Shown here on the cover of the May 1948 issue of Radio News is Diane VanDusen. But the radio isn’t hers. It’s a rental, and the magazine provides some pointers for radio dealers thinking of getting in on the lucrative portable radio rental market.

The article details the experiences of a radio dealer in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, New York. He reported great results simply from positioning himself in front of his store on Coney Island Avenue with a sign reading “Portable Radios for Rent.” He charged 35 cents an hour, with a $1 minimum, and reported being sold out every sunny day.

The article stressed that an over-emphasis on security would be conterproductive, since the secret of success was a volume business, and being able to quickly get the transaction over with was key. The sets were marked in large letters “Brighton Rental,” but the dealer required only payment of the fee, as well as a glance at some identification. Despite the casual nature of the transaction, he reported zero thefts.

A batteries were reported to last a couple of days, with B batteries needing replacement every hundred hours or so. Therefore, cost of batteries was a small percentage of the fee.

The dealer reported that he also benefited from sales of portables, since the rental system allowed prospective customers to check out a portable, which listed for $39.50.

Miss VanDusen rented her radio from some other dealer, since she was relaxing at the beach in Florida.  She was one of the famous Aqua-maids at Cypress Gardens in Winter Park, Florida, now part of Legoland Florida.