The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Not one you see often this side of the pond! Looks in lovely cosmetic condition too

Ps, I believe it is a 1A but it may well be another model as these are not my area of expertise

https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auct ... image-link

Yes, that's a 1A mechanism.

Jerry B.

It is only an hour's driving from me, but having just bought an Opera I am not in the market for a 1A.
The pre sale estimate is not even an educated guess. £80-£120 is auctioneer speak for "We have no idea".
Having said that, valuation is all about comparison, and when did an Amberola 1A last come up for sale in the UK?

Wow, the Model M reproducer alone sells for $800-1000 here.

One I'd definitely have jumped on if I had the room. I rarely listen to cylinders, so difficult to justify the floor space!

Hope it goes to someone who'd appreciate it

We see so few big pre-1915 Amberolas in the UK that out of curiosity I went to the auction preview and found as follows :

Good Points.
The cabinet retains it's original finish with just a few scuffs and scratches consistent with age and use.
The mechanism appears to be complete apart from the record brush and the winding handle.
The 2/4 minute Model M reproducer is a rare and sought after item in itself.

Bad points.
With no winding handle it is not clear whether the motor runs.
The reproducer does not raise and lower as it should. The stylus fouls the cylinder.
Nothing rare or valuable among the 40+ cylinders, mainly Blue Amberols.

If it sells cheaply it could be a worthwhile project for an Edison expert, which I am not.

Sold just now for £4,600 (+ commission) to someone in the room. There was quite a bidding war going on!

Ahmed wrote: ↑Wed Sep 22, 2021 7:11 am Sold just now for £4,600 (+ commission) to someone in the room. There was quite a bidding war going on!

£5593.60 including buyer's premium. Well I suppose if its a "must have " and you have a spare five and a half grand in your pocket , then why not ? !!
whatever floats your boat ! but personally I am quite happy with my Amberola 50 and Standard " D " with cygnet horn at a fraction of the cost

Dulcetto wrote: ↑Wed Sep 22, 2021 7:47 am

Ahmed wrote: ↑Wed Sep 22, 2021 7:11 am Sold just now for £4,600 (+ commission) to someone in the room. There was quite a bidding war going on!

£5593.60 including buyer's premium. Well I suppose if its a "must have " and you have a spare five and a half grand in your pocket , then why not ? !!
whatever floats your boat ! but personally I am quite happy with my Amberola 50 and Standard " D " with cygnet horn at a fraction of the cost

That's still quite a good deal actually! It's a seriously rare machine here and it is good as it gets for 4m cylinders sound quality wise. Unlikely you'll see another any time soon

As with many of those things (rare high value items) in all likelihood it'll resurface in a few weeks with a dealer marked up around £10,000 ...

Ahmed wrote: ↑Wed Sep 22, 2021 8:30 am

Dulcetto wrote: ↑Wed Sep 22, 2021 7:47 am

Ahmed wrote: ↑Wed Sep 22, 2021 7:11 am Sold just now for £4,600 (+ commission) to someone in the room. There was quite a bidding war going on!

£5593.60 including buyer's premium. Well I suppose if its a "must have " and you have a spare five and a half grand in your pocket , then why not ? !!
whatever floats your boat ! but personally I am quite happy with my Amberola 50 and Standard " D " with cygnet horn at a fraction of the cost

That's still quite a good deal actually! It's a seriously rare machine here and it is good as it gets for 4m cylinders sound quality wise. Unlikely you'll see another any time soon

As with many of those things (rare high value items) in all likelihood it'll resurface in a few weeks with a dealer marked up around £10,000 ...

Well I guess at the end of the day , it is worth what someone wants to pay. I certainly don't rate it as highly as you -- I have seen other examples in UK over the years , although I'll agree its not a common machine. As to sound quality -- again , that's a matter of opinion -- the one example I've heard play , in the collection of a well - known West Country enthusiast , didn't strike me as the being that much different to an Edison machine with a good external horn -- and he certainly didn't pay anything remotely like 5.600 for his ! but there was obviously several bidders at the auction who DID want to !!