Prices in the past

[outune]

Attached is a "Value List" from the 1960's. Many years ago i picked up a couple of notebooks of original instruction manuals, etc.. With the items was a multi-page list compiled by "W.H. Miller of Troy, Ohio" The list pictures multiple machines and Mr. Miller lists what he believes to be their values-- "Not What I Pay" Did anyone know Mr. Miller of Troy, Ohio???

Enjoy this short walk through phono pricing history!
Like a Columbia AS coin-op for $100-- or "The Duplex--a two horn machine..1913 model" for $75.00


Brad Abell

[Gatyam]

I've heard mention of a price list based on auction prices published by Ray Wilenzick sometime in the early 2000s. While perhaps ancient history at this point, I'd still be interested in seeing it if anyone has a copy. Thanks!

[TinfoilPhono]

Ray published those annually for a while. I had all of them but I regret to say that during a bookshelf purge a few years back I decided they were no longer useful to me.....

I was reading more old issues of APM tonight and came upon an ad from a well-known collector who is very active on this forum.

Want phonograph with external horn. I have for trade or sale Victrola VV XI in excellent condition.

It's safe to say that in the past 43 years his wish for an external horn phonograph has been satisfied hundreds of times over.

Anyone recall how some of us would call it the "Antique Phonograph (Almost) Monthly?"

For a long time issues carried notices saying "This issue of APM was sent out equally late to all subscribers." Eventually any pretense of monthly publication was dropped. Subscriptions went from annual to the number of issues.

[larryh]

When I was in high school almost any upright or console phonograph at an auction was lucky to get a dollar bid. A friend of mine traded me for a 65 note push up player and I got a Edison Louis XV and a Sonora Bombay with wooden tone arm in American Walnut plus 1,200 Edison Records! I couldn't get them to play to suit me and I think best I can recall I got about 40.00 a piece for them. Granted they are worth a whole lot more now. Still where I live in the Country now days my upright Chippendale C-19 sold for 25.00 at an auction and my Console William an Mary I traded for a London Upright I had about 80.00 in. Both needed work which I rather enjoy doing, other wise they would have been much higher. Still a few bargains around though. Records were almost all a dime at thrift stores and in those days there were a lot of them where people were dumping the 78's for LP's.

Larry

[Menophanes]

The February 1965 issue of the Hillandale News contained an article complaining about the "extravagant" prices asked for some machines, and warned members against offering to buy them at those "much inflated" prices, even if the vendor was open to offers. The prices which had outraged the writer of the article were :

Edison Opera £120, Amberola (no model mentioned) £75, Home £50 and Standard £30.

About three years earlier than this, I bought a Model A (banner-front) Standard, complete except for the horn and perfectly serviceable, for £5; I think this was about normal at the time. I kept this machine for forty-eight years, during which time it needed no work apart from a new belt and a repair to the reproducer weight.

Oliver Mundy.

[edisonplayer]

I was thinking of my friend Arthur Pare.He would buy the machines for the records,essentially the machines were thrown in.For example,I thought of the Kimball console Arthur bought for $15 full of 78's,the N Graphophone with the ear tubes he bought in 1956 for $3 with a case of brown cylinders,and the Amberola 75 full of operatic Blue Amberols and "Rastus,Take Me Back"by Marie Dressler.Those were the days! edisonplayer