Your Best Ever Buy

[travisgreyfox]

Beautiful machine ya got there!

[cheryla]

the best was a edison opera for $1000 in 1988

[gramophoneshane]

I guess it depends on what different collectors regard as "best".

For me, the best machine purchase would have to be my Amberola A1.
It came with a diamond reproducer and a couple months ago I was lucky enough to swap my Amberola 75 for a model M reproducer, so now I have a great looking machine that's capable of playing any cylinder in my collection, and it sounds fantastic, and has the advantage of built in record storage.. It's by far my favourite cylinder machine and what I'd consider my best buy.

If monetary value is what "best" means to you, then I suppose my Edison Home B with back bracket and tone arm accessory is probably it.
If the German (apparently) version is as rare and valuable as the American made "phon-arm", then I unknowingly got that one for about ¼ of its value.

[maginter]

Probably my vic V for $100. Or fireside with cygnet for $100. Both are jewels of my collection!!

How do you guys find these machines!!!! I experience just the opposite. $2,000 for a XX-IX.... I am really happy for you guy that get these deals, but I have never seen anything like that in the 25 years I have been collecting.

I guess I am just not looking in the right places...

[epigramophone]

I was an Intelligence Officer with the UK tax authorities. The job was interesting but stressful. No-one was ever pleased to see me!
When I was offered a good early retirement package I accepted gratefully, and having paid off the balance of the mortgage there was some money left over which I used to buy my first external horn gramophone. Although unbranded I believe it to be by Beka.

20 years ago that machine rekindled my enthusiasm for the hobby, which due to work and family commitments had become a low priority. Suddenly with plenty of spare time to attend auctions, antiques fairs and flea markets my collecting really took off. Of all my machines this one is my family's favourite, so it's future is assured.

[phonosandradios]

My 163 that I got for $250. Got it working perfectly but still need to redo the cabinet. It sounds really beautiful!

Martin

These are really nice machines. If you'r re-doing the cabinet - just a word of warning if you didn't already know - those two small swirly "carved" panels on the front of the cabinet are not actually wood but moulded resin stained to look like wood. Might be best not to sand or use any kind of stripper on those

[Mormon S]

My 163 that I got for $250. Got it working perfectly but still need to redo the cabinet. It sounds really beautiful!

Martin

These are really nice machines. If you'r re-doing the cabinet - just a word of warning if you didn't already know - those two small swirly "carved" panels on the front of the cabinet are not actually wood but moulded resin stained to look like wood. Might be best not to sand or use any kind of stripper on those

Thanks for the advice! I did notice pretty quickly that they were a moulded. I will try to faux wood grain it to match the cabinet. Not sure how to remove them though, they've been glued with wood glue. I will try to bend a blade and scrape underneath them.

Martin

[poodling around]

It is very difficult to say as I feel so very lucky with so very much I have.

However, this floor standing gramophone from the early twenty's (I think) has to be one of my best / luckiest finds.

I really like the design - looking like a table top but actually a one piece floor standing gramophone.

Art Deco design maybe ?

It was so well made using thick Mahogany (I think) and the sound it produces far surpasses my other gramophones.

Made by a company called E. Cherrington apparently - of which I know nothing about except they also made small boxes I think.

The irony is I only bought it because it came with a good collection of records. (Or more accurately the record collection came with this gramophone).

All for about £ 60. As the saying goes, 'a mere bagatelle'.

[fran604g]

As others have opined, I suppose I'd have a few categories involved.

The most personally important (best) machine is one that I paid nothing for: our ca. 1906 Edison Home model B in a very old family made case. It was my wife's great grandparent's, and then her grandparent's, and then ours since 1986.

The next that holds great (best) meaning to me is our VV-XVI. It was $225, so it wasn't a show stopper price-wise, but it was my very first purchase of a "victrola". I'd wanted one for decades, but because of my work, and family obligations, I never before had the time or money to spend on anything so frivolous. That changed in 2012, and caused a pretty profound change in me.

I have a few machines that are considered rare, but it's a toss up between my Johnson Type C, and a beautiful Sheraton Inlay (think Edison B275) which never had a Diamond Disc mechanism installed within, but instead was constructed with generic components and a stationary wood horn. It is gorgeous (thanks to George P., for the opportunity to own this gem), and I'm really enamored of it.

The Type C is many times more valuable though, and I think I got a pretty stellar deal on it.

Let's see... I have to admit I have a soft spot for Type Q Graphophones, they're cheap and plentiful, and there were many variations, making them (to me) the "best" because of the affect they had on the world of entertainment.

I only have 4 of them though, maybe I need to rectify that. My QA with its original 14" aluminum horn is another (best) favorite.

My collection isn't the largest, or most valuable, but I think I've hit a lot of the "best" notes.

Cheers,
Fran

[audiophile102]

For my birthday in 2015 I purchased a Sonora Invincible for $700. I consider it a steal of a deal. I enjoy it every day. It's the show piece in my living room and I will only consider selling it when I'm too old to stay in my home.