1915 SONORA SUPREME

Post links to auctions and classifieds here
User avatar
Django
Victor IV
Posts: 1691
Joined: Thu Apr 13, 2017 7:31 pm
Location: New Hampshire’s West Coast

Re: 1915 SONORA SUPREME

Post by Django »

Beauty being in the eye of the beholder, I prefer the late Victrola XVIII or an XX. This machine is very nice, but reminds me a bit of a wood stove. Just another perspective. Still very cool but a little over the top for a simple country boy.

EarlH
Victor III
Posts: 816
Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2014 4:25 pm
Location: North Central Iowa

Re: 1915 SONORA SUPREME

Post by EarlH »

I was at a local auction 35 years ago and one of those was on the sale. I just told another guy about that thing selling. Terry and I didn't know each other then and we both remember the machine because of the wood tone arms and crazy carving. I didn't even bid, he went up to $35 on it and it sold for $50! It's probably a wine cabinet now or rotted away in someone's garage or basement. In those days I still lived at home, and not that I wanted that machine because I really didn't. If it wasn't an Edison or a Victor it was a tough sale on me. Unless a bunch of records came with it.

It does kind of look like one of those enameled coal stoves now that you mention it!

CarlosV
Victor IV
Posts: 1835
Joined: Sun Mar 15, 2009 6:18 am
Location: Luxembourg

Re: 1915 SONORA SUPREME

Post by CarlosV »

EarlH wrote: It does kind of look like one of those enameled coal stoves now that you mention it!
Indeed it does, it is only missing the pipe. And on a related subject, the wooden arm certainly looks very, hmmm, odd, like a South Seas aboriginal fertility icon.

Phonofreak
Victor VI
Posts: 3718
Joined: Tue Mar 23, 2010 7:00 pm
Location: Western, WA State

Re: 1915 SONORA SUPREME

Post by Phonofreak »

I personally like these machines.They are way above my paygrade. These machines are indeed very curvy. Back in the day, the slang term for them was a Mae West.
Harvey Kravitz

Hailey
Victor III
Posts: 541
Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2013 2:44 pm
Location: Missouri

Re: 1915 SONORA SUPREME

Post by Hailey »

I am with Harvey on this one. I would gladly take this machine over the Victor VI, or even the Edison Opera.

User avatar
Django
Victor IV
Posts: 1691
Joined: Thu Apr 13, 2017 7:31 pm
Location: New Hampshire’s West Coast

Re: 1915 SONORA SUPREME

Post by Django »

It's not that I don't like it, I just like more understated machines. I'm not a fan of Bombe style. I do admire the design and execution, but for the money, I would rather have a high level Victrola. It's just my personal taste. A wise young woman once said "if everyone loved roses, what would a daisy do?".

I corrected my incorrect spelling of Bombe. Please, carry on.
Last edited by Django on Fri Aug 04, 2017 12:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
tictalk
Victor II
Posts: 337
Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2014 11:10 am

Re: 1915 SONORA SUPREME

Post by tictalk »

FWIW, I guess it's human nature to poke fun at what you don't or can't possess. I remember when I first started collecting, I was thrilled to buy machines that today after collecting for over 25 years I wouldn't have the slightest interest in owning. Of course everyone is entitled to there opinion , But I would never run down another collectors interest in what I might consider a common machine, because I remember the thrill of buying my first machine, a plain Jane VV-10, that I displayed proudly in my living room for several years. I've noticed a reverse discrimination so to speak on the forum for high end machines , folks that may think they could never afford, so they feel they need to belittle the machine. The Supreme was $1000 in 1917 that would be approx. $20000 in todays money, pretty pricey pot belly stove.

tomb
Victor IV
Posts: 1381
Joined: Sat Oct 24, 2015 10:46 pm
Location: riverside calif

Re: 1915 SONORA SUPREME

Post by tomb »

tictalk wrote:FWIW, I guess it's human nature to poke fun at what you don't or can't possess. I remember when I first started collecting, I was thrilled to buy machines that today after collecting for over 25 years I wouldn't have the slightest interest in owning. Of course everyone is entitled to there opinion , But I would never run down another collectors interest in what I might consider a common machine, because I remember the thrill of buying my first machine, a plain Jane VV-10, that I displayed proudly in my living room for several years. I've noticed a reverse discrimination so to speak on the forum for high end machines , folks that may think they could never afford, so they feel they need to belittle the machine. The Supreme was $1000 in 1917 that would be approx. $20000 in todays money, pretty pricey pot belly stove.
I still have my vv-ix displayed as it was one of my first machines.. I have basically stayed with Edison standards and homes as my specialty because they are beautiful and well built machines. I also started with the cheaper portables and worked my way up. Beauty as said earlier is in the eye of the beholder but I love seeing those curvy or individual machines like the opera house one. The time and workmanship that goes into them is astounding . You will not see that any more built even from the artists. I just enjoy them and I like to see other collectors collections. Everyone is proud of what they have. Tom B

User avatar
Django
Victor IV
Posts: 1691
Joined: Thu Apr 13, 2017 7:31 pm
Location: New Hampshire’s West Coast

Re: 1915 SONORA SUPREME

Post by Django »

tictalk wrote:FWIW, I guess it's human nature to poke fun at what you don't or can't possess. I remember when I first started collecting, I was thrilled to buy machines that today after collecting for over 25 years I wouldn't have the slightest interest in owning. Of course everyone is entitled to there opinion , But I would never run down another collectors interest in what I might consider a common machine, because I remember the thrill of buying my first machine, a plain Jane VV-10, that I displayed proudly in my living room for several years. I've noticed a reverse discrimination so to speak on the forum for high end machines , folks that may think they could never afford, so they feel they need to belittle the machine. The Supreme was $1000 in 1917 that would be approx. $20000 in todays money, pretty pricey pot belly stove.
I made the first, non-gushing comment about this machine, so I take responsibility for any negativity. I'm sorry, but the grill and shape do remind me of a stove, (although, a very nice stove). I don't think that I insulted the machine or those who own one, but if I did, I apologize. There had been a lot of gushing over this machine and I personally do not love it, but that is not to say that I don't admire it and that was my point. I do not care for the Bombay style of furniture. I do not like the new Bentleys or Rolls Royces, but I admire the quality. It's is simply a matter of taste.

It is also odd to presume that I cannot afford a machine like that. I can, but it is not a priority that I can justify and I view the comments regarding the comments that I made to be a bit personal, but that's OK too. It's someone's opinion and they are entitled to that as well.

Victor VII
Victor I
Posts: 100
Joined: Fri Oct 21, 2016 9:14 pm

Re: 1915 SONORA SUPREME

Post by Victor VII »

Of course, everyone is entitled to their own taste and their own opinion. No wrong or right here. I am fortunate enough to own a Sonora Invincible which is the model one step down from the Supreme as well as some higher end Victrola's (including Victor XVIII and a Circassian Victor 130). When viewed side by side, I find that the scale of these higher end Sonora's (including larger size, bombe contours, and bigger sized fittings) give it a presence that even the more fancy Victrola's can't equal. From the point of view of craftsmanship, also hard to match the complex curves and carvings on the Supreme and other bombe units. Love my Victor Victrola's, but having one of these bombe Sonora's really adds a lot to a collection.

Post Reply