The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

eBay Item #111160289210
Seller says there are few marks on the lid which can be taken care of.
I say to heck with the marks!..tell me where the rest of this Victrola XI went!!
Why would anyone butcher a machine like this?

Oh,btw...I'm new to this forum so I'll say "hi" to all the good people here.

Dave wrote:Why would anyone butcher a machine like this?

Probably because at the time they were butchered, they were just old-fashioned junk, which no-one wanted. It got rid of a bit of large, out-of-date furniture, without having to dispose of it completely. There's a similarly butchered "Columbia" on UK Ebay, and over here they crop up regularly in that state.

...and a Diamond Disk on the turntable!

Oooh, the old saw a victrola in half trick. Dave, there's more than fun and games here on the forum!
James.

I have the bottom half of an oak Columbia I picked up for next to nothing and use for an end table, although I shed the occasional tear when I look at it.

Clay

Found a VV-XIV table model today at the antique show and was told it is a rare one.

Too many years ago I found the top half of McLaughan upright machine...I picked it up at a good price for parts...6 months later , in a different antique shop , in a different town , I found the bottom half...both halves fit together perfectly and the cut was barely visible....sometimes you realy get lucky

whoopinola wrote:Too many years ago I found the top half of McLaughan upright machine...I picked it up at a good price for parts...6 months later , in a different antique shop , in a different town , I found the bottom half...both halves fit together perfectly and the cut was barely visible....sometimes you realy get lucky

That's almost bizarre! I have an Edison A-100 which had its legs w/shelf removed & replaced with a home-made cabinet, complete with doors. The clever carpenter then smooshed a really thick coat (or four) of almost black finish (shellac? varnish?) over the whole thing to mask his indecency. I ended up refinishing just the top part & pretending it was a rare table model. hehe.

I was told that those Edison A-100's were called "the invalids" by dealers of the day...it seems that they arrived at the store with the legs broken off...true??? , or just a tale??

Years ago a good friend bought an upright that had both back legs shortened. We speculated it was used while on the stairs. Jerry