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Production Volumes and Rarity Estimates 

Production Volume

Just about any RCA/Radiola Product is worth collecting and is a piece in history within itself, there were large volumes of the different products produced.  With the focus of this site being the early RCA era, 1930 and before, we will concentrate our research on this period in time.  Many thousands of RCA radio products were produced in this period, and therefore, the vast majority of radios one will encounter will not be rare nor particularly valuable at the present time. Something over 2,000,000 RCA radios were manufactured and sold between 1920 and 1930.  However, according to the production data, nearly 50% of RCA’s entire product volume can be fairly evenly divided between the low cost battery operated table model Radiola III line and the low cost table model AC operated Radiola 17, 18 and 60 sets. So the odds are quite high that Grandma's old Radiola is one of these common models, and probably won't have much value unless it is in mint condition. Nonetheless,  one will often see a very common RCA/Radiola model with an asking price of $1000 or more on Ebay, although such a machine will seldom sell for anywhere near that amount. However, rare models do show-up in attics and flea markets on occasion, and I know of several people who have come across some amazing finds in recent years.

Rare and desirable Radiola’s are often those that were built in very low volumes. For example, it is estimated that only 1,700 or so of the Radiola VII were made, making it one of the scarcer models. Good examples of this and similar Radiola products will sell at a premium to any serious collector. 

It is also interesting to note that many collectors value some models that are not particularly rare. Over 100,000 Radiola 60’s were produced, and yet these radios still bring considerable prices if they are in decent original condition and include documentation. The Radiola 60 was the first model that was very simple to operate with just tone, volume and tuning controls and many collectors feel the need to have a good example of the set in their collection.

It is also important to consider that any antique radio that is in true mint original condition will usually have some meaningful value. For example, a Radiola 20 in average alligatored attic-stored condition might only sell for around $100-$150 at auction, while the same machine in mint original condition might bring over $1000 to the right buyer. Even more if it has the original shipping crate and all its documentation! Condition is always a critical factor in calculating value. 

One factor that must be considered in determining rarity and collector interest is the number of sets that have survived and are available today.  Many very desirable sets were destroyed due to the large size of the device and the difficulty in storing, displaying and in some cases, like the Radiola 30, moving the unit without considerable damage to the radio. Over 10,000 Radiola 30’s were produced initially but few remain today.  Also, if you are to have a nice collection of Radiola consoles you better have plenty of room for the collection, and have a method of moving the radio to your location, as this can be a fairly expensive task!

The chart below summarizes approximate RCA production volumes.

Rarity

Classifying rarity is a rather difficult task, as it is necessary to take into account what the current collector community considers common vs. rare. One method to estimate rarity is to examine the quantity of a particular RCA radio such as the "Radiola V", whose production represents only about 1% of the total RCA radio product volume would hardly be considered "rare" by most collectors, as they are still commonly found. One reasonable way to give an estimate to the rarity of a particular radio is to consider the quantity sold on the public internet auction markets over the most current year period and compare that to the total quantity of the volume produced for the particular model under consideration. To try to put some sense in the rarity estimation process the ratio of the total production to the number of units auctioned in the last year was used as a basis.

Note that some "rare" models do not necessarily have high value, depending on collector interest and/or current availability.

Using this method, the following rules were used to determine rarity: 

Y Refers to the most popular machines yearly auction totals are less than 3% of the total production volume.  These models are the most common and are found very frequently.

YY Refers to the next tier of models whose yearly auction totals are less than 2% of the total production volume. These are still commonly found, but not seen quite as often as the Y models. 

YYY Refers to the next rarest tier of models whose yearly auction totals are less than 1% of the total production volume.  These models are not frequently found, and are of increasing interest to collectors. 

YYYY Refers to the final tier of rarest models whose yearly auction totals are less than ½% of the total production volume these are the rarest of all RCA pre 1930 era models and are usually in high demand. 

The results appear to reasonably correlate with what most collectors consider as common or rare.

Valuation

Value is a very subjective parameter which is not easily calculated. The rankings here are based solely on my recent observations and experiences as a collector. Dollar values are not specific, since so much depends on originality, condition, shipping cost, size and how badly the buyer wants the model! I hesitate to put specific dollar values in for each model, since when I examine generalized "valuation charts" the always seem to differ from what I actually see in the collector market place. Without actually seeing and inspecting a model, most generalized dollar-specific summaries can lead to a lot of misinformation and confusion.  I am sure that some collectors will disagree with my summaries, and I will continue to refine these rankings as I continue to solicit input from experts and evaluate the monthly auction models and sales prices.  Note that in many instances, value does not correspond with rarity. This is due to the fact that some models are considered more collectible than others. The value rules are as follows:

Y Refers to RCA models that is not likely to spur much interest amongst collectors unless the model is complete in every respect and includes all original paper work or is in exceptional original condition. Valuation will be minimal on these models, typically in the $75-$300 range in average condition 

YY Refers to RCA models that may generate some degree of buying interest to certain collectors, especially if the condition is good. Prices will usually be somewhat higher than Y models, but not anywhere near the thousands of dollars that may be paid for a truly desirable machine. 

YYY Refers to RCA models that will generate considerable interest amongst the majority of collectors. Selling prices for good quality examples in this category will typically be at least $500 and can range above $3000, depending on condition.

YYYY Refers to RCA models that will command the highest prices, well into many thousands of dollars. These have a continual high demand amongst collectors. 

Approximate Production Volumes for RCA Models, including, Model Name, Model, Rarity and Valuation

Production Numbers are best available estimates, based on company documents and/or database information.