Rare Columbia EUROPA inside horn on eBay

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gramophone-georg
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Rare Columbia EUROPA inside horn on eBay

Post by gramophone-georg »

This is a rare rare item. I had an outside horn version of this many years ago that I sold before I knew what it was and I still regret it. It needs a lot of help but these are almost impossible to find, so if you want a unique tabletop Grafonola go for it! No affiliation.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/ANTIQUE-TALKIN ... SwFyhaD5cP

If someone could grab a pic or two and post it for me that would be great. I still can't make that work on my old Berliner PC no matter what.
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gramophone-georg
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Re: Rare Columbia EUROPA inside horn on eBay

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Here's the one I had after I restored it. It was in worse shape than the eBay one but complete and with a well preserved decal. I had a lot of fun mixing up the exact match green paint and brown faux leather dye to restore it. I wish I had it back!!!

Image

theoldcrank's site had a few examples of the Europa offered on eBay and if you Google "Columbia Europa" they will come up on an image search but are no longer hot- linkable. The site appears to be gone.
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GlensterTX
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Re: Rare Columbia EUROPA inside horn on eBay

Post by GlensterTX »

I usually lurk quietly (better to remain silent and thought a fool, etc etc) but here are several images I grabbed from eBay of this machine:
Columbia Europa eBay 1.jpg
Columbia Europa eBay 2.jpg

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gramophone-georg
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Re: Rare Columbia EUROPA inside horn on eBay

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Glenster- Thanks!! :D
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Phonofreak
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Re: Rare Columbia EUROPA inside horn on eBay

Post by Phonofreak »

These machines are indeed rare. This one is missing the push-pull speed control. The inside version and open horned machines were made in Germany during a few months in 1914. They were imported by Columbia as a low cost machine. The open horned machines sold for a whopping $3.99, and the internal horned machines sold for $2.99. In August of 1914, production ceased because of Germany's entry into WWI. I'm sure a few of these machines trickled into the USA, until supplies were exhausted. On the later, cheaper Grafonolas, and internal horn and external horn Client machines use this simple pillar and plate motor. The same with the fluted peacock hon, too. Because these machine had a very short production, and most were thrown away, few have survived. This machine is worth getting and restoring.
Harvey Kravitz

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gramophone-georg
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Re: Rare Columbia EUROPA inside horn on eBay

Post by gramophone-georg »

Phonofreak wrote:These machines are indeed rare. This one is missing the push-pull speed control. The inside version and open horned machines were made in Germany during a few months in 1914. They were imported by Columbia as a low cost machine. The open horned machines sold for a whopping $3.99, and the internal horned machines sold for $2.99. In August of 1914, production ceased because of Germany's entry into WWI. I'm sure a few of these machines trickled into the USA, until supplies were exhausted. On the later, cheaper Grafonolas, and internal horn and external horn Client machines use this simple pillar and plate motor. The same with the fluted peacock hon, too. Because these machine had a very short production, and most were thrown away, few have survived. This machine is worth getting and restoring.
Harvey Kravitz
Harvey, my sea green and leather brown outside horn Europa was later than that- it had the top mount speed and on off control, and the music note decal on it cited 'Columbia Records'. Both were most definitely original to the machine, indicating possible postwar production, if I am not mistaken.

Wish I hadn't sold it- I am still kicking myself. It was a fantastic and unusual little machine.

I have stumbled across a round version of the eBay one online that is referred to as a "Columbia Lyric".
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Phonofreak
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Re: Rare Columbia EUROPA inside horn on eBay

Post by Phonofreak »

The top speed control and side mounted speed control were manufactured the same year. i have three of these, but packed away. Mine is an outside horn like yours, but no Columbia decal. The case is red with black top and bottom. It has the black fluted horn with gold stripes. My other Horned Europa has the green and black case, also no decal. It has the up side down Grafonola tone arm, and black horn with gold stripes. My internal horn one is just like the ebay one, shown. The round, ,lyric one is one that I would like to get and is rarer, still.
Harvey Kravitz

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gramophone-georg
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Re: Rare Columbia EUROPA inside horn on eBay

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Harvey, if you ever decide to part with one of the outside horn Europas please let me know.
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Phonofreak
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Re: Rare Columbia EUROPA inside horn on eBay

Post by Phonofreak »

If I find a better one!!!! Anyway, I think you should go for the one on Ebay. In all of the years that I have been collecting Columbia machines, I have maybe seen about half a dozen of the internal horned one, and two outside horned ones.
Harvey Kravitz

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Re: Rare Columbia EUROPA inside horn on eBay

Post by Lucius1958 »

GlensterTX wrote:I usually lurk quietly (better to remain silent and thought a fool, etc etc) but here are several images I grabbed from eBay of this machine:
Columbia Europa eBay 1.jpg
Columbia Europa eBay 2.jpg
Found one of this model in CT, and am going up to snag it tomorrow.

Bill

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