Welcome to the hobby! Old radios and planes of the same vintage look nice displayed together in the den or workshop. I've got a couple of garage sale helis {$20.00 for the whole box}, hanging up and it always gets lots of response from people that stop by
As for a new radio, check to see what evryone else uses at the field, and also what channels they fly on. That way they can help with setup, buddyboxing and you don't end up on the same channel as three other guys. Also some areas have known channels that get hit alot and they could let you know to avoid them.