Crosley Radio Renews Beatles Licensed Accessories

Crosley Radio recently announced it had renewed its license for Beatles-branded accessories including the ones in the lead photo. The Beatles remain at or near the top of new vinyl sales 57 years after the group released its first single.

Most of these storage crates, carrying cases and other Beatles paraphernalia are available on the company's website at this URL averaging around $50. While most of the portable players Crosley sells are not exactly "audiophile quality", the company does sell a few Pro-Ject manufactured models that bring higher quality to a non-audiophile clientele and for that we in the "snob arena" should be thankful.

For those unaware of the company's history: Crosley Radio, founded in 1921 originally manufactured console style radios and continued in business until 1956. The current Crosley Radio is a resurrected brand that began selling "nostalgia" items to gift stores. At a trade show around 1990, a Crosley buyer noticed a "cute little turntable" similar to the Califones many of us remember from our 1950's and '60s elementary school years. The buyer though the novelty might be of interest to some nostalgic Boomers and chose to stock and offer it to Crosley's gift store customers. Almost immediately it became the company's biggest selling item and suddenly, Louisville, Kentucky-based Crosley became a major turntable company. Turntables, record playing accessories and even the only jukebox currently in production produce the bulk of the company's business. At one time Crosley contemplated opening a pressing plant but that's now either on hold or not happening.

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