About the Company
Neckermann Versand AG was a major German mail‑order company founded in 1950 in Frankfurt‑am‑Main by Josef Neckermann. It became one of Europe’s largest catalog retailers, selling everything from fashion and furniture to radios and tape recorders.
Rather than manufacturing electronics themselves, Neckermann contracted established manufacturers and re‑branded their products for sale under the Neckermann brand name in its catalogs.
Neckermann’s Reel‑to‑Reel Tape Recorder History
1950s — First Tape Products in Catalogs
In 1954, Neckermann **cut an exclusive supply deal with the German electronics firm Körting Radio Werke GmbH to provide all radios, tape recorders, and televisions sold under the Neckermann name.
As part of this arrangement, tape recorders branded “Neckermann” were manufactured by Körting and then sold through Neckermann’s mail‑order catalogs and service network — especially during the 1950s and 1960s.
Typical Tape Recorder Products
Some Neckermann‑branded reel‑to‑reel machines documented by collector archives include:
Neckermann‑Körting MT 118 — a tube‑based portable recorder with full‑track mono, two heads, 7½″ ips speed, and up to 7″ reel capacity. It’s essentially a re‑badged Körting MT‑118 sold under Neckermann.
Neckermann Tonband‑Koffergerät MK 127 — a suitcase‑style reel‑to‑reel recorder from about 1959 resembling a re‑badged Körting MK 127.
Portables and Solid‑State Models (TP‑370) — by the mid‑1960s, Neckermann also offered transistorized solid‑state tape recorders such as the TP‑370, which took smaller reels and ran on batteries or mains.
These units were consumer‑grade devices, aimed at hobbyists and everyday home recording — not professional broadcast or studio decks.
How Neckermann Tape Products Were Made
Branding Model
OEM Manufacture: Neckermann generally did not manufacture electronics itself. Instead it sourced from Körting, a German electronics company known for radios and related products.
Products sold as Neckermann tape recorders were rebadged consumer hardware built by Körting (or possibly other OEM partners over time).
This practice was typical for mail‑order brands in the era — similar to how other retailers used private labels.