ANY REPORTS ON THE STANTON AUCTION

[phonogfp]

Not good news for those of us who have sunk $$$ into existing collections with the hope of profiting/breaking even/recovering a substantial fraction some day. Not necessarily cause for undue concern for those of us who simply love having the old machines around and own them for the sake of our own pleasure, without worrying about recovering an investment. Unfortunately, the two groups are not mutually exclusive, and those in the second group can be in for an ugly surprise when they abruptly flop over into the first, finding that they need to find homes for much-loved things because the kids suddenly turn out not to want anything to do with them.

Well put.

Here's an item from a recent issue of The Maine Antique Digest, which offers some perspective on the current market:

George P.

[Steve Levi]

Here are a few prices realized:
Victor M, back mount metal horn-600.00
Victor V with metal horn-1100.00
Victor V with wood horn- 1800/2300.00
Victor IV with wood horn-1000/1600.00
Victor I 550.00
Victor E rear mount 550.00
Victor MS with metal horn 1200.00
Victor MS with wood horn 1400.00
Victor III with metal horn 1100.00
Columbia BO 450.00
Columbia AB MacDonald with original aluminum horn 1100.00
These prices do not include 10% buyers premium and 6% sales tax.Hope this gives you a small snap shot. Sorry, it is not a very inclusive list. Steve Levi

[phonolady]

Thanks to everyone for the reports on the auction. It is sad the
prices seem to be on a general down trend and we agree with all
the comments on why this is happening.


We all need to promote interest in our hobby to the younger generation so there is

a new generation of buyers.

Quality never goes out of style and listening to music
on antique machines is always enjoyable.


All the best to all and Happy Thanksgiving from


David & Lerria Rosamond, in Dallas

[rgordon939]

I was very pleased to get the 5 inch Concert/Grand Cylinder Suitcase for a grand total of $55.00 including the premium. I consider it a steal.

Rich Gordon

[zipcord]

Does anyone know what the JS Berliner Gramophone sold for? Thanks in advance!

[Zwebie]

Does anyone know how much the Edison School Machine went for?

Thanks in advance, Bob S.

[Ripduf1]

The Edison School went for $8000 before premium.
The JS was passed.

John

[JerryVan]

"You can't put blame on Stanton's auction for "lousy prices" He runs a business and has a couple of phonograph auction per year. Is he supposed to refuse items from people that want them sold at his auctions? They travel the country picking up items, photograph them, catalog them, advertise, rent space to hold the auction, etc... The market on just about all collectibles has been weakening for a while now. New interest in these items needs to be promoted."

I think a good argument can be made against a business, however much time is put into it, that brings to market more items than the dwindling collector base can handle, if you are keeping in mind a desire to maintain value. Looking at Stanton’s catalogs from 20 years ago you see only a few hundred lots as opposed to 1000 today, with far fewer buyers and funds. One cannot expect a clean Opera to bring 4-6k when you have 6 of them to sell in one sitting. Auctions force sales, unless there is a reserve. Forced sales mean low prices if everyone that can spend 6k on an Opera has purchased their machine already. I’m touching on the topic of what one could call reserved or integrity-based Capitalism. That’s for another discussion board.

It's the ever dwindling collector base that is the source of 1000's of items versus 100's.

As to lower prices being a bummer to those of us who spent far more int he past, well... that is a bummer but, that's why I buy only things that I like, and little to nothing based on value or investment potential alone.

[billybob62]

As Bernard Baruch once said to the Lady who was complaining about how terrible the prices from the 1929 stock market crash were, "Not for the Buyers, M'am".

[Mlund2020]

As Bernard Baruch once said to the Lady who was complaining about how terrible the prices from the 1929 stock market crash were, "Not for the Buyers, M'am".

The down market for phonographs stings when I think what I have paid in the past for machines. However, it does create many great buying opportunities. I was at Stanton’s and I was thrilled that I was able to take advantage of the great prices. I ended up bringing home a lot more machines than I had planned on buying. I went planning to purchase 2 or 3 rare machines that don’t often hit the market, but I came home with 10 pretty rare machines. I am very happy with my purchases and the great addition to my collection that they make. For me my collection gives me enjoyment as I find, learn about and purchase these historical items that fascinate me. My main motivation in collecting is for enjoyment. It would be nice if they turn out to be a good investment, however if not they give me lots of enjoyment. Since I don’t consider them part of my retirement plan, I guess my kids are the only ones that will truly know what kind of investment it was when the sell off my collection after I am gone. I have stressed to them that there are some valuable pieces so that hopefully they will get a fair market value for my collection when that time comes (including detailed records of what I have paid for everything).

I am very thankful to Stanton’s for the really amazing auctions that they put on. They put a lot of time and effort into bringing these machines to market. There is really something for everyone - from the common to the impossibly rare, from the pristine to fixxer upper, form difficult to find parts to complete machines. When you consider the work that they put into every auction - tens of thousands of miles traveling the country to find and evaluate pieces to be brought to auction (from individual pieces to complete collections), then transport, catalog, store, put together a catalog with excellent descriptions of everything, promoting the auction, then transporting organizing, cleaning and organizing the machines and parts for auction. It boggles my mind to think of the work that goes into it. (I think how I had trouble keeping the reproducers, cranks, horns record nuts etc. straight and put back with the right machine for the 10 machines that I bought- mutiply that by the almost 900 lots for sale - seems impossible to me) Steve Stanton pointed out that his 94 year old mother (sitting front row at the auction), spent 3 days dusting and cleaning all of the machines after they had been transported to the auction site from storage. Much of my collection has been possible thanks to the hard work of Steve Stanton and his crew, and for that I am very thankful.