c.1961 Encore TRM-601
Shirt pocket radio, thermoplastic cabinet
3 9/16 x 2 1/2 x 1 inches / 90 x 63.5 x 25.4 mm
Six transistors (TEN), one standard 9-volt battery
Made in Japan, manufacturer unknown
This example came new-in-the-box, and I can't get past the cloisonne "ENCORE" badge being crooked. Every time I look at this radio, I only see the badge. It doesn't appear that the badge fell off in the box and the seller glued it back on -- it seems to have come this way from the manufacturer.
Otherwise, I'd say this is a very unique and handsome radio and a little bit zany in design. The odd-shaped speaker grille is raised about 1/8 of an inch above the plastic face. Above the grille is a really nice reverse-painted plastic tuning plate. The tuning dial itself is extremely unique: a half-circle shape, something I've only seen one other radio, the c.1959 6-transistor Voss. And there's a thumb depression behind both the tuning knob and the volume knob, also pretty unusual. The set also features an easel stand, and overall there doesn't seem to be anything cheap about this radio other than for that damn badge.
I've had to guess on the manufacture date as being circa 1961, based on the look of both the cabinet and chassis. There's nothing on the internet for this radio, except for Joe Haupt's page on a Rogers 'Electronic' radio, identical to this Encore and which he also dates as circa 1961.
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