Is this a Columbia Europa – please help identify

Discussions on Talking Machines of British or European Manufacture
kseely
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Re: Is this a Columbia Europa – please help identify

Post by kseely »

Can anyone throw out a ballpark value on this in it's current condition?

Phonofreak
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Re: Is this a Columbia Europa – please help identify

Post by Phonofreak »

Because of the wrong parts, missing trim around the base, list it on ebay and let the market decide.
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Retrograde
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Re: Is this a Columbia Europa – please help identify

Post by Retrograde »

It figures... a fly by asking for a free appraisal of something they know nothing about just so they can flog it for a profit. Its worth whatever the market says. Put it on ebay.

VanEpsFan1914
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Re: Is this a Columbia Europa – please help identify

Post by VanEpsFan1914 »

Advice is free. It's not hurting us to share about the hobby--you don't have to be a Serious Collector to enjoy it, just a person with an interest in phonographs and gramophones. I think owning a machine and wanting to know its fair value is a good thing. I'd love to know how much some of mine are really worth.

Kseely: the Europa is a tough machine to find but that doesn't mean you'll be retiring on the money. Some of us have owned Europa machines before and I am sure some of them can come through.

Generally the phonograph market is in a slump right now, but good machines still sell well.

kseely
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Re: Is this a Columbia Europa – please help identify

Post by kseely »

Thank you all for the advice. This isn't exactly the easiest hobby to get information - even though the web is a wealth of information doesn't mean it's the information you're looking for. I realize it's not worth thousands (or hundreds) of dollars but I didn't see why I shouldn't ask a forum that is passionate about the pastime. Honestly, I love the machine and would keep it if I had the room to display it properly but it collecting dust isn't do it any good. Would rather it go to someone who appreciates it.

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Retrograde
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Re: Is this a Columbia Europa – please help identify

Post by Retrograde »

kseely wrote:Thank you all for the advice. This isn't exactly the easiest hobby to get information - even though the web is a wealth of information doesn't mean it's the information you're looking for. I realize it's not worth thousands (or hundreds) of dollars but I didn't see why I shouldn't ask a forum that is passionate about the pastime. Honestly, I love the machine and would keep it if I had the room to display it properly but it collecting dust isn't do it any good. Would rather it go to someone who appreciates it.
Fair enough. Hope you are able to pass it on. :)

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gramophone-georg
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Re: Is this a Columbia Europa – please help identify

Post by gramophone-georg »

kseely wrote:Thank you all for the advice. This isn't exactly the easiest hobby to get information - even though the web is a wealth of information doesn't mean it's the information you're looking for. I realize it's not worth thousands (or hundreds) of dollars but I didn't see why I shouldn't ask a forum that is passionate about the pastime. Honestly, I love the machine and would keep it if I had the room to display it properly but it collecting dust isn't do it any good. Would rather it go to someone who appreciates it.
I feel your pain... I went through the same journey figuring mine out. There's a serious dearth of information on these out there, and unfortunately the website I got my info from over a decade ago seems to be gone. When I bought mine I paid next to nothing, and bought it just out of more curiosity than anything else because I had less than any clue what it was, exactly.

A lot of us get snitty when it appears someone wants info just to sell something, but these are the same people who get snitty when the same person just dumps what they have on eBay with no clues.

In the end, it's your machine. Period.

I for one am glad you posted this here- like I said, I very seriously regret having sold my Europa years ago. I'm interested in yours if you are willing to ship it, even though- yikes- finding the correct arm... :shock:
"He who dies with the most shellac wins"- some nutty record geek

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Marco Gilardetti
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Re: Is this a Columbia Europa – please help identify

Post by Marco Gilardetti »

kseely wrote:This isn't exactly the easiest hobby to get information.
You already got the best information available.

It is plain impossible to give a reasonable net price for a machine which is on one side so uncommon as yours is, but also in such critical conditions, rusted to a level that could be quantified only by seeing it in first person and actually touching it, and most of all with parts missing from its highly distinctive finish that are nearly impossible to replicate.

It may either sell for peanuts as junk, or sell at a moderate price if anyone believes it's a work project with whom he/she could deal, or sell well if someone is coincidentally looking for a specific part that's driving him/her mad as a replacement.

The best advice is and remains to take good pictures (more is better than less), advertise the gramophone well with an international auction on eBay starting at £1, and let the market decide the price. You can rest assured that absolutely nothing goes unnoticed on eBay, and that the final selling price will be its real worldwide market value.

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