Frightening!

Discussions on Talking Machines & Accessories
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FloridaClay
Victor VI
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Frightening!

Post by FloridaClay »

Now this is really frightening!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Antique ... 3cc9517f7e

Clay
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$T2eC16N,!yEE9s5jE,jcBQF04r2JuQ~~60_57.jpg
$T2eC16ZHJGkE9no8iLlRBQF03TV)9w~~60_57.jpg
Arthur W. J. G. Ord-Hume's Laws of Collecting
1. Space will expand to accommodate an infinite number of possessions, regardless of their size.
2. Shortage of finance, however dire, will never prevent the acquisition of a desired object, however improbable its cost.

HisMastersVoice
Auxetophone
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Re: Frightening!

Post by HisMastersVoice »

I own a midcentury store in the Seattle area and when I saw this piece, probably from the early 1920s, it yelled to me to "liven it up"!
Actually, you killed it.

dd2u
Victor I
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Re: Frightening!

Post by dd2u »

If Austin Powers made gramophones, they would look like that!


I do not know if that is a common machine over there or not, and none of us can know what it looked like before this make over. For very common and/or very trashed machines, I have some sympathy with people ignoring originality and creating something "new".

There are several such machines for sale on UK eBay with, for example, the covering replaced by a montage of record sleeves or even photos of Marilyn Monroe. These machines seem to be difficult to sell. Maybe one person's "makeover" is another persons calamity, even if they don't care about the original machine. Taste is a personal thing, and maybe the only person who likes machines such as these is the makeover artist.

Anyone doing this to something rare and/or well preserved should be ashamed. They will certainly be penalised financially.

At least most people have stopped converting gramophones into drinks cabinets or hi-fi racks.

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FloridaClay
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Re: Frightening!

Post by FloridaClay »

Don't find anything significant on the web about HarpTone or the Seattle Phonograph Company, so I rather suspect they many not have been in business very long and it may possibly be a fairly rare machine, albeit not necessarily valuable other than as a piece of Seattle history.

In any event it is bizarre that someone in the antique business--even "mid-century"--would not know that they likely destroyed 80% of the value. And even for somebody somewhere out there who might find such a thing "fun" or "artistic," the repaint is extremely poor quality. Highest and best use is now probably fire wood.

Clay
Arthur W. J. G. Ord-Hume's Laws of Collecting
1. Space will expand to accommodate an infinite number of possessions, regardless of their size.
2. Shortage of finance, however dire, will never prevent the acquisition of a desired object, however improbable its cost.

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m0xiemama
Victor II
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Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Re: Frightening!

Post by m0xiemama »

I just think it is funny how everyone wants all the money no matter how beat up or modified it is.

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scullylathe
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Re: Frightening!

Post by scullylathe »

This evokes my favorite line by Witch Hazel in Broomstick Bunny: "Like it?!? Why, it's absolutely hid-e-ous!!!" :lol:

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CptBob
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Personal Text: CptBob - that's my tandem name

Re: Frightening!

Post by CptBob »

FloridaClay wrote:Highest and best use is now probably fire wood.

Clay
Apart from the environmental impact, it's not a good idea to burn painted wood, especially if you've got an expensive flue liner. I think he's ruined the firewood potential.

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