Battery-operated portable record player

Battery-powered? Hmm. Boy, I sure don't remember any. I did a search on Ebay for you, though. I didn't go through every thread of the search, but you can see if anything fits what you're looking for:


Ebay Phonograph search

Good luck!

There were some because I can remember classmates bringing battery powered record players to school. I wanted to have one but never did get one.

The style that I recall were small and made from plastic. In size, they were about the size of an encyclopedia volume. The one I recall - and coveted - was pink plastic.

Kids and teens carried these to school, to the park, etc. to play tunes.

I don't know if this is much help but those are my recollections and I am totally sure these portable battery powered record players were around by the late 60's.

I had one in the late 60's. It was roughly 18 inches square and four inches deep and did not have separate speakers. I think it took eigher 4 or 6 D size batteries.

My sister, who was born in the early 60's, had one that she let me use all the time in my bedroom as a little kid. It was battery-powered, and its footprint was about the size of a hardbound novel volume.

It had a big, white plastic tone-arm and a tiny plastic platter that was very vinyl-unfriendly. The stylus didn't track very well--it constantly skipped. And if I recall correctly it could play three speeds (33-1/3, 45 and 78 RPM.)

Because it was so small and simple, there was no cue--you had to pick up the tone-arm and set it on the record--and I don't think it even had the standard little side-piece with which a person could gingerly pick up the headshell. You had to put your hand around the entire headshell to pick it up.

There was no anti-skate, and there were no pitch controls--which are generally standard equipment on a good brand-name turntable built today.

Another note that might be important, or might not depending on what information you will be needing, is that these tiny battery-operated turntables (at least the ones I have personally dealt with) were never automatic. They were the kind you had to watch constantly to make sure they were doing their job (some of the performance of turntables can be attributed to records, but most performance issues have to do with how the turntable is built and what it is able to do.)


I hope this helps, and good luck with your manuscript.

I, too, had a battery record player in the 1960's. I also remember it as being small with built-in speakers. I believe mine was two-tone turquoise (quite the color then!). It played one record at a time and I had to lift the arm and put the needle on the record by hand. It probably took C or D batteries. I listened to it sitting in the back seat of the car as my family drove across the country -- no car radio! Good luck with your novel!

I had a red one that was like a suitcase. It had a white handle. The exterior was like canvas.

I can't remember what the speakers were like (I don't think I knew what speakers were back then.)