Design Stories: Exploring Everyday ThingsMain MenuViking Roamer RM-315 RadioBlackberry Bold 9000CGE KE 860 Electric KettleGeneral Electric’s 1966 Mixer Gift SetTorcan 886P Desk FanBaby Champ 5110 RadioCGE Hair DryerNorthern Telecom DisplayphoneAmin Asgari, Jason Taylor, Jocelyn ZinSamson Dominion Ten-Ten HairsetterPedro Amaral, Markiyan Palisa, Maria PerriShayna Adivib7dacecf2514976340c9fee58413be50a837e99dMatteo De Sanctis2c7f0439bc7dbbce394cd0e83390508c4316e0f9Dylan Fleuelling724bd216cf74182c9eb4bf85f4606a9f90300f43Sanyukta Ghag97f13f26df5104f991a5c78bb41d5501520945a0Ipun Kandola03d267ee57ad9e450b2bdf7607c2a096f9e5b707Minjoo Kim49e4f45a5b4fbe8b16e096b51064bd70ed6cdfc2Jessica Lo7d943c8a531bf17a92d4ce73f45508d35571048bSam Loiselleb0bb424f55ffc54d35c4c41f04a27d6f1914a83aLuciana Loucel Morales3d71928b274e19c31fb29bde4fc89cfab59747ebShriya Mujumdar401f34f51ff8386c5fd4b09a5def6038ca96da55Binh Nguyen77159e04ccf5c117d1aafcf7d72182271cfe4379Madeleine North1716571a300e1e377a3f5a2800d66ac1abe953e4Hannah Palmier Blizzardb85a64743cf09ec2b4e0c037a864f93027666ab3John Emmanuel Sanchez33ea7858c1ccddd4c50514af2ce70aadfb85d654Veronika Straka4da98006d10b69194fdb4d8ffa5ee51bb82dc8e6Jersey Louise Stuart51967f8e0c22fbade42e8a48d7cf0a44ab625751Michelle Tieu6e71ec02b710e08ac76005bc08f9bbf8e71f73c6Shane Toyama9b06201b77bf32b849e009b2cbd92a7602c6bc69Kesha Upadhyay31af8fb220a8946dc1166ecfdd2597f5dd8d003cJillian Warneraab1e08d9b244e0aed9e36e52219fd40328c6753Amavi Weerakoon806c26de54e888d00f80819bd6ef5040b78ac4c6Jan Hadlawusers/jhadlaw1e125e7557d6dc997197c765699eef9bff624103
BC5110 Radio_Waste_01
1media/computer--metal-and-iron-dump---11-172261628-cb98d1a1079745e9a13a25f240b8e2f1_thumb.jpg2025-03-28T06:06:42-04:00Deana Caetanoc465bfcc1787f6c918b9b6bc944055221b9cf17e1353What Is E-Waste and Why Is It a Problem?plain2025-03-28T07:32:49-04:00Sotelo, Gabriella. 2021. “What Is E-Waste and Why Is It a Problem?” Treehugger. July 4, 2021. https://www.treehugger.com/what-is-e-waste-and-why-is-it-a-problem-5186270.Deana Caetanoc465bfcc1787f6c918b9b6bc944055221b9cf17e
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1media/6225185.jpg2025-03-25T20:44:37-04:00"Where Am I now?"18plain2025-03-28T06:53:05-04:00
The End Cycle
The Baby Champ Radio’s end cycle reflects the broader patterns of consumption, technological advancement, and cultural reinterpretation as when no longer in use, it followed a common pattern of many consumer electronics of the time. Initially a significant household device, it was quickly overshadowed by newer, more advanced audio technologies such as cassette players, CD’s and digital media players. Mass production and rapid innovation shortened its lifespan, making it difficult to determine how long families typically kept these radios, with many being discarded. Today, some Baby Champ radios have been repurposed for different uses, such as for parts or restoration. The radios that have survived through the years often became refurbished collectible and vintage artefacts, valued for their historical significance and unique Art Deco design. Collectors and resellers frequently feature the Baby Champ on various platforms including Ebay, Radio Attic and Retro Radio Shop. In other circumstances, many collect and refinish these radios into their own unique look. Today these radios are sold for $150–$300, with their value varying by colour, condition, and originality.
The enduring appeal of the Baby Champ 5110 remains an iconic symbol of modernity and mass communication, cherished for its impact on Canadian consumer culture and remaining a cherished collectible representing the golden age of radio (Heywood-Wakefield. n.d). Representing more than just a functional object–it reflects a shift toward a more connected and media-driven society where meaning evolves over time based on context, culture and use (Dannehl 2018).
Today, the Baby Champ remains not just as a collectible piece of vintage technology, but as a testament to a transformative period of innovation, design, and social connection that continues to resonate with our understanding of technological progress and cultural identity.
