Rad-Tel Prices

Canadian Tube Prices from 1960

RadTel

Boy, oh boy; I’ll bet you wish you could still get these prices today, don’t you? 5Y3’s for 80¢, 12AX7’s, 6V6’s, 6BQ5’s for $1.05 each! 6L6’s for $1.60? Mommy, can I have my allowance for the next 30 years NOW? Did anyone still want those oddball TV tubes, even for $2.75? Sure, these tubes are most likely Japanese imports, but I’ll repeat; Japanese tubes are high-quality products. The name Rad-Tel is an obvious amalgamation of the words ‘Radio’ and ‘Television’. Looking at my tube box collection, I also see Tel-Rad! I have no idea if the two companies were in any way, shape, or form connected. However, I do know Rad-Tel was probably only a distributor, and they also had an ‘office’ in the United States. I also know that during the 1960’s Rad-Tel  would often advertise in the nri Journal, which was simply a monthly newsletter mailed out to all National Radio Institute ‘graduates’. So Rad-Tel tubes were probably quite popular, and there should be plenty of ‘old stock’ around today.

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