HMV 203 selling

[OrthoSean]

As much as I'd love a 202/3, I know it will never happen...

However, I own both a Credenza and a 163 and the 163 comes nowhere near the Credenza for sound. A more realistic comparison would be the 8-8, 8-9, 8-35 or 10-35 with the 163, both having metal horns of comparable size, these sound about the same to my ears. The 8-series metal orthophonic horn Victors may even have a slight edge on the 163 for volume, but it isn't very noticeable.

Sean

[Curt A]

Thanks for all of the clarifications... I realize this is a matter of personal taste and preference.

I guess I don't have much interest in or appreciation for, or room for clunky looking large machines (no offense to those who do... - so please don't bash me), no matter how they sound - and that speaks to their relative rarity, since only 200 people felt compelled to buy one. That would apply to most furniture from that period as well...

[PeterF]

The low sales figures had little to do with the appearance of the cabinet - it had to do with the fact that this was a top of the line expensive luxury item offered for sale during the depths of the depression. I once used available online information to convert the 1930 purchase price of the next model down, the HMV 193, to current dollars, and it worked out to about $5000.

So we might make a comparison to how likely someone would be to have bought a $5000 large-screen television in the middle of the 2007-2008 GWBush economic event. I know I didn't!

One can also look at relative sales of early 30's Pierce Arrows and Cords and Duesenbergs and senior Packards...not many, but they did exist and some have survived, but those companies haven't!

[Steve]

It finished well above £6,000 ($9,600) so it was a fair price for one of these highly desirable models. It should have made another £2000 but the s/box and early motor let it down slightly. Oh yes, and the world economy......

[Steve]

Thanks for all of the clarifications... I realize this is a matter of personal taste and preference.

I guess I don't have much interest in or appreciation for, or room for clunky looking large machines (no offense to those who do... - so please don't bash me), no matter how they sound - and that speaks to their relative rarity, since only 200 people felt compelled to buy one. That would apply to most furniture from that period as well...

Curt, it wasn't that only 200 wanted one of them from a huge stock supply. They were incredibly expensive (£75 for a 203 in 1927!!!) and HMV made only limted numbers to start with. There wasn't thousands of them to start with.

[Curt A]

I get it... - and $9,600 in today's market isn't chump change either.

[epigramophone]

By 1930 the top end of the UK market was switching to radiograms, and the acoustic cabinet machines were seen as yesterday's technology. HMV had to reduce the price of the 203 from £75 to £50 to clear unsold stock, and stories persist of unused cabinets being broken up at the factory.

[Curt A]

By 1930 the top end of the UK market was switching to radiograms, and the acoustic cabinet machines were seen as yesterday's technology. HMV had to reduce the price of the 203 from £75 to £50 to clear unsold stock, and stories persist of unused cabinets being broken up at the factory.

The price, plus the fact that nobody (200 people) wanted them = rare.

I paid $1200 for my first JVC VCR that was completely mechanical... old technology is not appreciated by most people, so that VCR will probably be collectable in the distant future - you just have to wait 80-100 years. Stories will probably surface about most of them being thrown in landfills or given to Goodwill...

[emgcr]

According to this website calculator, £75.00 in 1927 would have had the equivalent purchasing power of £3,294.17 in 2014.

http://www.moneysorter.co.uk/calculator ... calculator

[2Bdecided]

It sold for £6,158.00.

I'm not suggesting that's a small amount of money, but given the quality, rarity, and reported condition of the machine, that's a surprisingly reasonable price in a worldwide internet sale.

I know eBay isn't everything, but while fairly common machines and discs seem to have risen in price on there over the last five years, this price for this seems to have gone in the opposite direction.

Cheers,
David.