For those of you who have never seen old radio sets, here is a chance. Go to Bharathi Park near Avinashilingam University on Wednesday where M.A. Abudahir will display more than 160 antique radio sets to mark the World Radio Day on February 13.
Despite resource and space constraints, the 42-year-old man, who works in a car seat and interior firm and lives in a rented house in Karumbukkadai, has been collecting antique items for the last 28 years.
Besides radio sets, Abudahir’s collections include coins and currencies of different countries, weights and measures such as pound, tola and veesai, locks and television sets.
On the display of radio sets, he said that he wanted to remind the younger generation of the indispensable role the radio played in the lives of our ancestors.
He has in possession the oldest of 1924 set and the latest of 1990 ones. He has a vacuum tube radio in teak box used by the British Indian Army in 1939, radio sets used in select islands, Britain’s Murphy radio, Germany’s Mackenzie radio, circuit and Indian Murphy radio, and Tata Nelco.
“I forgo eating out and watching movies to save money to collect these items. My wife and two sons support me in my passion,” said Mr. Abudahir.
The weights and measures in his collection include those that were in use before the standard of weights and measures came into existence.
Mr. Abudahir also has Aligarh, Dindigul and Covai Chettippalayam locks and the prototype locks of Portugal.