The craziness of the holiday shopping season is now upon us and hopefully there’s someone on your list (maybe you) who deserves a little radio love. Whether you are shopping for a retro radio dude, a kid with a penchant for pop, someone with an eye for high design, or your favorite radio scholar, there are tons of cool toys, gadgets, and tomes out there that embrace the beauty of radio.
Here are some options. To see images of these gifts, just click the triangular up and down buttons at the bottom of the carousels:
For the Techy Teen: Build Your Own AM/FM Radio Kit
Kids just aren’t making their own radios like they used to. Buck that trend by getting your kid, niece, nephew or favorite teen one of these.
For the Kids: Hello Kitty Clock Radio
I say, get the kids listening to radio at the youngest age possible.
For Lovers of Retro Design, but with All the Modern Features: Crosley Turntable with CD Player and AM/FM Tuner
I’m always drooling over the beautifully designed Crosley turntables with all of the modern acoutrements. This particular model reminds me of an antique radio that we had in my house when I was a kid.
For Those of Us in Earthquake Country: Solar Powered Portable Radio
Everyone needs to have one of these in their emergency kit. You can recharge the radio by using the hand-crank as well.
For Mom and Dad: Shower Radio
Oh my god…I had no idea they still made shower radios. For that reason alone, this made the list. Just think, you can catch the news, weather and traffic in the comfort of your own shower.
For Time-Shifting Radio Lovers: Digital Recorder with mp3 player and AM/FM tuner
With this cool device, you can record radio much like you would use TiVo to record television.
For Radio Nostalgia Buffs: Antique Radio
I grew up in a house full of usable antiques, including old radios and phonographs. They don’t make things like they used to, so it’s always fun to seek out vintage pieces. Your local antique store and eBay are full of gems, including this crazy vintage space age-style Sputnik radio from the 1960s.
For Radio Historians: Empire of the Air DVD
This lauded Ken Burns documentary recounts the early days of radio.
For Bookish Alterna-Radio Types: Rebels on the Air: An Alternative History of Radio in America
This is a great book for those who are interested in reading about some of the creative characters behind various non-commercial radio stations.
For High Design Lovers: Antique Style Radio
This would just look so cool on the shelf.
For Non-Commercial Radio Supporters: CDs, LPs, Tshirts, etc. from their Favorite Radio Station
College, community, and public radio stations are always in need of your cash….and they often have really cool promotional items that you can pick up as gifts. Might I shamelessly plug KFJC’s 50th Anniversary LP to you? Or perhaps a cute girlie T-shirt?
For Terrestrial Radio Fans with Bad Reception: Internet Radio Receiver
I Love this idea. Instead of listening to your favorite radio stations through your computer, you can use this dedicated Internet radio. It’s perfect for places like San Francisco where FM radio reception is often dodgy, especially for the college radio stations that I listen to. It’s also got Pandora built in to in if you end up bypassing the bounty of streaming terrestrial stations.
