MUNISING, Mich. (WZMQ) – After 20 years, Mark Luoma laid down his gavel in Alger County and moved his personal belongings home. He brought approximately 100 vintage radios to sit alongside an already well-established collection in his workshop. leaving little room for his hobbies.
After acquiring his first radio in the mid 1970s Luoma said his interest in collecting was sparked.
Luoma, “These pieces are timeless, they are designed by artist, they are designed by engineers.
And in those designs Luoma found a common theme.
Luoma, “They weren’t all that reliable when they were new, because this is old technology.
His desire to restore these treasures along with collecting them, continued to grow.
Luoma, “And I thought at some point I should learn how to fix these so they actually work.
Luoma bought books on how to repair vintage radios and the word got out and he had friends and family drop off their broken ones collecting dust and started seeking more for his collection.
Luoma, “They were much more attainable and now they are like an actinium, harder to find.
Luoma said his biggest challenge outside of waiting for parts from The Netherlands is having no space to store his collection. He contacted a local business and found a new home for his working radios. Although Luoma parted ways with his initial collection to make room for other interests, he’s already started a new collection of vintage radio to bring back to life.
