So, we were 5 kids, I the oldest, with 1 TV. Due to sharing the tv, most of the times my sports following was via radio. Perhaps my father's transistor that I made mine was my first radio, listening to far away baseball games in the late 60's got me into DXing. My parents figured they could keep one kid occupied with a radio so they got me a Denon Multi-band portable radio ( a Zenith T/O 7000 imitation) for Christmas '69 or '70 (age 12 or 13). I then discovered the dozen of international broadcasters and hooked to the outside TV antenna for better reception. I had that radio through residences in four different states. Upon marriage and kids, the hobby was put aside for several years.
In the late 90's, I was given a Sears gift card, in the local Sears' discount rack was a Grundig Yacht Boy, I picked it up and got back into the hobby. In the early 00's, I went to a barn sale in Pennsylvania with my father. A '36 Emerson (Ingraham cabinet) AR-176 in terrible shape was awaiting a buyer for a song. My son helped me throw up the long wire, I did some work on the radio, had someone I know finish it off - looks like it just came off the production line. Since then, have been fully back into the hobby.