Collection

[dutchman]

Anyone else wind up in this predicament? Planning on moving in the near future, house hunting going well until the question of what are we going to do with my assortment of 40-50 machines!! I have a few uprights which are in really nice condition but I can't give them away. Even several auction houses have left me with the impression that they have no interest. Not to mention cost of moving 10-12 uprights I'm going keep (Edisons)! When a mover takes a look at all the external horned machines, and the finishes on the uprights, their eyes roll to the back of their head...…….There is fear in my heart ! Bill K

[52089]

You can always offer stuff up for sale on Yankee Trader. There are collectors here at all levels who would probably be happy to have decent machines at a decent price. You might even be able to find people who can bring stuff to Wayne or other show for you for a small fee.

[billybob62]

My suggestion is to find a clean dry safe storage unit and hire some intelligent young people to help you carefully move them 1 to 2 at a time into the storage rental unit until you are ready to move, unless, of course, you are moving a distance. There may be members here who would help you, too, for some green.

[Phono-Phan]

I can relate to your predicament. When I was relocated by my company in 1992, the moving company told me that if I ever move again not to call them. I had a small collection then so I can't imagine moving again.
Ken

[rhammond]

Many of us who are at a certain age are beginning to think about downsizing and this is a common problem. Some of these machines have had a lot of polishing, restoration and they have been prized parts of our collection but at the end of the day, it is time for our stewardship to pass to someone else. We all worry that our machines will go to someone who will appreciate and take care of them. Uprights are a big problem. So many of the machines have had significant declines in value and if any of us had a crystal ball and we could see ten years down the road and we would know what to do. This also applies to a large part of our record collections as well.

I do not have any easy answers here and my collection is pretty moderate by collection standards. The only thing that I can say on this is that if you think finding homes for upright phonographs is bad, try player and reproducing pianos. So many of these which are restorable and sometimes even working are free or going to the dump. A generation ago, collectors got nervous over reproducing grand player pianos. You paid well to get Knabe, Steinway, Chickering, Mason and Hamlin, A B Chase, Weber etc. Many times, if a castor up restoration was done, which many required, you put enough to buy a small care or pickup. Now they are going to the dump in record numbers. It does not help with the antique music business that a lot of big old collections are being broken up and some really rare items are showing and sometimes at reasonable prices.

Good luck

[marcapra]

that's an interesting and highly informative story on player piano prices. Maybe there will be another player piano craze, and upright phonograph craze, and maybe there won't. I know my brother was given a player piano way back in the 70s when his roommate didn't want to take it when he moved out. He used to pick out tunes like Fur Elise on it, but by the 80s, it just sat occupying space. He still has it, and it's still occupying space. It would probably be hard to give away. I know someone who has a huge collection of floor models and would like to sell off quite a few of them. But he wants to at least break even on them, so he prices them at 15 year ago prices. But they rarely sell. I too have several floor models that I'd like to sell, but I'm willing to lower my prices to what ever it takes. Values do fluctuate in this hobby and others too, such as old cars.

[cjstoessner]

I have been through this situation. My collection got a little too large a few years back and I attempted to thin out some of the common uprights. Sadly, my auction experience was not great, meaning after they took their 30%, the prices were awful. With that said, I knew I was taking a chance, and for that reason I did not send any of the good machines to them; but I did feel badly afterwards worrying if they would become parts machines for as low as they sold.

In the future, I will probably try to find a regional museum (and donate/permanently loan) or specialty show (like the one in Wayne, NJ). If I am going to have to give them away or sell them cheap, that is okay - but at least I know they would be appreciated.

As far as the rare and/or early models, the market should be "okay" and you should be able to sell to a collector for a decent price who will appreciate, etc. It's the common machines I worry about....

How did my story end? I did successfully downsize to a quaint/small home BUT now rent a small warehouse (kind of ironic, lol). Oh well... And, as per another post: I am seeking phonographs, really, I am.

[PeterF]

Museums are typically a bad bet. They typically are underfunded and short on safe storage, so you are often condemning the donated items to slow deaths in moldy basements.

I have a friend who obtained one of the extremely rare Edison School machines for $200 at a local museum's "de-accession" sale a little while ago, so sometimes there is a happy ending. But usually it's the opposite.

[Hailey]

It is no secret that most floor model machines have never garnered the interest such as most horned machines. If any of you that are contemplating moving a few of your items has a good oak DD A250 that you could part with...please look me up!

Thanks!!

[marcapra]

I don't have an A250, but do have an oak Amberola 1A with a diamond A reproducer that I will be putting up for sale soon. It's in great condition, but I don't have room for two. Marc.