craigslist alert: L-door cabinet on Long Island

[phonophan79]

Hey Guys -

No mechanics, but a nice Victor VV-XVI L-Door cabinet is listed on Craigslist for only $30. Looks to be in decent shape, but thats only judging from the small pictures provided.

http://longisland.craigslist.org/clt/1212515791.html

[brianu]

... It seems like everyday there are more and more parted out machines showing up all over the place. I know that some of the machines are probably dogs that are beyond hope of restoration because of termite damage, water damage, etc., but I am aware of certain folks who routinely buy perfectly good machines or those requiring only the slightest restoration, tear them to pieces, then try to cash in on the parts (less the cabinets of course), and that ain't ethically right. Lately though, a few of these folks have actually lost out...which I am glad of.

THANK YOU... I couldn't agree more. I can think of one butcher in particular, in NJ, who does this to credenzas constantly. it's a shame that the notion of a thing being worth more than the sum of its parts, in the phonograph context, applies for the most part solely in a non-monetary way... such that there's not much financial incentive (for those solely into turning a quick profit) to keep a thing together when it can be sold for more in pieces... on such people the true value of such things is simply lost. bah.

[Zeppy]

I seem to recall a few years back there was a seller that would part out Victor external horn machines, and would auction all the separate parts at once, so there was no question as to what he was doing. Kinda thing that just made you want to hunt down the guy and give him a good beat down.

And as for those folks who gut VTLAs and early L-doors, I think we've all seen it happen....on the opposite note, I picked up one of those motors a few years back on ebay remarkably cheap, thinking that it would some day go into a Vic-6 or 5, should I ever stumble across a empty case, or decent repro. Sat in a box in my basement for a year, and as luck would have it, I found my oak VTLA, that had a VV-X motor in it (which sold remarkably cheap, probably because of that reason). Didn't even have to think twice about using the motor to complete the VTLA.

And on a side note, if someone does pick up the L-door cabinet, I have a motorboard and I'm pretty sure I have a spare tone arm as well that I may be willing to let go cheap.

[Garret]

Zep,

We've been hankering to see pictures of your oak VTLA for some time. Did you get it restored?

[Zeppy]

(Ya know JP, after reading this I think I am going to get that organ donor signification removed from my license so that the I am not recycled before my time.)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aclS1pGHp8o[/youtube]

[Schmaltz]

Man: Listen! I can't give it [his liver] to you now. It [the organ donor card] says, 'in the event of death'.

Organ Snatcher: No one who has ever had their liver taken out by us has survived.

That logic is quite similar to those who routinely rape phonographs for a quick buck.

That's been happening in the old car hobby for many decades now. I remember a certain airport limousine made by Packard with a V-12 engine in it; still together and drivable, probably no other surviving examples anywhere (I never heard of another), but this guy who was well-known in the hobby parted it out and trashed the body. I don't know what he got for the pieces, but his name made blood boil in our region for a long time.

[Zeppy]

Zep,

We've been hankering to see pictures of your oak VTLA for some time. Did you get it restored?

Hey Garret...good to hear from you.

Not quite finished. I posted the "so far" pictures on the prior version of this board, but I'll never pass up an opportunity to show off the progress....

first the before pictures:





And the more recent pictures (I've done a little work since these, but not too much)





The doors need a couple more coats of shellac, and I seem to have forgotten to do the draw...and I also need to finish reattaching the decorative pieces around the top (still trying to match the stain on a few pieces that were missing...that's always the tough part). I should actually have some time to get back to it now. The daughter is becoming more regular in her sleep habits, and school is lightening up. I'm hoping to finally finish it before the end of summer, so I can get started on the XII. Another basket case I picked up cheap on ebay. Hopefully I'll be able to post the finished product by september.

[Victor78]

Awesome machine Zeppy! Im looking forward to seeing the end results. Keep us posted.

- Jim

[Garret]

Zeppy,

It's coming along very nicely. I can't wait to see the end result!