WHAT: Stylish circa 1930s mirrored radios designed by Walter Dorwin Teague (1883-1960) have become collector favorites for their Deco lines and sleek look. When three from a private collection sold in a Rago auction recently, the celebrated βBluebirdβ model, a round-faced confection of glass, chromed steel and brass plus enameled wood, brought $2,250. A rectangular blue mirrored radio called the βEuro Sled,β sold for $2,500, though it was in far rougher condition. Another round model called βPeachbird,β with a peach-colored mirrored face, topped the others at $3,500.
MORE: Widely known as an American Industrial Age designer, Teague was a formally trained artist/designer who started as a classicist, then switched to Modern design. In a fruitful career, he also designed cameras for Eastman Kodak and engraved glassworks for the Steuben Division of Corning Glass Works. He later designed architecture and standardized service stations for Texaco, Ford and the New Haven Railroad.
SMART COLLECTORS KNOW: Teagueβs mirrored radios, based on his principal of streamlined formalism, were made between 1933 and 1936 by Sparton in Jackson, Mich.
HOT TIP: Having noted a discrepancy in the sale results above, smart collectors may wonder why the peach mirrored radio brought $1,000 more. The answer is because it is less commonly seen. The round blue radio is so well known that it has become an icon of Deco design.
BOTTOM LINE: One has to think like a buyer to understand the appeal of the high-bid radio. A Deco collector is likely to already have the blue version, because it is a recognized standard of Deco design. Peach is far rarer, hence desirable. Conversely, a radio collector may aim to amass differing examples rather than a single expensive model.
