Mine was when I was about 12 and my parents always purchased the Daily Telegraph newspaper here in the UK.  One week there was an advertisement for the Russian Vega VEF-206 advertised by a company called ToE (Technical and Optical Equipment):

http://cameras.alfredklomp.com/toe/

There were the importer for the Russians.  Anyway, the advertisement was full of comments about the cold war and spying and how the technology the Russians has used had been put into this radio.  Well I sent off for one (with some help from my dad) and every since I have been hooked on radio!