In the 1940s and 1950s, Alva Allen placed ads in
magazines advertising novelty and magic catalogs, letterheads, envelopes
and business cards, money making formulas, and used US Signal Corps
headphones, but by far the greatest number of advertisements were for
crystal sets.
Note: It seems his main business was Alva Allen Industries, which manufactured one and two ton
punch presses. The business was begun by his father and continued by his son,
all three of whom were named Alva Franklin Allen. Along with his father,
he was also the owner of Alva Allen Chevrolet, and sold thousands of new
cars between 1937 and 1955. Ironically, the elder Alva Allen was killed
in an automobile accident in 1946.
If you responded to the crystal set ad, shown below is what
arrived in the envelope. Click on any image for a larger version in .PDF format.
Envelope
Instructions
Radio supplies
Order form
1945
1950
"The Magic Crystal." Four pages in newspaper format.
Click on image for .PDF.
The Melomite Magic Crystal!
This is copyright 1932, the same
year MRL began.
Click for full size
"Melomite" was a mounted crystal sold by the Melomite
Company of Kansas City, Missouri. The "Melomite crystal detector," sold
by Alva Allen, was also manufactured by the Melomite Company. The
Melomite Co. began in 1932, the same year Allen began selling their
crystals under the label "The Magic Crystal."
This was no "kitchen table" operation. In 1947 Alva Allen Radio Parts
was one of several companies honored by the Clinton Chamber of Commerce.
A newspaper article from 1955 refers to Alva as "the radio crystal
king."
