Realistic Was Not Beaten. Radio Shack Retired Its Own Brand

Realistic was Radio Shack's house brand from 1955 until 1994. The name began as Realist in 1954 and changed after the Stereo Realist camera company objected. Charles Tandy bought the bankrupt nine-store chain on April 1, 1963, for three hundred thousand dollars. The badge went on receivers, turntables, cassette decks, headphones and small cast-metal speakers people still buy used. The DX-150 and DX-160 were the first sets many Americans heard another continent on. The CB radios carried TRC numbers and base stations named Navaho, sold through a store in every mall while the specialists went under. Nobody took Realistic away. Tandy's gross profit ran 48.7 percent in 1991 because no one could price-check a Realistic against anything, then Computer City and Incredible Universe pulled it to 41.9 percent by the end of 1993. The board voted to sell the factories on June 25, 1993. The brand was retired the next year. 73. #hamradio #radioshack #shortwave #cbradio #vintageradio #electronicshistory