The only thing I can remember was that we called Lafayette "Laugh-a-Lot"
Radio. They had their place, back then, to be sure... long before the
current RatShack came along. I still have a Lafayette bug.

Thanks to all for a wealth of information. Now then...ahem...does anyone
know anything about the Model 390 Starflite ham transmitter? I believe early
Kenwood or Yaesu was manufacturing their other ham rigs but the Starflite
was a kit and I am wondering if it was an American effort on the part of
Lafayette? The circuit was almost identical to the DX-60 so I am wondering
if anyone knows if there was a Heath-Lafayette connection? Why was the
Starflite only offered for a year and a half or two years? Was it a dud? Or
was Heath and the DX-60 too much competition? Too many questions, I know. I
am doing a little research paper, of sorts. Thanks guys.

Smokey
"Smokey" wrote in message
...
Does anyone know anything about the corporate structure of Lafayette? Is
anyone out there a former employee, especially during the 1950s and 1960s?
Who "absorbed" or bought Lafayette?

Smokey

In article , "Smokey"
writes:

Does anyone know anything about the corporate structure of Lafayette? Is
anyone out there a former employee, especially during the 1950s and 1960s?
Who "absorbed" or bought Lafayette?

Funny, the others reminiscing about NYC and Chicago. But I remember when there
was a big Laughin-Yet store on Comonwealth Ave in Boston, about 1967. I always
assumed Lafayette was a Boston-based outfit, and that was the "mother" store.
Guess I was wrong.

I used to take the subway once in a while and ogle the wares. I cam close to
buying their "inmported" 6m AM transceiver, but ended up mail-ordering and
building the Knight-Kit equivalent instead.

Funny thing is, there was a Radio Shack store of equal size (big) a block away.
--Mike K.
Oscar loves trash, but hates Spam! Delete him to reply to me.

I worked for Lafayette in Jamaica, Queens, New York 1963-1964. This was my
first job and I sold Ham/CB Equipment. I worked for a sales manager named
Sandy who worked for the store manager Nat Raucher. George "The Greek" sold
hifi and camera and the rest worked hard hours "Over the counter". You could
by any component from a single carbon resistor to a case of electrolytics
over the counter. Two young engineers (RCA Institute grads) met to discuss
some simple designs of ham and cb equipment had their prototypes done in
Japan and then marketed them here. I think this was mostly for the simple
but inexpensive cb's and some ham gear like their 6 meter am transceivers. I
didn't make much money but the employee discount was good and I bought my
first transceiver the National NCX-3. The American Electronics industy was a
good viable source of income for many people and at the time I thought it
would last forever.


Tony WA6LZH (WA2LBY)


"Smokey" wrote in message
...
Does anyone know anything about the corporate structure of Lafayette? Is
anyone out there a former employee, especially during the 1950s and 1960s?
Who "absorbed" or bought Lafayette?

Smokey

George "The Greek"
HAHahaha I think I know him, he had a cash of Lafayette auction parts as
well
He opened a joint on Steinway street with a character named 'Mike"
SL Jack Electronics, I baught a new in the box Hickok scope from him for $60
in 1988
Sadly its a Applebee's or something now

-Joe

"Tony Angerame" wrote in message
...
I worked for Lafayette in Jamaica, Queens, New York 1963-1964. This was my
first job and I sold Ham/CB Equipment. I worked for a sales manager named
Sandy who worked for the store manager Nat Raucher. George "The Greek"
sold
hifi and camera and the rest worked hard hours "Over the counter". You
could
by any component from a single carbon resistor to a case of electrolytics
over the counter. Two young engineers (RCA Institute grads) met to discuss
some simple designs of ham and cb equipment had their prototypes done in
Japan and then marketed them here. I think this was mostly for the simple
but inexpensive cb's and some ham gear like their 6 meter am transceivers.
I
didn't make much money but the employee discount was good and I bought my
first transceiver the National NCX-3. The American Electronics industy was
a
good viable source of income for many people and at the time I thought it
would last forever.


Tony WA6LZH (WA2LBY)


"Smokey" wrote in message
...
Does anyone know anything about the corporate structure of Lafayette? Is
anyone out there a former employee, especially during the 1950s and
1960s?
Who "absorbed" or bought Lafayette?

Smokey

there was a store clerk in the Boston, Mass. (110 Federal St. ) in the mid
forties, who taught how to move the decimal point 6 places to the right, to go
from mfd to mmfd...roll on to the 70's...i'am in the only Lafayette store in
Las Vegas...a mother and son are trying to find a 50 ohm resistor, son is
wearing a Cub scout uniform..." Joe " the store clerk goes through the blister
packs of resistors, alas no 50 ohm, sez i, " connect two 100 ohms in parallel"
Joe goes postal..always wondered if the boy persued electronics? never went
back to that store for anything after that? I'am 71 this month, and am still
working at a major hotel/casino, fixing tv sets...i shopped at THE radio shack
store on Washington St. store...and my S-38 came from the Lafayette store, in
Boston...the clerks i met in my youth, helped mold a life long career in
electronics...Gene Reed Tsgt usaf retired...wb7ngi

there was a store clerk in the Boston, Mass. (110 Federal St. ) in the mid
forties, who taught how to move the decimal point 6 places to the right, to go
from mfd to mmfd...roll on to the 70's...i'am in the only Lafayette store in
Las Vegas...a mother and son are trying to find a 50 ohm resistor, son is
wearing a Cub scout uniform..." Joe " the store clerk goes through the blister
packs of resistors, alas no 50 ohm, sez i, " connect two 100 ohms in parallel"
Joe goes postal..always wondered if the boy persued electronics? never went
back to that store for anything after that? I'am 71 this month, and am still
working at a major hotel/casino, fixing tv sets...i shopped at THE radio shack
store on Washington St. store...and my S-38 came from the Lafayette store, in
Boston...the clerks i met in my youth, helped mold a life long career in
electronics...Gene Reed Tsgt usaf retired...wb7ngi

George "The Greek"
HAHahaha I think I know him, he had a cash of Lafayette auction parts as
well
He opened a joint on Steinway street with a character named 'Mike"
SL Jack Electronics, I baught a new in the box Hickok scope from him for $60
in 1988
Sadly its a Applebee's or something now

-Joe

"Tony Angerame" wrote in message
...
I worked for Lafayette in Jamaica, Queens, New York 1963-1964. This was my
first job and I sold Ham/CB Equipment. I worked for a sales manager named
Sandy who worked for the store manager Nat Raucher. George "The Greek"
sold
hifi and camera and the rest worked hard hours "Over the counter". You
could
by any component from a single carbon resistor to a case of electrolytics
over the counter. Two young engineers (RCA Institute grads) met to discuss
some simple designs of ham and cb equipment had their prototypes done in
Japan and then marketed them here. I think this was mostly for the simple
but inexpensive cb's and some ham gear like their 6 meter am transceivers.
I
didn't make much money but the employee discount was good and I bought my
first transceiver the National NCX-3. The American Electronics industy was
a
good viable source of income for many people and at the time I thought it
would last forever.


Tony WA6LZH (WA2LBY)


"Smokey" wrote in message
...
Does anyone know anything about the corporate structure of Lafayette? Is
anyone out there a former employee, especially during the 1950s and
1960s?
Who "absorbed" or bought Lafayette?

Smokey

I worked for Lafayette in Jamaica, Queens, New York 1963-1964. This was my
first job and I sold Ham/CB Equipment. I worked for a sales manager named
Sandy who worked for the store manager Nat Raucher. George "The Greek" sold
hifi and camera and the rest worked hard hours "Over the counter". You could
by any component from a single carbon resistor to a case of electrolytics
over the counter. Two young engineers (RCA Institute grads) met to discuss
some simple designs of ham and cb equipment had their prototypes done in
Japan and then marketed them here. I think this was mostly for the simple
but inexpensive cb's and some ham gear like their 6 meter am transceivers. I
didn't make much money but the employee discount was good and I bought my
first transceiver the National NCX-3. The American Electronics industy was a
good viable source of income for many people and at the time I thought it
would last forever.


Tony WA6LZH (WA2LBY)


"Smokey" wrote in message
...
Does anyone know anything about the corporate structure of Lafayette? Is
anyone out there a former employee, especially during the 1950s and 1960s?
Who "absorbed" or bought Lafayette?

Smokey

From what I can tell from this thread, they must have sold off individual
stores to various chains or individual stores depending on the locations.
The local LRE here in Westerly, RI became one of small local chain of stores
called Leiser Sound, owned by a Harry Leiser, in the early 80s.. The Leiser
Sound chain went belly up a few years later. I think several other LREs
also became Leisers in the SE CT/ RI area.

I remember getting a LRE SWR/Wattmeter for next to nothing there when Lieser
was liqudating all the non-stereo LRE inventory.

Interesting topic/thread!!!

Chris Bowne, AJ1G
Stonington, CT



"Smokey" wrote in message
...
Does anyone know anything about the corporate structure of Lafayette? Is
anyone out there a former employee, especially during the 1950s and 1960s?
Who "absorbed" or bought Lafayette?

Smokey