Bill Cawlfield
Radio Collector
Highlands Ranch, CO

Bill Cawlfield of Highlands Ranch, CO, has been designing consumer electronics for corporations since the mid-60s. So it is no surprise that he has a passion for radios, the root of electronics.

For Bill, radios give him an opportunity to recreate his youth. He explains, "I was born in 1939, and during World War II, we would lie in front of the Zenith console and listen to Roosevelt, and I'd tune in to Terry and the Pirates. Later, in 1972, I got the urge to collect old radios, particularly that old Zenith, so I started going to flea markets. I didn't find one for a while, but I did find others in the meantime."

In 1996, another radio collector told him about eBay. He was one of the first few thousands to register and, since then, he's purchased two-thirds of his 2,000 radios on eBay. His collection spans from pre-World War I to the mid-60s and includes novelty pieces, radios crafted in retro materials such as Catalin or Bakelite, blue mirrored deco designs, and such true rarities as the Todd-Regency radio given to Shirley MacClaine at the completion of the movie "Around the World in Eighty Days," and a Sony TR55 transistor introduced in Japan in 1955. He says, "There may be only a dozen or so of those in the whole world. That's my favorite because it's the rarest."

Bill stopped going to flea markets when he discovered eBay. Every evening, he spends four or five hours scanning the thousand or so listings that are new that day. On average, he buys 15 radios each month, spending $2,000 to $3,000. He says, "eBay is an incredible phenomenon. It gives collectors an opportunity to find unusual things from all over the world. The experience is like going to a great flea market at six in the morning with a flashlight. The only limit you have is your budget, and eBay is a great place for determining current market value. I think eBay is to the 21st century what Sears Roebuck was to the late 19th century. It offers the widest selection available at a reasonable price."

"eBay is responsible for clearing out the attics of the world," he says. "So if you're a collector, and you want to fill your collection, the items are there. I've bought from people in England, France, Spain, and Chile through eBay. The truth is that it's no longer a community; it's one of the top 20 countries of the world. And it's great to know that if I want to sell, I can list my radios and convert them to cash within a week. In an antiques mall they could sit without selling for months."

Bill dreams of winning an auction for a Spartan Nocturne blue mirrored radio. "I actually saw one sell on eBay for $80,000 in the Live Auction format. The price tag was a bit steep, but if and when I'm ready to buy one, I know where to look."