We need to thank this week’s guest to our radio show, handheld game super-collector Rik Morgan for discussing this one. Described as a “holy grail” in video game circles, AdventureVision packed a whallop for fun and portability back in 1982.

Toy company Entex designed this hybrid system many years ago during the heyday of the handheld electronic game craze. They engineered a pint-sized arcade game (complete with marquis and joystick!) capable of playing games stored in cartridge format. Milton Bradley had a similar product with their LCD-based Microvision system in 1979, but Entex’s result was much more appealing to the senses–it looked and felt like a real arcade game, complete with sound and flashing lights!

As far as handheld games go, Adventure Vision was also complicated in its design. Its display was the result of a combination of LEDs and a spinning mirror creating a video-like effect. It had a headphone jack for privacy, and a cartridge storage area on the stop of the unit. The price was steep, too. Parents had to drop over $80 at their local Sears for the base unit. Cartridges were at least $12 apiece, though only four were released (a Defender cart was included with the console). We’re unsure why the system failed commercially, perhaps cost was a factor. Oh well, Adventure Vision can still be found today, but as mentioned before they’ve become a holy grail for collectors so expect to pay around 100 times the original price for one.

Another “luggable” computer from the early days, this Kaypro II was an incredibly durable, albeit heavy system. The chassis and keyboard were made of steel, and though the two latched together to form a single piece, we dare anyone to carry it for a significant length of time. The display on the Kaypro is slightly larger than that of the Osborne I, but it also required a boot disk and wall socket to prove useful. Rumor has it that the producers of the film 2010 communicated work back and forth between the US and India during filming using this system and a modem.

One of the many great inventions publicized by the incredible JS&A Group, the Bone Fone put a unique spin on personal stereos–with its wrap-around design unique speaker placement, the vibrations “resonate through your bones–all the way to the sensitive bones of your inner ear” giving the listener breathtaking sound.

The Bone Fone was one of the many novelty radios reaching a niche radio buyers back in the ’70s and early ’80s. Joggers, cyclists and disco roller skaters loved the convenience of the handy little radio while exercising; techno-weenies like us appreciated the unusual approach toward high quality stereo sound. The Bone Fone wasn’t cheap–it cost over $70 US but included lycra sleeves in an array of colors and even a fabric pattern to create your own.

The Bone Fone’s interest was short-lived, as most wound up in tag sales when the Walkman boom hit in the early ’80s. Today, the personal stereo’s capabilities have reached urban legend level proportions though in all likelihood, one could probably get the same effect by breaking a set of headphones in half and taping each end to one’s chest. The radios are in high demand and probably fetch the same as what one would have paid when they were initially sold.

With a storefront like this beckoning you from across the street, how could you resist? Yedsonic Electronics, 25th & B’way.

From the decade of excess, a typical three-way speaker just won’t do. Say hello to JVC’s (Japanese Victory Components, that is) eight-way monster.

At first glance, this may seem like 50 pounds of plastic. Flip the switch, and it shall be confirmed. Boombox eye candy observed on Broadway.

Ghetto blaster bliss for $89. This one’s probably got the density of a sponge cake–it can’t weight more than 5lbs.

Co-host Paul scans this table of garbage discriminately while recording the action for our radio show.

A discerning eye in Chinatown may catch a vintage component or two, like this mid-80s Sunkyong stereo TV tuner or the off-white Curtis Mathes satellite receiver in shrinkwrap.

Yes, co-host Jay is very excited to see this mid-80s Emerson. But that really is just a microphone in his pocket.

In case you missed the last one, here’s five more where that came from.

Rack after rack of pure electronic trash–we wouldn’t want it any other way.

Recall, if you can, a world before calculators: spending minutes to perform simple arithmetic with a pencil and paper. When they finally became available to the masses, we treasured them for their precision and speed. Today, we find them by the dozen in cardboard boxes on a dingy floor for $1.00 apiece.

More pre-Pentium hardware like this 1983 Panasonic Sr. Partner, transportable computer. Sporting dual 360k 5 1/4 inch floppy drives, an 8088 processor and original price of $2500, today $15 takes it home.

Silver knobs, simulated wood cabinets, analog meters; alive and well and Chinatown.

Trust your family’s security with the company who brought the Dukes of Hazzard to your wrist. An early 80s video security system by Unisonic on sale for $59.99.

Co-host Jay hones his sifting skills for the upcoming flea market season.

Uncle Steve representin’ Chinatown…with quality brand names in home and car audio.

Count on Pocket Calculator to unabashedly bring you the finest in lost vintage electronics! To Paul’s dismay, the images were tough to capture, but we think you’ll get the idea! Several different acts are played out to a melody of the “Can Can”. Using the same case and module design as the Nelsonic “Space Attacker” game watch of 1981, we presume the “Sexum Watch” came out of the same Hong Kong factory.

One of three NOS (look it up) gems we recently picked up at a surplus store in Maine. Yes, the speakerphone came into the realm of many household and even teenage budgets in the 80s, but it would be a little longer before such a modest investment would have a practical application. “You sound like you’re in a tunnel!” or “Get out of that trash can!”, are among the statements you can expect when attempting to converse on this Magnavox unit. Considering we paid $3 for it, we’re willing to take our chances.

The term “portable” is used loosely here–the Osborne I weighed over 30lbs, so it was more of a “luggable” computer. Nonetheless, this system made on-the-go computing a reality for many folks back in 1981. The 3″ CRT, keyboard, dual floppy disk drives, modem and disk holder were all neatly held in a hardshell that folded up into a handy suitcase-shaped package. Paul grabbed this one for $20 from a nice ham op in the Hartford, CT area. That price included the pile of documentation, software and shipping box. Can you imagine that this machine originally cost nearly $2000 20+ years back?

As heard on our Pocket Calculator Show, this Seiko (also known as the “Voice Note”) was produced in relatively small numbers in 1983. The sound quality was poor, but this novel concept’s day would come in the form of a Casio voice watch some 15 years later. More interestingly, Dudley from Diff’rent Strokes wore this on a few episodes. Evidently, it was the only thing Mr. Horton didn’t ask Dudley to take off.

We don’t need to tell you how surprised we were to find an original GE Superadio in this condition. It’s our judgement that the performance on this first edition Superadio is vitually the same as the later models. But a cult following for the Model I still exists. For AM and some FM dxing, these are hard to pass up. We were more than happy to exchange an Andrew Jackson for a piece of GE history.

Another find from our favorite surplus store in Maine. Only $1.99! Now you know why it’s our favorite store! We found this one under a Mead Trapper Keeper from roughly the same era. A forerunner to the bud-style headhpones, this unit took the weight off your belt as you trained for the ’84 Olympics, of which Hattori-Seiko was the official timer.