What did I buy yesterday, a Columbia 202, or?

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nostalgia
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What did I buy yesterday, a Columbia 202, or?

Post by nostalgia »

What did I buy yesterday? It is not a 109, so I believe it is a 202, but it is blue..or black? It looks blue to me, but it could maybe be an optical illusion.
I hope it is blue, but I could anyway not resist it when I saw the record album under the lid..
I will collect it in a couple of weeks, and at the time of writing, I don't know anything more than you now do, from watching the photos. I did not ask the color, since I did not want to miss it, just get it.
If it is blue, it is a win win of course, at least I don't have a blue 202, but already have a couple of black ones.
The needle container lid is missing, but I have a spare one, somewhere...
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Marco Gilardetti
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Re: What did I buy yesterday, a Columbia 202, or?

Post by Marco Gilardetti »

nostalgia wrote: Thu Aug 25, 2022 7:55 am I could anyway not resist it when I saw the record album under the lid...
Agree. You did not disclose the buying price, but it was possibly worth purchasing for the expanda album alone.

Looks blue to me as well, hopingly it will not just be a white balance issue with the camera.

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nostalgia
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Re: What did I buy yesterday, a Columbia 202, or?

Post by nostalgia »

€ 45 + diesel for 160 km driving distance. If it is blue, it is a win. if it is black..it is still a draw :lol:

20 records in a box was also included...

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Re: What did I buy yesterday, a Columbia 202, or?

Post by Inigo »

That makes a total of €60! Great!
You know your're feeding up the Legend... You live in Cheap Gramophone Land!!!
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Re: What did I buy yesterday, a Columbia 202, or?

Post by Phono48 »

I'd vote for blue, but whatever colour it is, you got a good bargain. Congratulations!

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Re: What did I buy yesterday, a Columbia 202, or?

Post by epigramophone »

Coloured versions had plated external fittings. Black versions had them black painted.
The fittings on your new acquisition look plated, so yes blue should be the colour.

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Re: What did I buy yesterday, a Columbia 202, or?

Post by VanEpsFan1914 »

I have a black 202 Grafonola and those little machines are really something else. If you have a blue one, you have a very fine portable indeed--they're beautiful and reliable, and the sound is as you'd expect for the era. It's a concert-hall sound out of a wooden box. Pretty impressive feat of engineering to make these portables, and they're not really that expensive to buy, somehow.

Very nice little machine.

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Re: What did I buy yesterday, a Columbia 202, or?

Post by epigramophone »

These portables are undervalued in comparison with HMV's. Their weakness is their extensive use of pot metal.
Breakages include the lugs on which the narrow alloy horn pivots at the far end of the large sheet metal horn, and the joint between the tonearm and the alloy horn. Repair is possible but tricky.
Three of my 202's are pictured. The red one is pre-EMI with Garrard No.50 motor and No.9 soundbox, the brown one is post-EMI with HMV No.69 motor and No.15 soundbox, and the black one is the final version with HMV side wound 270 series motor.
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Re: What did I buy yesterday, a Columbia 202, or?

Post by Orchorsol »

Yes indeed, I was just remarking with a collector friend the other day that these are excellent - to my ears, as good as an HMV 102. Different character of sound (hard to describe), but as good.
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nostalgia
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Re: What did I buy yesterday, a Columbia 202, or?

Post by nostalgia »

Thank you for all positive comments, and thank you Roger for pinpointing the fact that the colourd versions have plated external fittings.
I will collect the portable next Thursday, and for sure will post some photos, before and after restoration so we can have a look. A blue Columbia 202 is not found every day.
I hope the casing is not too bad, it is impossible to see from the photos. It has been stored in an attic for decades, according to the seller.

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