Crapophones on eBay

[Victrolaboy]

I know this has been a topic in some previous posts before, but I've seen way too many of these pieces of crap on eBay. I mean come on and to think that some people believe that these pieces of crap made in India day before yesterday are authentic original machines. Check out this one http://www.ebay.com/itm/261689765328 you've got to be kidding me. In the listing it also says "FREE! FREE! A 78rpm record!!!!!!!!!" Ready to get destroyed.
-Nick

[PHONOMIKE]

Another good hint that it's a fake or junk is when the seller like this one puts in the ad "wholesale inquiries also welcome". Statements like this one smell like a skunk.

Mike

[Raphael]

Of course anybody who collects even a single antique phonograph will look down their nose at this stuff. This is a forum of collectors. Members here should look on the bright side of the matter...a non-collector with an inkling of appreciation for talking machines (perhaps acquired through the ubiquitous Victor logo, or in cinema) might buy one and take enough further interest to acquire the Real Deal. And thus, a "collector" is born.

A lot of these crapophones are bought simply as background decorations, i.e. for a Man Cave, or an office. Again, just one can create the spark that lights the fire.

There are 315,000,000+ people in this country. The phonograph collectors among them are an infinitesimal percentage. I say, cheer the crapophones, let them sell by the millions, then the good stuff will be appreciated even more.

How's that for a contrarian opinion?

(Incidentally, I speak from first-hand experience, having bought a crapophone in 1998 and then a Victrola XI, and so on.....)

Raphael

[FloridaClay]

Raphael, in general I would have to agree with you. I do wish, though, that eBay would be a bit more aggressive about not permitting misleading descriptions. This is, of course, not an "antique" as the headline states. The seller does acknowledge that it is new in the "Item Specifics" section; albeit I suspect with the hope that most buyers won't read the fine print.

They are what they are, though, and if somebody wants one knowing what it is, more power to them.

Clay

[Player-Tone]

Look on the bright side, these Crap-O-Phones give the non-serious collectors something to buy up while leaving the real stuff for us!

[alang]

Even though I don't like crapophones myself, I also don't have too much of an issue with this offer. In the description it clearly states several times that this is a reproduction. Of course there are lots of errors like "RCA Victor phonograph" etc, but at least this dealer does not sell it as an original. Most people outside of the collectors community only want a decorative item at an affordable price, originality and functionality are not that important to them. They want an outside horn machine that they can maybe demonstrate for a minute or so a couple times a year. Sound quality doesn't matter, just the fact that this thing can reproduce music without electricity. In all honesty, aren't many of our own visitors the same - two minutes of faked interest as a courtesy to the host? Why would someone like that shell out $1000+ for a decoration? I personally only have problems with these sellers if they make these things look old and try to sell them as the real thing. Otherwise it's just like the difference between a steak at Ruby Tuesday's and Morton's Steakhouse.

JMO
Andeas

[Victrolaboy]

Alright, I'm sorry for all my negative comments about Crapophones. So I will just hush up and keep my thoughts about fake machines to my self and talk about better things.
-Nick

[Phonofreak]

I'll admit, I do have a crapophone in my collection. I paid about $50.00 for it and got it working good. The reason I have one is because I think it is part of phonograph history and development. I have it side by side with a legitimate outside horn machine to show newbies the differences between the two.
Harvey Kravitz

[VintageTechnologies]

I wonder if anyone knows the history of the crapophones? I'm guessing they have a much longer history than we might first suspect. In such a poor country as India, parts were probably cobbled into working machines for domestic use long before exports to the West began.

I inherited one from an uncle who bought his at a garage sale 35 years ago. I like the horn which is solid hammered brass, rather than the cheapo petal horns made now. It has glass windows to view the motor, and a decent working reproducer.

[BwanaJoe]

Alright, I'm sorry for all my negative comments about Crapophones. So I will just hush up and keep my thoughts about fake machines to my self and talk about better things.
-Nick

I don't know, considering the price and the use of the word antique...