What is the appeal of coin operated cylinder phonographs?

[Edisonfan]

I noticed, when ever a coin operated cylinder phonograph machine. Comes up for auction, there are a tremendous number of bids. They may even have a fairly high price to begin with, or with a Buy It Now. I was curious, about the appeal of these machines. I figure it's because of the rarity? Or what?

I find them fascinating. Not that I will ever be able to own one.

Paul

[Phono-Phan]

For me the fascination is the overall mechanical marvel of them. I have two Columbia BS machines and one Regina Model 104 Hexaphone. Just to think of how these were originally designed over 100 years ago amazes me. Even better are the early 1800's Automaton machines that draw pictures. These are amazing works of art and engineering.

[Jerry B.]

Coin operated talking machines came about during the early years of phonograph production. Early machines were too expensive for most home owners. Maybe they couldn't afford a machine but they could afford a nickel to listen to the latest rage in entertainment. Mechanical music had been around for generations but people considered it nothing less than amazing to listen to the human voice. It wasn't long before talking machine companies offered low priced machines intended for home use. As machines became more common in homes, demand for coin-op machines dropped. The era of coin-op was quite a brief one they never sold in large numbers. Today this translates to scarcity and high prices.

Jerry Blais

[estott]

Coin operated talking machines came about during the early years of phonograph production. Early machines were too expensive for most home owners. Maybe they couldn't afford a machine but they could afford a nickel to listen to the latest rage in entertainment. Mechanical music had been around for generations but people considered it nothing less than amazing to listen to the human voice. It wasn't long before talking machine companies offered low priced machines intended for home use. As machines became more common in homes, demand for coin-op machines dropped. The era of coin-op was quite a brief one they never sold in large numbers. Today this translates to scarcity and high prices.

Jerry Blais

Actually I think that coin ops sold in pretty good numbers, if you look at the pictures of the floor models lined up in arcades. Problem was that they didn't have much use after the novelty wore off as no one would want one at home. I think that the table top machines survive because they were small enough to stick in the back of the attic.

[TinfoilPhono]

Actually, for whatever reason I have seen more floor model coin-ops at shows and auctions than table-top machines (aside from the Columbia BS, which is pretty common -- relatively speaking).

Coin-ops appeal to me for their historic relevance as well as their fascinating (and sometimes weird) mechanical construction. I think they are wonderful. Maybe it's because I was a coin collector as a kid. But I really enjoy all kinds of coin-operated machines, but most especially phonographs.

[Raphael]

Keep in mind as well that there is an entirely different field of collecting out there that encompasses coin-ops of all types, such as arcade games, pinball machines, etc. Whenever there is a crossover between two fields, values increase, sometimes exponentially.

Another example would be when an item, such as the previously mentioned automatons, has an incorporated clock and/or a music box. Then there would be three fields (automata, music box and clock) of collecting, and the competing interests tend to drive up prices substantially.

Raphael

[JerryVan]

Keep in mind as well that there is an entirely different field of collecting out there that encompasses coin-ops of all types, such as arcade games, pinball machines, etc. Whenever there is a crossover between two fields, values increase, sometimes exponentially.

Another example would be when an item, such as the previously mentioned automatons, has an incorporated clock and/or a music box. Then there would be three fields (automata, music box and clock) of collecting, and the competing interests tend to drive up prices substantially.

Raphael

I believe Raphael is totally correct as to the multiple collecting genres adding greatly to value.

[startgroove]

I think Jerry is mostly correct, in that the advent of lower cost machines made phonographs affordable to the masses.

Correspondingly, the early coin ops only offered one selection (except for those where the patron was allowed to pick a disc record and install it themselves on the turntable), so it wasn't long before they became obsolete.

The technologies of multi-record machines, and hence selectability, joined with automatic operation and enough volume to fill a room, made the single play machine completely out of date. Coin operated phonograph evolved, from a novelty to a classy form of public entertainment.

To us modern day enthusiasts, there is a different kind of novelty with those early coin ops. Not only because they are rare, but also because they are the first of their kind, and they are usually far more attractive than most phonographs made for private use, and they are more complicated. In addition, watching one of those ancient machines go through its operation is another kind of novel attraction.

[rgordon939]

One other thing that's has not been mentioned yet is that the sale of these higher priced coin operated machines did two things. It popularized the new technology of listening to recorded voice and music and financially allowed the manufacturing companies to develop the lower priced machines for home use.

Rich Gordon

[Shawn]

I have to agree with Rene, here. My fascination with coin-op machines is with the intricacy of the mechanical mechanisms that drive them. There was so much creativity applied to so many challenges to actually make them work. That they continue to work, over 100 years later is wonderful!

For example, early electric motor versions had enough power to complete all of the actions required to execute a complete playing cycle of a record. You just drop a nickel in, and everything started. However, when the spring motor power came along, it was difficult (but not impossible) to complete all actions required to execute a complete playing cycle of a record on spring-power alone.

Some machines like the first model Edison H and Reginaphone (table top hexaphone) did complete all actions required to execute a complete playing cycle of a record solely on the power of the spring. On these machines all you had to do was wind the crank and drop in a nickel. However, on other spring-motor coin-operated machines such as the Columbia N, AS, BS, and SG, as well as the Edison Manhattan, Excelsior, and Bijou, cranking of the machine actually set, or reset components of the coin-operated cycle in addition to winding the spring. This minimized the power required from the spring during play to turning the record, a timing gear and perhaps tripping a lever. On the Columbia coin-operated machines, the action of cranking also lowers the reproducer on to the record and sets the timing gear in addition to winding the spring.

As to value, that is highly subjective. Yes, there were a lot of penny arcades venues where machines were lined up in rows. From period documents, Osterloh, an arcade owner in Salt Lake City, had over 75 coin-operated phonographs in his arcade when it was shut down. Again from period documents, there were at least 500 Multiphones produced, probably more. However, the number of coin-operated arcades with the number of machines in them pails in comparison to the number of Homes, Standards, Triumphs, Columbia A's etc. produced.

As well, business owners didn't always care for their assets (coin-operated machines) in the same way as consumer owners of Homes Standards, etc. For a business it wasn't a treasured family piece, just another piece of machinery. There is some evidence that many of the Edison spring-motor coin-ops were stripped of their coin-operated parts and sold off. Being in public places, many coin-ops also suffered long and hard lives. To find a complete, quality condition example of a harder-to-find coin-op is not always that easy.

In the end, the value is based on availability, quality of condition, and what someone will pay for it. Rene is right, the BS must have been one successful coin-operated machine. I've seen a lot of them, almost one at every show. However, other examples surface much less frequently, and are sought after by many.

To me, coin-operated phonographs may not be the best sounding machines, but they are the most fun machines to play.

Shawn