The Pumamouse Website: Nostalgic Old-Time Radio: American OTR Addiction

I began collecting American OTR recordings in 2000, mainly as a result of my ongoing search for South African OTR productions. Whereas the South African material was extremely difficult to find, there was a seemingly endless supply of American OTR recordings readily available for purchase. This availability was a wonderful surprise for me. I delighted in finally hearing nostalgic surviving episodes from the classic radio series, and especially those series which my parents fondly remembered from the decades before I was born.

The old productions were very entertaining. Yet, I must admit, it was even more intriguing for me to then share these recordings with my parents and to witness their instant recognition of the sounds, and then to hear their subsequent memories which the sounds of yesteryear inspired for them. That unique pleasure, in itself, was worth every penny I had spent, and any effort I had made to locate specific series.

Needless to say, I instantly became obsessed with my newfound hobby, and I quickly amassed thousands of recordings...certainly more programs than I will ever actually find the time to hear in my lifetime. Yes, I confess, The Pumamouse was gathering OTR recordings faster than a New Jersey squirrel can gather nuts in autumn. Those who collect OTR, (or those who collect anything, for that matter), will understand my immediate addiction, and those who do not collect anything will most likely never comprehend the inexplicable joy of the hunt-find-acquisition process! Suffice it to say, three years have passed, and I am still collecting American OTR, and all genres of OTR.

I regret that I can not yet offer any catalog of my American OTR Collection for those who share my interest and may wish to trade. In truth, I have been too busy collecting the recordings to compile a list of them. To make matters more challenging, my American OTR Collection is comprised of various formats to be considered, including reel-to-reel, LP record, audio cassette, audio CD, and .mp3 sound file recordings.
In some cases, I have acquired a single production, recorded in several different formats, and the sound quality of each recording varies considerably.

I should also note that sorting through my American OTR treasures for my personal enjoyment has taken second priority to archiving the South African OTR productions which I have located and acquired. Work has, quite literally, taken precedence to "play", (audio pun intended), and it must continue to do so. The time spent building and maintaining this website is also a factor in my regretable neglect towards the proper sorting of my American OTR collection. However, after three years of gathering, I have finally begun the time consuming process of organization, and as soon as The Pumamouse's American OTR Catalog is compiled, it will be included in this section for your reference.

Meanwhile, if you are interested in American OTR and you are looking for a specific American OTR program, please email me. Squeak!

The Pumamouse
(MaryAnne)
October 2003

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