Edison Idelia 2/4 Min Phonograph - UP FOR AUCTION! Mar 18

[DonleyAuctions]

Check out this beautiful machine up for AUCTION Saturday, March 18!

Edison Idelia 2/4 Min Phonograph #70803, extremely nice, copper oxidized finish shows some wear, has matching finish on crank, back bracket, crane and handles, O turnover reproducer in nickel finish, works but currently frozen in carriage, both 2 and 4 minute stylus intact and sound good, cabinet finish is very nice with an older restoration, lid is an older reproduction with original Idelia bale handle, but no inner latches, wood horn has inside light, spruce finish, outside has a darker, mahogany finish and wood grain elbow, has dual decals which is correct for this horn. Overall very beautiful machine and RARE opportunity to acquire an Idelia for your collection.

Check out the Vintage Music Auction on Sat Mar 18 with Donley Auctions in Union, IL. You can bid LIVE or ONLINE. Go to DonleyAuctions.com for more details or give us a call at 815.923.7000.

[NEFaurora]

The Horn looks like a very nice Don Gfell Reproduction... I don't think that its original...just by the inside color of it... It appears way too light..

Nice Machine!

)

Tony K.


Edison Collector/Restorer

[melvind]

It looks like a horn with spruce inside wood and mahogany outside which is very much an original type horn and rare and to me pretty desirable.

Dan

[DonleyAuctions]

Yes, the horn is spruce on the inside and mahogany on the outside. Here is the description of this lot #196:

Edison Idelia 2/4 Min Phonograph #70803, extremely nice, copper oxidized finish shows some wear, has matching finish on crank, back bracket, crane and handles, O turnover reproducer in nickel finish, works but currently frozen in carriage, both 2 and 4 minute stylus intact and sound good, cabinet finish is very nice with an older restoration, lid is an older reproduction with original Idelia bale handle, but no inner latches, wood horn has inside light, spruce finish, outside has a darker, mahogany finish and wood grain elbow, has dual decals which is correct for this horn. Overall very beautiful machine and RARE opportunity to acquire an Idelia for your collection.

[JimN]

This is my Idelia in the Donley auction on March 18th. The rare Edison Spruce horn is an original, as confirmed by Randy and another collector. It is correct for the Edison Spruce Horn to have a blonde finish inside, and a dark finish outside. If you have a copy of the George Frow book Edison Cylinder Phonographs (especially the color photo version of the book that can be purchased from iTunes for your iPad or iPhone), there are two color pics of the Idelia's Spruce horn. Mine looks just like those, even including the pot-bellied suspension spring. Also, the grain of the wood is unquestionably spruce. You can even see the Spruce grain a little on the outside.

Jim Nichol

[JerryVan]

To add to Jim's explanation, it's a spruce horn, but not "spruce on the inside and mahogany on the outside". It's all spruce. The outside has a mahogany colored finish on the spruce wood. A legitimate, rare & beautiful horn.

[WDC]

It would have been very helpful to inform about the delay of approval after signing up via eBay live auctions. "Awaiting approval" will not help you to receive bids from me.

[CharliePhono]

Just brought $12K.

[rgordon939]

Crazy low price in my opinion. Many machines are selling low. Seems like prices are plummeting.

Rich Gordon

[gramophone-georg]

Crazy low price in my opinion. Many machines are selling low. Seems like prices are plummeting.

Rich Gordon

I agree that's a crazy low price but if I'm not mistaken this was an eBay "live auction". As Norman said above, you sign up and then they put you on an "awaiting approval" list when you mistakenly think you'll be able to sign up and bid.

What I'm getting at is the problem here, I believe, is eBay. It seems more and more these people are following the "if it ain't broke, we'll fix it till it is" philosophy. They tried this live auction thing once before and it was a dismal failure, so they pulled the plug. Now it's back again only this time there's this ridiculous "awaiting approval" thing that is making a LOT of otherwise serious participants shrug and walk away.

I really wonder how many people were blocked from bidding on this because they weren't aware they needed pre- approval. I'm sort of surprised that Donley is even using this service. If these are the kind of results consigners can expect I'd surmise they'll start looking elsewhere.

eBay keeps "improving" things until nothing works. I don't do live auctions because of all the hidden fee and premium gouges. I still look for and buy a lot on the site, but the whole process is just RIFE with "glitches" anymore on both the eBay and PayPal ends. Bids don't register. Sniper services are randomly blocked. Error messages when trying to pay. Shopping cart randomly doesn't work. eBay doesn't communicate with PayPal. You make a payment on PayPal and the screen just goes blank and you can't tell if the money is sent or not.

I just shake my head over there any more.