RESEARCHING EKKO AND OTHER VERIFICATION STAMPS In response to Doug Nyholmn's questions about EKKO stamps in the Western DX Forum last issue, very little information exists on radio verification stamps, except for two articles which have appeared in Popular Communications Magazine (April, 1986 and March, 1995) and a cover story which appeared in the June 4, 1997 issue of Antique Radio Classified. As it turns out, I am in the process of conducting initial research into the area of radio verification stamps with the hope of eventually authoring a book on the subject.
Briefly, an article entitled "The New Radio Stamp Fad" appeared in the February, 1925 issue of Radio News Magazine. The classic magazine cover of that particular issue pictured a broadcast band listener donning a set of head phones listening to DX, while at the same time placing EKKO stamps in his album. Two months later, the EKKO Company of Chicago, Illinois ran an ad in the April, 1925 issue depicting their special radio stamp album which could be purchased for $1.75 ($2.50 in Canada). It is estimated that over 700 stations in the U.S., Canada, Cuba and Mexico were represented on stamps printed by the American Banknote Company for use by EKKO. However, there were stations that did not participate in the EKKO program and issued their own stamps. Some of these stations included WHAS, WSM, WSB, WJKS, WTIC and KFI. Another lesser known Chicago company which produced verification stamps complete with an album was P.M. Bryant. Unfortunately, very little information exists on their venture into the radio DX field, but I am working on it. In addition to the postage-like stamps issued by EKKO and Bryant, other stations such as KMOX and KGO utilized embossed, gold-colored, gum-back circular foil. In addition to verification stamps, I am also looking into the various stations which have issued special QSL cards and membership cards to DX'ers such as the KDYL "Night Owls Club", the WDAF "Nighthawks -the Enemies of Sleep", and the CKMO "Midnight Prowlers". If any IRCA member has examples of these types of items I would love to hear from them. The subject of the early days of AM BCB DX is a fascinating one. Unfortunately, much of the paper ephemera related to the subject such as QSL cards, applause cards, postcards, membership cards and verification stamps are gone forever. After eighty years, I suppose most of these items wound up in land fills, were incinerated or were eaten by insects while buried in a dirty attic or basement. I am always searching for these long forgotten items, especially from the time period of 1920 through 1940 when AM BCB Dxing was a popular hobby. Once I can gather a sufficient amount of accurate historical information and examples of such items, I will be that much closer to putting a book together for all to enjoy. Good DX....73. (Harry Schools, K3HS, 1606 South Kewkirk Street, Philadelphia, PA 19145, Eastern DX Forum, IRCA Soft DX Monitor June 19 via DX Listening Digest 4-093) ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Yahoo! Domains - Claim yours for only $14.70 http://us.click.yahoo.com/Z1wmxD/DREIAA/yQLSAA/zBTolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/radiostamps/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ ---[Start Commercial]--------------------- World Radio TV Handbook 2004 is out! Only $20.97 through us. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0823059685/hardcoredxcom ---[End Commercial]----------------------- ________________________________________ Hard-Core-DX mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://dallas.hard-core-dx.com/mailman/listinfo/hard-core-dx http://www.hard-core-dx.com/ _______________________________________________ THE INFORMATION IN THIS ARTICLE IS FREE. It may be copied, distributed and/or modified under the conditions set down in the Design Science License published by Michael Stutz at http://dsl.org/copyleft/dsl.txt
