We are always looking to add more items to our Physical Objects Collection – but here are the items we really want. These are the top 10 items on our most wanted wishlist, so if you have one (preferably functional) and would like to donate it to the Museum, please get in touch!
OUR TOP 10 MOST WANTED OBJECT DONATIONS
10.
Sony NWZ-W27 Waterproof Walkman MP3 player (in water bottle) (2013)
Desperate for a hit MP3 player, Sony let a marketing firm convince them to sell a waterproof MP3 Walkman submerged inside a water bottle, which was available in special vending machines placed inside fitness centres & swimming pools. If you have one that’s still in its water bottle, we’d love to take it off your hands!
9.
Vintage S. S. Adams Joy Buzzer (1930s)
The original buzzing practical joke, popularised by the Joker’s deadly version in early Batman comics.
8.
Hayes Stack Smartmodem (1981)
The world’s first dialup computer modem with a built-in speaker, to listen for the dialtone and handshake process without needing a telephone.
7.
Audible MobilePlayer: The World’s First Portable Digital Audio Player (1997)
The audiobook company Audible.com pioneered the concept of a portable digital audio player by releasing their portable audiobook player in 1997 – a year before the first MP3 player hit the market (see below). It played RealAudio files, not MP3s, and sounded terrible, but. we still want one!
6.
Motorola DynaTAC 8000x: The First Mobile Phone (1983)
The first commercial mobile telephone, seen here with its inventor Martin Cooper.
5.
MPMan: The First MP3 Player (1998)
Before the iPod, even before the Creative Nomad Jukebox, the MPMan – not just the first MP3 player, but the first solid state MP3 player as well – appeared in South Korea.
4.
Sony PS-F5 ‘Flamingo’ (1983)
This iconic portable linear tracking & direct drive turntable plays records vertically or horizontally.
3.
Regency TR-1: The First Transistor Radio (1954)
This elegant-looking device has influenced the design of portable sound products ever since.
2.
TIE:
Koss SP/3, The First Stereo Headphones (1958)
Koss SP/3x, The Second Stereo Headphones (1960)
We would be equally happy to own either a pair of the first stereo headphones ever made (below left) or their infinitely cooler looking successor.
1.
Nagra IV-S Stereo Reel to Reel Tape Recorder (1968)
The portable tape recorder that made high-quality stereo field recording a possibility, standard equipment for film sound designers even into the 1980s.
The Museum of Portable Sound 