Speaking of oddball brands....

[antique1973]

Speaking of oddballs, I never heard of this one either!


http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/atq/1721693184.html

[bbphonoguy]

Judging by the seller's description of it being "very rare", he doesn't realize that a brand being unknown tends to make it less desirable.

[antique1973]

Yeah, there is 2 kinds of rare in the antique phonograph world. The rare that everyone
wants and the rare that everyone stays away from.

[jnorman111]

(J.M.J.)
As you can see there is a manufacturing company embosed on this Colonial, unlike my Fox phonograph, so that gives more info right away. It does not look to be in the condition my Fox is, or I too, would have passed, plus the price was right including around 300 records.
Remember also, I think it was Bernard Baruch a famous 1040s investor who said, buy what everyone eklse is staying away from and sell what everyone else now wants to buy. So the cheap, nicely made, in good shape with good looks and wood off-brand now, could, indeed, become the rage to own in the future???
We all do know that some name brands, "high end" machines in their time period, will always be sought after, and that parts, if needed, are easily obtained. Parts are not always needed.
The main point is to not change, even an off-brand, into a Frankenphone, by using just any parts that make it work.

[bbphonoguy]

(J.M.J.)
As you can see there is a manufacturing company embosed on this Colonial, unlike my Fox phonograph, so that gives more info right away. It does not look to be in the condition my Fox is, or I too, would have passed, plus the price was right including around 300 records.
Remember also, I think it was Bernard Baruch a famous 1040s investor who said, buy what everyone eklse is staying away from and sell what everyone else now wants to buy. So the cheap, nicely made, in good shape with good looks and wood off-brand now, could, indeed, become the rage to own in the future???
We all do know that some name brands, "high end" machines in their time period, will always be sought after, and that parts, if needed, are easily obtained. Parts are not always needed.
The main point is to not change, even an off-brand, into a Frankenphone, by using just any parts that make it work.

The difference between this phono and your Fox phonograph is that...

1. Yours is in better shape.
2. Yours (I believe) was priced at $150, this one's $499
3. With 300 records, what you payed was worth it, just for that.

No one's doubting your good sense in buying an attractive machine, with a load of records, no matter who the manufacturer is, we were just joking about how this ad equates "rare" with "valuable".

As far as Bernard Baruch's quote goes, we're not investors, we're collectors. In collecting anything, one should buy what one enjoys. I like finding a machine at a bargain, but, even if my machines are not particularly valuable, I bought them because I like them. Nevertheless, I don't like them enough to be cheated when buying one.


Anyway, I think your Fox phono was a bargain, the machine in this ad is not.

[antique1973]

(J.M.J.)
As you can see there is a manufacturing company embosed on this Colonial, unlike my Fox phonograph, so that gives more info right away. It does not look to be in the condition my Fox is, or I too, would have passed, plus the price was right including around 300 records.
Remember also, I think it was Bernard Baruch a famous 1040s investor who said, buy what everyone eklse is staying away from and sell what everyone else now wants to buy. So the cheap, nicely made, in good shape with good looks and wood off-brand now, could, indeed, become the rage to own in the future???
We all do know that some name brands, "high end" machines in their time period, will always be sought after, and that parts, if needed, are easily obtained. Parts are not always needed.
The main point is to not change, even an off-brand, into a Frankenphone, by using just any parts that make it work.

I agree, even off branders may be in great demand one day. In fact you got a great deal on your Fox machine considering the records alone are
worth at least $150. In the other thread where I said I would only pay $50 for an offbrander, this would just be for a stand alone
machine with no records or extra accessories. And another point I should have made, is I generally try to sell some of my machines at
a profit if possible.

[jnorman111]

(J.M.J.)
Yes, I pretty much agree with you, antique 1973. I am retired so I just usually buy what I personally would want to keep.
However, that changes sometime after having a certain machine for a while, don't play it much maybe, and it just sits and sits there, while other machines get regularly played. Well, as a vendor at the annual 2nd week-end in June show at Union, Illinois, I will bring some machines for sale, and there are times when buying that I will buy just for resale at that show.
I am retired and not in business unlike a lot of the vendors, I am a "hobbyist", retired, one that dabbles in buying and selling. The same can be said regarding the 78rpm records I sell there, some duplicates, some of little interest to me, some valuables that bring in the cost of my expense to be set up there. I have never sold a record that i have not personally listened to, both sides, even if it would be something that I find of no interst to me.

[jnorman111]

(J.M.J.)
Thanks for your comments, bb and 1973, regarding my Fox phonograph.
Now I hope someone will know more about the history, and where it was made, and some manufacturing information on it. It is nice, but wait untill I can tell you what it sounds like before saying it was a bargain, as the 300 records include none that will sell very fast, condition V- mostly, no conservative graded E, no sleeves, no and if I ever get $150. out of the records I would feel lucky, because they just are not the kind, most of them, almost all of them, that are in much demand and almost don't warrent the space and weight to even try to sell them at a record show. I have listened to about 100 of them so far and I dought I will take any more of maybe 10 of them to the Union show and the rest I probably will not have time to listen to very many of them before the 2nd week-end in June to consider even taking them to Union. There was 2 or 3 of them that will fit nice in my personal collection anyway. Ha.

[Energ15]

It may be an oddball brand but, it's a descent looking machine and very original!

[jnorman111]

(J.M.J.)
Hey Energ15, do you mean my Fox phongraph is a nice looking machine? Or the Colonial machine, that started off this subject?