# Consumer Electronics Brands That Have Disappeared? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 7, 2012, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-electronics-brands-that-have-disappeared/633991 "2012-09-07T14:41:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-electronics-brands-that-have-disappeared/633991/61 "2012-09-12T00:19:01Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > Hows about Studebakers? They’re still around, no? D’oh, didn’t notice the “electronics” qualifier in the OP. :smack: Please ignore both previous post and this post. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-electronics-brands-that-have-disappeared/633991/62 "2012-09-12T02:12:45Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > D’oh, didn’t notice the “electronics” qualifier in the OP. :smack: That’s OK. Towards the end, Studebaker used [**Delco**](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delco_Electronics) radios, and that name is now among the undead, too. > [@](#): > > Although Delco Electronics no longer exists as an operating company, GM still retains rights to the Delco name and uses it for some of its subsidiaries including the ACDelco parts division. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-electronics-brands-that-have-disappeared/633991/63 "2012-09-12T02:28:46Z")
Not many people know that CBS merchandised radios and TVs during the 50s, after taking over Hytron, a radio and TV tube maker. The sets were branded CBS-Columbia, the tubes CBS-Hytron. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-electronics-brands-that-have-disappeared/633991/64 "2012-09-12T11:54:23Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > The Sharper Image is just a brand name now. I thought Sharper Image was always just a brand name. They did have a chain of stores but the products were just things that they put their name on and marketed. I bought a Sharper Image product at their store that I found later was sold by the manufacturer under their own name. I don’t think they ever manufactured or even designed the products, though they may have spec’ed out and commissioned them. (I’m not sure what the whole story is about the Ionic Breeze; that seemed to be a product exclusive to SI.) ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-electronics-brands-that-have-disappeared/633991/65 "2012-09-12T12:41:20Z")
Someone mentioned “Muntz”-Earle “Madman” Muntz was a California entrepreneur who made it big in used cars. He used his profits to get into the TV business, and later made 8-Track players for cars. In the late 1970’s, he tried to get into the big screen (projection) TV business-was he successful in that? ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-electronics-brands-that-have-disappeared/633991/66 "2012-09-12T14:37:51Z")
I don’t like much of their stuff anymore but I do have a Sony TC 500 Reel to Reel, portable tape deck I purchased in 1963, ( if 55 pounds is really portable but it can be all hooked together and has a handle to carry it with if you can. ) It is going strong… ---
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2012, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-electronics-brands-that-have-disappeared/633991/67 "2012-09-13T01:02:56Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > Hows about Studebakers? They’re still around, no? Well one of my new neighbors drives a near-mint Studebaker Hawk. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2012, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-electronics-brands-that-have-disappeared/633991/68 "2012-09-13T03:13:39Z")
> [@GusNSpot](#): > > I don’t like much of their stuff anymore but I do have a Sony TC 500 Reel to Reel, portable tape deck I purchased in 1963, ( if 55 pounds is really portable but it can be all hooked together and has a handle to carry it with if you can. ) It is going strong… Is that “pre-logic” or post? I remember it being a big deal when you didn’t have to pause between forward and rewind. I’m old. ---
**Author:** ![Greekfreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@Greekfreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greekfreak)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2012, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-electronics-brands-that-have-disappeared/633991/69 "2012-09-13T03:27:10Z")
I remember Candle. Great little B&W portable tv we had for the Atari.😉 Marantz could indeed be found at the local “audiophile” shop in my hometown, and probably still is. Most of that shit is all the same. They also hawked Yamaha heavily, and the result is I still have CD players, a high-end dual cassette deck, EQ (which I never used) and receiver from 1990-1992 that work perfectly and have never been cleaned. NAD was another audio gear company that I never hear of anymore. Years and years ago, it was pretty common knowledge that “Sears” brand tube TVs (the massive ones with the wood fixtures–heavy as shit) were actually Sony. They used to last forever. Is “Sanyo” still going strong? They were fairly cheap and looked and sounded it. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2012, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-electronics-brands-that-have-disappeared/633991/70 "2012-09-13T13:22:37Z")
Back in the days when the Japanese were trying hard to rid themselves of the “cheap junk” reputation, there were a number of Taiwan-based manufacturers that sold extremely cheap copies of Japanese gear. I seem to remember names like “SOMY” and “FUJIMA”-obvious take-offs on Japanese brands. Anyway, I remember one store selling “One transistor” radios! These things had terrible sounds, and poor selectivity-but they sold for a few dollars. Doubtless, few survive toady. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-electronics-brands-that-have-disappeared/633991.md?page=3)