Seventy-five years ago, someone looking for an inexpensive radio could get one of these at Walgreen’s for $5.99. This is a bare-bones four tube superheterodyne sold under the Aetna name, which was Walgreen’s house brand, which could have come from a number of factories in the Chicago area. This ad appeared in the Milwaukee Journal, May 28, 1941.

The set appears to be Aetna model 421.  It tunes up to 1700 kHz, meaning it would tune the newly expanded broadcast band, as well as some police calls.  With the war less than a year away and the end of radio production, this set would probably remain in service for the duration.

Click Here For Today’s Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Cartoon