That's a great story! 38 years is a long time to have anything, I don't think I'd ever let that JVC go!
When I saw the Clairtone on Facebook marketplace I didn't even negotiate price, all I could think about was how I needed it to be mine before anyone else got it! Now it's in 20 pieces and I'm waiting on belts, so I only really got a preview of how it sounds so far. My only other boombox is a Sanyo M7770K, which although quite nice for what it is, isn't something that anyone would get too excited about.