NO FEAR of losing interest and need Help?

[Valecnik]

There's been lots of discussion about loosing interest in the hobby. It seems this affliction is spreading faster than the swine flu. Well there's at least one on this forum, me, that suffers the opposite problem.

My interest started when I was so small that I had to stand on a chair next to my grandmother's Victrola XI to play it. I'd go to farm auctions with my grandfather and try to convince him to bid for me on some of the phonos that showed up. I was too young to get a bidding number. I didn't manage to pick up more than a few 78s for years.

I got my first decent paying job out of college. About the same time I met a friend who'd gotten an Edison home, a Fireside, a Sheraton diamond disc machine, about 60 cylinders and 25 diamond discs out of the basement of his parents small town drugstore FREE. Just the Sheraton was complete. Before long we'd gotten both the cylinder machines running too. I'd discovered diamond discs and cylinders!

Soon I'd found a Hepplewhite in my hometown antique shop. It had no reproducer and the spring was stuck. My grandfather helped me fix it, ending up with a few stitches in his thumb after the spring got loose, really. Anyway we got it going.

A short time later, a well known collector in the Minneapolis area advertised an Edison Standard for sale in the newspaper. When I went to look, he had it set up on the kitchen table. I bought it and asked him if he might have any extra records for it. Somewhat reluctantly he said, "Well I suppose. Come on downstairs."

I stepped into that room and thought I'd died and gone to heaven. I remember being particularly impressed by his late Edison Concert set up with 52 inch brass horn, by "Victor Row" with most of the lettered then numbered Victors side by side. There were Columbia rear mount cylinder machines, a 20th century, a mint US Junior, which I own today, and many many others.

My interest has not waned since. They've changed a bit and of course I've sold alot of the first machines in order to upgrade to more desirable and usually more expensive toys. Collecting slowed sometimes due to life changes, job changes etc. but I always got back to it when things got more settled.

So.... am I okay or should I be seeing a doctor???

[Jerry B.]

No chance of me losing interest. I do enjoy collecting bikes and my phono friends occasionally think I've gone to the dark side over a bike. I've been retired about a year and a half and 2009 has been the best year ever for me. I love it. Jerry Blais

[Steve]

If the last Fabrizio & Paul book was anything to go by, I'm not surprised you're not giving up, Jerry. You have some of the greatest phonographs anyone owns anywhere in the world!

As to the wider question, as Bruce well knows, despite some dealers handing me really disappointing machines over and over again, I've still got the bug and will be tempted by a decent machine now and then, even if it means selling another one to upgrade / pay for it. I'm not looking to add further machines to my collection for the forseeable future as I do not particular want more machines than I currently have. For me now it's all about upgrading wherever possible. Sadly the opportunities to do this are very very rare.

If all else fails, I will still continue to enjoy my current collection whilst annoying Bruce with my questions about possible new purchases!

[Schmaltz]

I've been in this hobby for over 40 years, and I don't think I'll be going anywhere. The collection grows, then it shrinks, then it grows again.

[drsaul]

I need help. I have inherited this machine and I'm trying to find out who manufactured the mechanism. The cabinet itself has the name of a St. Paul, MN hardware store "Farwell, Ozmun and Kirk Co." but the motor was probably picked from a parts book. That much I have learned from reading the forum, thank you. I can't seem to find any pictures that resemble this particular motor. Thanks.

[gramophoneshane]

Well I'll be....
I've been posting pics of the same motor on various boards for 3.5 years, trying to find out what sort of machine this belongs to, and who made it.
I've never really had any success though. No-one seems to have seen one the same before. At least I now know one machine these were fitted to

Is there any chance you could post a picture of the motor board?
I've never been able to quite work out how the speed control was operated. It appears that a square rod must fit into the side of the speed control, and the adjustment would be made by turning the knurled screw under the turntable

[edisonc250]

I know I have not been posting much...But I am still as interested in this Hobby as day one...I just picked up a C150 that I am actually fixing up for a client!!...It has been in his basement for 40 yrs, mechanics are great...but the wood...yuk....