fledged wireless transceivers. You can probably guess which is which in these pictures! Yes, the Micro-Fone here and the blue & red Remco Space Commander are string phones. What they may lack in technology, the certainly make up for styling.

The black & red item below is yet another Remco product, this time a wired walkie talkie. Called the Remco Electronic, it’s wired but doesn’t use batteries or any other source of power—making it even more primitive than Alexander Graham Bell’s original telephone patent. The actual performance of such a thing is likely to be, as you may be able to imagine, less than satisfactory.

And here are some of the kid-magnet boxes these toys came in.

These 'Remco Space Commander' walkie-talkies are 'string phones' (like the old do-it-yourself tin can telephone). As a kid in the '50s, you were likelier to walk on the moon than hear anything out of them. The taut string between units--required for them to work at all--is somehow missing from the picture on the box. From 'Walkie Talkies' at the web's largest private collection of antiques & collectibles: https://www.ericwrobbel.com/collections/walkie-talkies.htm They wouldn't lie to a kid, would they? According to the box, these Dick Tracy Walkie Talkies are wireless and 'good up to 1/2 mile.' But alas, inside the sealed box--discovered AFTER you bought them--is the truth: a coil of wire. Yes, these walkie talkies have to be connected with wire. And we're only giving you twenty feet of it, too! From 'Walkie Talkies' at the web's largest private collection of antiques & collectibles: https://www.ericwrobbel.com/collections/walkie-talkies.htm The Remco 'Electronic' Walkie Talkies from 1951 were shown on the box as wireless transceivers. That they weren't. The box boasted that they used no batteries, but that made them even more primitive than Alexander Graham Bell's original telephone patent. Oh well, kids like to shout, don't they? From 'Walkie Talkies' at the web's largest private collection of antiques & collectibles: https://www.ericwrobbel.com/collections/walkie-talkies.htm
These 'Remco Space Commander' walkie-talkies are 'string phones' (like the old do-it-yourself tin can telephone). As a kid in the '50s, you were likelier to walk on the moon than hear anything out of them. The taut string between units--required for them to work at all--is somehow missing from the picture on the box. From 'Walkie Talkies' at the web's largest private collection of antiques & collectibles: https://www.ericwrobbel.com/collections/walkie-talkies.htm They wouldn't lie to a kid, would they? According to the box, these Dick Tracy Walkie Talkies are wireless and 'good up to 1/2 mile.' But alas, inside the sealed box--discovered AFTER you bought them--is the truth: a coil of wire. Yes, these walkie talkies have to be connected with wire. And we're only giving you twenty feet of it, too! From 'Walkie Talkies' at the web's largest private collection of antiques & collectibles: https://www.ericwrobbel.com/collections/walkie-talkies.htm The Remco 'Electronic' Walkie Talkies from 1951 were shown on the box as wireless transceivers. That they weren't. The box boasted that they used no batteries, but that made them even more primitive than Alexander Graham Bell's original telephone patent. Oh well, kids like to shout, don't they? From 'Walkie Talkies' at the web's largest private collection of antiques & collectibles: https://www.ericwrobbel.com/collections/walkie-talkies.htm

But the stunning Toshiba ZS-7210A (Japan, c.1965) shown here is a real transceiver. This would have cost somebody around $30-$40, a fairly serious outlay in 1965 dollars. But it would have an operating range of up to about a mile. Dealer claims of up to 5 miles were made for transceivers of this type, but such claims presumed you were on the open ocean or in outer space, two places I rarely went as a kid.

Things called 'walkie-talkies' span a range from the 'string phone' (essentially the old tin can telephone) through the wired communicators (essentially telephones) to full-fledged wireless transceivers. As you might guess, the blue & red 'Remco Space Commander' here is a string phones. From 'Walkie Talkies' at the web's largest private collection of antiques & collectibles: https://www.ericwrobbel.com/collections/walkie-talkies.htm
Things called 'walkie-talkies' span a range from the 'string phone' (essentially the old tin can telephone) through the wired communicators (essentially telephones) to full-fledged wireless transceivers. As you might guess, the blue & red 'Remco Space Commander' here is a string phones. From 'Walkie Talkies' at the web's largest private collection of antiques & collectibles: https://www.ericwrobbel.com/collections/walkie-talkies.htm

I find collecting walkie-talkies so fun and interesting that I did a book on them. I named it, imaginatively, Toy Walkie Talkies and I highly recommend it! All the pictures you see on this page I lifted straight from my book, without hesitation ore shame.

Things called 'walkie-talkies' span a range from the 'string phone' through the wired communicators (essentially telephones) to full-fledged wireless transceivers. This 'Remco Electronic,' is wired but doesn't use batteries or any other source of power, making it even more primitive than Alexander Graham Bell's original telephone patent. From 'Walkie Talkies' at the web's largest private collection of antiques & collectibles: https://www.ericwrobbel.com/collections/walkie-talkies.htm

Against the coral color background is the Vanity Fair VF-1981 (1980, Korea). The turquoise Heathkit Jr. is made of the thinnest plastic I’ve seen on a product since shrink wrap. It was sold as a kit (USA, 1962). And finally there’s a pair of sleek, serious Sony walkie-talkies, model CB-200W. These were made in Japan in 1970.

Vintage Sony Walkie Talkie CB-200W transceivers. Sleek and serious. From 'Walkie Talkies' at the web's largest private collection of antiques & collectibles: https://www.ericwrobbel.com/collections/walkie-talkies.htm Vintage collectible Heathkit Jr. Walkie Talkie transceiver, made of the thinnest plastic I've seen on a product since shrink wrap. It was sold as a kit (USA, 1962). From 'Walkie Talkies' at the web's largest private collection of antiques & collectibles: https://www.ericwrobbel.com/collections/walkie-talkies.htm Collectible '70s retro walkie talkie transceiver Vanity Fair VF-1081. From 'Walkie Talkies' at the web's largest private collection of antiques & collectibles: https://www.ericwrobbel.com/collections/walkie-talkies.htm
Vintage Sony Walkie Talkie CB-200W transceivers. Sleek and serious. From 'Walkie Talkies' at the web's largest private collection of antiques & collectibles: https://www.ericwrobbel.com/collections/walkie-talkies.htm Vintage collectible Heathkit Jr. Walkie Talkie transceiver, made of the thinnest plastic I've seen on a product since shrink wrap. It was sold as a kit (USA, 1962). From 'Walkie Talkies' at the web's largest private collection of antiques & collectibles: https://www.ericwrobbel.com/collections/walkie-talkies.htm Collectible '70s retro walkie talkie transceiver Vanity Fair VF-1081. From 'Walkie Talkies' at the web's largest private collection of antiques & collectibles: https://www.ericwrobbel.com/collections/walkie-talkies.htm



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