Thrift Store Stereo Find: Realistic Clarinette 104 Compact Stereo

I recently came across an interesting find at a local Goodwill.  It's a Realistic Clarinette 104.  It's a portable stereo from 1974.  It has a cassette tape deck, a phonograph, and an AM/FM tuner built in.  It's a pretty simple stereo.

Apparently Realistic (the Radio Shack stereo brand) continued to make various versions of the Clarinette up through the mid-1980s.  Here is a look at the dusty turntable on this thrift store unit.  If you ever need a needle for an old unit like this, check turntableneedles.com.

Ultimately, I didn't buy this old stereo because it stayed powered up even when I turned off the power switch.  When it comes to old electronic gear, you have to be cool about fire safety.  Plus, this has no CD player and it is fairly bulky for an old stereo.  Here is a clip from Youtube from a guy who was putting his grandmother's old stereo through its paces.

Old systems are always intriguing.  With a modern portable stereo, you can connect all sorts of modern devices using bluetooth, but vintage stereos take you away to another time.