"Mike Polinske" wrote in message
m...
Has anyone heard of the Borg Johnson Radio?

A curious historic note about Borg-Johnson Electronics from the late 50's:

http://www.usps.com/judicial/1958deci/1-10.htm

I got an offer in the mail that was offering it free with a 10 day
trial oT a "nutritional supplement". The mailing says the radio is a
$79 value, but I can't find any information on the radio. If it were
legit, I'd expect to see more information about the radio.

This sounds like the classic "..and if you act now, we'll also
include" routine that was was perfected by the early masters
of the art of direct sales. Actually a facinating history that makes
for quite good reading!

See: http://www.sjplfilms.com/

I often wonder if there were any ever psychological
studies done on the draw of this uniquely American
sales institution?

See also:

http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/...02/june/ronco/

The picture of the radio shows a 12 band FM/TV/MW/SW1-9 radio with a
model number of HS-912R.

Sounds like a marketing company someplace has purchased the
B-J name and is now importing more chinese made radios.

They've done the same of late with Emerson and Philco.
I saw a "modern" Philco (chinese made) on the HSN just
yesterday.

HSN and similar networks are the modern evolution of the
classic pitch-men of the 60's and 70's. (the Grand Master
of the art being the great Ron Popeil of RonCo fame)

http://shop.ronco.com/ (now online!!)

If you want more info, email me and I'll send you the technical
specifications as well as a link to see a picture of the radio.

I'd rather be sure the radio is genuine and works as advertised than
get it and be disappointed.

Thanks in advance,

Mike Polinske
Milwaukee, WI

"....and if you act now, I'll include a matched pair of 6AQ5's ABSOLUTLEY
FREE!"

(grin)

"Doughnutz & Coffee" wrote in message
...


[snip]

Sounds like a marketing company someplace has purchased the
B-J name and is now importing more chinese made radios.

I wonder how the Borg Johnson name could have any positive value. Sounds
like one of the Borg or Johnson kids or somebody else sold one more
valueless product. I'd love to see the pitch they made.


They've done the same of late with Emerson and Philco.
I saw a "modern" Philco (chinese made) on the HSN just
yesterday.

Yeah, nearly all the old names are owned by some other company now, usually
offshore. Can't imagine how Borg Johnson got ahead of DuMont for the
nostalgia label market.


[snip]


Frank Dresser

"Frank Dresser" wrote in message
...

"Doughnutz & Coffee" wrote in message
...


[snip]

Sounds like a marketing company someplace has purchased the
B-J name and is now importing more chinese made radios.

I wonder how the Borg Johnson name could have any positive value. Sounds
like one of the Borg or Johnson kids or somebody else sold one more
valueless product. I'd love to see the pitch they made.


They've done the same of late with Emerson and Philco.
I saw a "modern" Philco (chinese made) on the HSN just
yesterday.

Yeah, nearly all the old names are owned by some other company now,
usually
offshore. Can't imagine how Borg Johnson got ahead of DuMont for the
nostalgia label market.



Borg-Johnson, huh?? Meaning if you buy one, you will be ASS-imilated??

"Brenda Ann" wrote in message
...


Borg-Johnson, huh?? Meaning if you buy one, you will be ASS-imilated??




Seems the more we learn about Borg Johnson, the less inclined we are to buy.
History is, indeed, a fine teacher. A lesson missed by the crew of the
Enterpirse on the Next Generation. Had they learned the lesson of one of
the sorriest automotive options of the last half of the twentieth century,
their
greatest enemy would have been no more than an annoying nuisance.

Consider the car clock. Not the hand wound version, but the self winding
version which replaced it. The hand wound version was no more reliable than
it's owner. A forgetful owner might occasionally forget to wind the car
clock. Recorded history is largely silent on the troubles which befell
owners of run down car clocks, but there's no doubt that the new and
improved self winder quickly assimilated the car clock market. The self
winder was much like the hand wound type, except the clock was wound every
few minutes by a solenoid triggered by contacts connected to the mainspring.
Now, if Mr. Forgetful lets his car's battery run down, the car clock's
automated winder would wind with increasingly weaker kicks until there
wasn't enough juice to kick up the mainspring, but plenty enough to ruin
it's contact points. Many, if not most, of these senseless automated self
winding clocks had the name "BORG" stamped in on the back in large capital
letters.

So, the strategy should have been obvious. Encourge the cybernetic
organisms to fly around in foggy or dusky weather. Get 'em to drink a few.
Mandate a 24 hour headlight law.

Oh, sure, you might say, "Well, they'll just call up their role models, The
Daleks, jumpstart the Borg Cubes, and be as powerful and dangerous as ever!"
Powerful, yes. But far less dangerous -- once that moment's negligence
permently cost them the ability to be Ticked Off.

Frank Dresser