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About This Radio

 

Serial Number 6215: A Surviving Artifact

What makes serial number 6215 particularly significant is its traceable documentation within surviving archival restoration material.

Many early Rogers production records no longer survive, making identifiable sets especially valuable from a historical perspective. A documented radio with known provenance helps preserve the manufacturing and collecting history of Canadian radio production.

Each surviving console tells a story:

  • who purchased it,
  • where it stood,
  • what broadcasts it carried,
  • and how it survived nearly a century of technological change.

The Rogers Majestic 610 stands today not merely as an antique radio, but as a physical connection to Canadian homes of the early 1930s.

 

Technical Details of Chassis 641

The R-641 chassis was a sophisticated early-Depression design and used:

  • 6 tubes

  • Push-pull audio output

  • Electrodynamic speaker

  • AC operation

  • TRF (Tuned Radio Frequency) circuitry

Tube lineup:

  • 280 rectifier

  • 224 ×3

  • 245 ×2

A push-pull audio output circuit is incorporated into this set. The same chassis was also used in the Rogers 620 and possibly the Rogers 629.

 

Cabinet Styling

The Model 610 cabinet is transitional between:

  • late-1920s Gothic furniture styling

  • early Art Deco streamlining

Typical characteristics include:

  • walnut veneer

  • decorative grille openings

  • tall vertical proportions

  • stepped architectural lines

Canadian Rogers cabinets from this era were often extremely well made compared with American mid-market competitors.

 

Collector Interest Today

The Rogers 610 is considered desirable among Canadian collectors because:

  • Rogers sets are historically significant

  • early 1931 consoles are less common

  • Canadian-made radios have a smaller surviving population

  • the cabinet styling is attractive

  • the push-pull audio stage gives excellent sound

The chassis 641 is also respected for its robust construction and surprisingly rich audio performance.

 

Historical Importance

The Model 610 was produced during one of the most important periods in Canadian radio history:

  • national radio broadcasting was expanding rapidly

  • AC electric radios were replacing battery sets

  • radios became central household furniture

  • Canadian manufacturers were competing heavily with American imports

Rogers-Majestic became one of Canada’s flagship electronics firms during this era.

 

Original Selling Price

An exact verified factory list price has not yet surfaced in surviving literature, but comparable Rogers-Majestic consoles from 1930–1931 sold for approximately:

  • $110–$150 CAD in 1931

Equivalent modern value:

  • roughly $2,200–$3,100 CAD today

That positioned the Model 610 as a mid-to-upper-tier household console during the Depression.

Some Rogers consoles advertised in Canadian newspapers in 1931 exceeded $175 depending on cabinet size and speaker configuration.