I have an Academy portable in polished oak, pretty tip top quality, I think the thing is most people could only afford the cheaper models and few of the more expencive ones were sold and hence very few survive today. The survival of more of the cheap models gives a skewed view of the out put of the...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/gramophone/313440704251?_trkparms=aid%3D777008%26algo%3DPERSONAL.TOPIC%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20201018205123%26meid%3D2b7712e61044494c90b747988ab0db84%26pid%3D101286%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26mehot%3Dnone%26itm%3D313440704251%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2380057%26algv%3DWatchlistVaria...

The Collectors Guide to HMV Nipper Souvenirs (EMI 1997) includes a chronology of the Gramophone and Victor companies. The following information is given about their Italian operations : September 1899 : The Gramophone Company (Italy) was registered with a Capital of £50,000. The Head Office was in L...

Only use metal polish on the plated components. If you use it on the horn it may remove some of the paint. The consensus among collectors is to leave horns in their original finishes even if they are not in mint condition. A horn is only original once, and repainting should be seen as a last resort....

The Gramophone & Typewriter Ltd was British and the forerunner of the company we now know as HMV. The word "Typewriter" was dropped from the company's title in 1907, so your machine which was introduced in about 1904 cannot be later than 1907. The "Recording Angel" trade mark...

Welcome to the Forum. This HMV Monarch case design is known to collectors as the "Cockleshell", because of it's carved shell motifs. On your machine the location of the brake, speed control and winding handle hole differ from British made examples I have seen, so it could have been made in...

Not all records are rare because they were unpopular when new. Some which sell for high prices today were best sellers which were either played to death or discarded when they became unfashionable. Two examples which come to mind are "Charleston", especially by the Savoy Orpheans with spok...

Your veneer work would not look out of place in a vintage Rolls-Royce. Young people with your skills are the future of our hobby.

Roger.

I purchased my G-208 from the family of the original owner, who was in the Colonial Service. I was told that he bought it new in Hong Kong shortly before it fell to the Japanese in December 1941, but family memories are not infallible.