Automatic Radio Mfg. Co. Tom Thumb Camera Radio
The Automatic Radio Mfg. Co. Tom Thumb Camera Radio is a novelty combination unit pairing a simple camera with a small radio receiver in a single housing. It is a mid-twentieth-century American consumer item rather than a serious photographic tool, and it is collected today primarily as a curiosity of post-war industrial design.
Auction evidence for the Tom Thumb Camera Radio is thin: the only verified UK saleroom result on file is a single hammer price of £320 from 2020, so any sense of what one is worth in 2026 rests on that lone data point rather than a settled market. Because that figure is a wholesale auction-hammer result rather than a retail asking price, dealer and online listings today can sit well above it, and condition of both the camera body and the radio components has an outsized effect on what an example sells for.
Sales History
Prices shown are realised prices — auction results and completed eBay sales, never asking prices. Most saleroom figures are hammer prices, before commission; some houses publish a premium-inclusive figure, and we do not adjust for condition. Dealer and retail asking prices are typically higher. How this figure is calculated.
Prices updated: June 2020
| Date | Price | Value GBP | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2020 | EUR 320 | £288 | 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 36 (Lot AI_36_38260) Title: Tom Thumb Camera Radio
Description:
an uncommon combination of a medium-format TLR camera and a valve radio, made in the U.S. by Automatic Radio Mfg., Boston, in very good condition (function of the radio not tested, camera working) Estimate: EUR 600 - EUR 700 |
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| Sep 1998 | £138 | £120 | 🇬🇧 Christie's | |
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Auction: COLLECTABLE CAMERAS FROM CLASSIC COLLECTION (Lot 261) Title: Tom Thumb camera radio
Description:
Tom Thumb camera radio Estimate: £25 - £100 |
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Frequently asked questions
What is a Tom Thumb Camera Radio worth today?
On the limited UK auction record available, one example hammered at £320 in 2020; with only a single verified sale, that figure is the best price reference but not a reliable median.
How much does a Tom Thumb Camera Radio sell for at auction?
The one recorded UK auction result sits at £320 hammer, and condition of both the camera and the radio is the main factor that moves the value up or down from that level.
Is the Tom Thumb Camera Radio collectible?
Yes — it is collected as a novelty combination item rather than for photographic performance, which is why complete and cosmetically clean examples carry the strongest price.