Bidding war?

[Benjamin_L]

This Angelophone went for over $1,000 on Ebay, as I'm wondering why a generic off-brand table top model would go for so much.

I wouldn't think of Angelophone as that desirable in the collecting community, I'm assuming it's the same company that made the religious label. Do they have a specific interest?

I thought it was worth sharing, as I wanted to hear other's opinion on why it went for so much.

(https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-model-pho ... 7675.l2557)

[jukejunkie]

I once sold a piano roll that had significance to the Jehovah's Witness Church like this phonograph. This auction bidding was simular to the fervent bidding I had. There is a market for everything if the right buyers see it.

There is a previous post about this on the forum. viewtopic.php?f=2&t=23159

Kurt
Tacoma WA

[Jerry B.]

Like Kurt mentioned the perfect storm for a seller are two bidders with big egos and deep pockets. Another possibility is a shill bidder to artificially inflate the selling price. I glanced at the photo of the Angelophone and didn't see anything that would make it an interesting machine. Perhaps I missed something but if I saw such a machine in an antique shop for $100, I'd keep walking. Just my opinion.

Jerry B.

[Jerry B.]

I took a moment to look online and the Angelophone was indeed a machine enjoyed by members of the Jehovah's Witness Church. I could certainly be wrong but I doubt if a machine like that would have been used when Witness members visited homes of non-member to witness their faith. I have been told of accounts of typical portables being destroyed by angry home owners that did not appreciate a Witness visit. That is why a portable was designed to be operated at chest level by the a Witness member. The machine is an odd but interesting configuration where a strap went around the operators neck which would free both arms to operate the machine. Maybe a wooden table top model was used at church services or ? So maybe my $100 appraisal was a bit low but not by much for me personally.

Jerry Blais

[emerson]

Funny thing with the way people think-----place a high bid on it that nobody else would do and then when the reasonable bid is placed, the high bid comes down and you get what you want at a slightly but still higher reasonable price. Unless some folks think the same way and THE SELLER HITS GOLD. I once bid on an Emerson enclosed horn table model---threw a high bid of $450 on a $150 dollar machine and lost by a few dollars to a guy who thought like I did---think he was annoyed at having to pay three times the price it was worth. Years later when I talked to him again---he said he would sell the machine at what he had to pay plus another added shipping charge and a few extra added on things. It is not in my collection.

[oltractor]

Very interesting to follow this thread, I have one of these in my collection and didn't think it anything special, just a neat phono

[Curt A]

It's an unusual cabinet design and not many people have one in their collection... that's it... otherwise Jerry is right, $100+, UNLESS you are a JW and want to impress your friends.

[spiralgroove]

I have this exact machine and will likely be selling it in the next few months (I was already planning this- it's not because of this post. Haha!). I picked it up years ago because I thought it was pretty interesting. The grill with the angel motif is cool. I only knew later that it was a machine by the Jehovah's Witnesses. Mine has two reproducers, both with "Angelophone" printed on them. The reproducer casing is metal, but the diaphragm is like cardboard/fiber. These show up in the photo. One is for vertical cut records, which the Angelophone records are (I have about 10 of those), and the other is for the more popular lateral cut records. I guess they figured someone just might want to listen to something other than the hymns and preaching!

[Benjamin_L]

I have this exact machine and will likely be selling it in the next few months (I was already planning this- it's not because of this post. Haha!). I picked it up years ago because I thought it was pretty interesting. The grill with the angel motif is cool. I only knew later that it was a machine by the Jehovah's Witnesses. Mine has two reproducers, both with "Angelophone" printed on them. The reproducer casing is metal, but the diaphragm is like cardboard/fiber. These show up in the photo. One is for vertical cut records, which the Angelophone records are (I have about 10 of those), and the other is for the more popular lateral cut records. I guess they figured someone just might want to listen to something other than the hymns and preaching!

It's neat seeing another variation, the reproducer was probably made by the acme phonograph co. of New York, the diaphragm is cardboard laminated resin.(I usually think acme reproducers more as adapters for diamond disc machines.) Like most off-brands they used different phono-supplier parts through production. I'd be interesting finding out the dates, as Angelophone started making records in 1916.

If it wasn't for the jehovah witnesses fighting over it, I really couldn't see it as more than around $150. You'll have to push it hard in the JW groups if you want to emulate the other