Odd items found inside phonographs

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Uncle Vanya
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Re: Odd items found inside phonographs

Post by Uncle Vanya »

AmberolaAndy wrote:In my oak VV-XI, I found a letter stuffed inside the horn, a small crank, a 1967 brochure for a TV antenna, and an advertisement clipped from a newspaper for “Frick’s Phonographs” which was an early parts supplier who apparently made dubious repro parts. Right now I only have a photo of the crank and the ad. The crank actually fits my Columbia q quite well.
That crank is from a telephone.

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DGPros
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Re: Odd items found inside phonographs

Post by DGPros »

Victrolacollector wrote:
zenith82 wrote:
DGPros wrote:I recently came across this piece of paper w/watermarks in such pristine condition, I just assumed it was a few years old and forgot about it.Now that I sit down and read it, I find it probably is original. Date 10/20/10 as in 1910! I can only find that G.C. Aschbach did exist from around 1870-1900 (obviously later due to the date here) It was billed as the "Largest and Oldest Music House in the Lehigh Valley". It was found in an Edison DD C-19.

Are there any links or articles on the "Specialty Prepared Catalogue" showing a list of 500. If so i may need to marry this up with the catalogue.

The C-19 was introduced in the Spring of 1919, so it's odd to find a paper from almost a decade earlier stuck inside. Could have been done by an earlier collector maybe?
I don’t think Edison Discs were available as early as 1910. This must be for cylinders.
They weren't, so yes, cylinders I'm sure.
In short, is not liberty the freedom of every person to make full use of his faculties, so long as he does not harm other persons while doing so?
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marcapra
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Re: Odd items found inside phonographs

Post by marcapra »

This is going to sound like a made up dream find, but here goes. Some years ago I bought an Edisonic Beethoven, so I drove my Chrysler Town and Country van to pick it up. I was getting ready to load it, but the owner, who had just acquired it with a large group of Edison stuff, said that there was a letter inside the cabinet that he wanted to retrieve. I told him that it was probably just some bills or junk mail and I could open up the cabinet and see what it was when I got home. The envelope was located behind the record slats in the lower cabinet area. He said he wanted to get it out now, so I got a screwdriver and removed the piece of wood that held the slats in place, and removed enough slats to put my hand in there. I pulled out the envelope and gave it to the seller. He opened the envelope and pulled out stacks of $100 bills. There were over 20 bills in that envelope! We were both stunned! Everyone's dream find!

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85corvetteman
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Re: Odd items found inside phonographs

Post by 85corvetteman »

OK guys and gals bear with me on this one....
A couple of years ago I bought a VV 8-4 off of Craigslist in L.A. (for us southern folks that interprets to Lower Alabama).
It was in terrible shape with a lot of the veneer loose and tone arm support crumbling due to the great invention of pot metal. Luckily, the reproducer was crack free.
When looking it over I noticed a hole in the right middle door a little bit larger than an inch in diameter. I asked the old gentleman who was selling it if rodents chewed the hole in the door. His reply was it was from a shotgun blast !!!!
He said his mom was trying to sell a single barrel shotgun and someone came to their house to look at it. They were looking at it and pulled the trigger and BOOM, it was loaded and discharged hitting the victrola.
So I opened the door and no hole in the grill cloth?? So assuming this was one of those old family tales I asked why no hole in the grill cloth. His reply was that his mom did not like looking at the grill with a hole in it so she went down to the local furniture upholster and had a new cloth installed. Said she always wanted a new door but was never able to find one. So assuming this was still one of those old family tales, I bought it anyway.
The old gentleman told me how they used to drag the victrola out on the front porch on Sunday afternoons and listen to records. Can you imagine moving a 8-4, this being a task in itself !!! He said he had fond memories of those days.
After buying the 8-4, I told him when I got it restored, I would make a video of it playing and come back and show it to him and his wife. Well, it took me about 6 months to get it restored so I made a video. I called the phone number he had given me in hopes of being able to go back and show it playing once again. His wife answered and I asked to speak to Mr Tony. I told her who I was and she started crying and said he had passed away about 4 months earlier. She put me in touch with his niece and I sent her the video. She said they were going to play it at their family Thanksgiving dinner in honor of Mr Tony. So I was glad to be a part of restoring an old victrola but sad that Mr Tony did not get to see it play again.
So as Paul Harvey used to say for us old timers who remember, here's the rest of the story - When I was restoring the machine I took the motor board out and guess what I found - YES, bird shot from the shotgun shell embedded in the motor board and wadding from the shell too. Attached are the pictures. I have them in a little plastic container and would not think about changing the door now. The story is so great to me.
The old gentleman even gave me the receipt where his mom had bought it in September of 1933 and paid $35 dollars for it and 15 records. The receipt was on an installment plan to be paid for at $3 dollars a pay period until fully paid at 8 per cent interest. There was also a kettle listed on the receipt for the cost of $1.
Sorry to bore everyone with a long story but once again we can see how old machines have touched the lives of people years ago and continues today.
Take care,
Terry
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TinfoilPhono
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Re: Odd items found inside phonographs

Post by TinfoilPhono »

That's a great story! Thanks for sharing it.

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fran604g
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Re: Odd items found inside phonographs

Post by fran604g »

TinfoilPhono wrote:That's a great story! Thanks for sharing it.
Agreed! You just don't hear stories like yours. I thought it was cool finding several old unfired shotgun shells under the backseat of our '41 Packard 120S when my dad brought it home to begin restoring around 1970.

My brother and I imagined gangsters robbing banks and driving around causing general mayhem...lol

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Fran
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85corvetteman
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Re: Odd items found inside phonographs

Post by 85corvetteman »

That’s neat. I can imagine the thoughts racing thru you and your brothers minds !!!
This continues to be an on going long thread and fun to read about all the things found.

I once bought a VV 4-3 while traveling thru Atlanta. When I started cleaning it up I found a single ladies black nylon stocking stuffed in the horn. Adds another meaning to the term “stick a sock in it”.

I won’t go anywhere with this one and will leave this one to everyone’s own imagination LOL.

Take care.
Terry

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gramophone-georg
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Re: Odd items found inside phonographs

Post by gramophone-georg »

85corvetteman wrote:That’s neat. I can imagine the thoughts racing thru you and your brothers minds !!!
This continues to be an on going long thread and fun to read about all the things found.

I once bought a VV 4-3 while traveling thru Atlanta. When I started cleaning it up I found a single ladies black nylon stocking stuffed in the horn. Adds another meaning to the term “stick a sock in it”.

I won’t go anywhere with this one and will leave this one to everyone’s own imagination LOL.

Take care.
Terry
Actually- this very thing is exactly where the phrase 'stick a sock in it' originated.
"He who dies with the most shellac wins"- some nutty record geek

I got PTSD from Peter F's avatar

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85corvetteman
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Re: Odd items found inside phonographs

Post by 85corvetteman »

Thanks for the confirmation on the term “stick a sock in it”. I thought I had heard or read that somewhere.
Maybe a ladies nylon stocking stuck in the horn makes the music sound more sweeter and refined !!!

Take care.
Terry

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travisgreyfox
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Re: Odd items found inside phonographs

Post by travisgreyfox »

Wow. Some very cool stories on this thread.

The neatest thing I have found was a little ww1 era lead solider. I have it on display with some other things on a little shelf. Every time I look at that little lead solider I wonder if a little kid, who is long gone by now, cried not knowing where he put his little toy (it was in the horn of a vv 120).

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