HMV 163

[Steve]

Steve may have been referring to this 193 which was sold in October 2020 for a hammer price of £950.
I knew the machine and it's late owner well. There was nothing fundamentally wrong with it.

https://auctions.specialauctionservices ... iew%3Dgrid

Good call there, Roger! That was one of them but I have also seen two others although not in the flesh.

[Garret]

Wow. Less than 1000 quid. The 193/194 and the 202/203 are amongst the finest gramophones ever made.

[epigramophone]

Big Re-Entrant HMV's have halved in value since the heady days of 30 or more years ago, when many were bought by collectors in the Far East for what now look like ridiculously high prices. A friend sold his 203 at the height of the market and bought a vintage Austin with the proceeds. The Austin held it's value better than the 203.

[HMVDevotee]

You fellows in the UK and EU are lucky to even have access to the big HMVs. I'd give big bucks for a 202a in fine shape, but I'm more likely to be hit by lightning twice than find one on this side of the pond. (Had I seen the one sold on SAS in October, I'd have bought it, had it crated and shipped here.)

When I aquired by 193, I sold my 163 and am sorry I let it go. Fitted with a brass orthophonic (as my 193 is) they are remarkable machines.

[Steve]

You fellows in the UK and EU are lucky to even have access to the big HMVs. I'd give big bucks for a 202a in fine shape, but I'm more likely to be hit by lightning twice than find one on this side of the pond. (Had I seen the one sold on SAS in October, I'd have bought it, had it crated and shipped here.)

When I aquired by 193, I sold my 163 and am sorry I let it go. Fitted with a brass orthophonic (as my 193 is) they are remarkable machines.

What did the 202 sell for? I'm guessing it was cheap.

[Garret]

You fellows in the UK and EU are lucky to even have access to the big HMVs. I'd give big bucks for a 202a in fine shape, but I'm more likely to be hit by lightning twice than find one on this side of the pond. (Had I seen the one sold on SAS in October, I'd have bought it, had it crated and shipped here.)

When I aquired by 193, I sold my 163 and am sorry I let it go. Fitted with a brass orthophonic (as my 193 is) they are remarkable machines.

What did the 202 sell for? I'm guessing it was cheap.

I'm wondering if it wasn't a 202 and the previous poster wasn't mistaken.

[Steve]

Yeah I'm starting to wonder myself now. I did a search online and couldn't find a 202 at SAS Auctions, only very old links to examples sold years ago at Bonhams and Christies.

Ironically I did find a link to a sale for the empty 202 cabinet which sold almost 2 years ago mentioned elsewhere. It had a complete motorboard but only a replacement no. 32 motor and turntable. The funny thing is the saleroom is less than 2 miles from me as well. £100 if anyone's interested.

[Garret]

I hope to finally be in the market for a 202 in a few years once I finish school. By then I will have sought one for about 12 years.

[Steve]

I hope to finally be in the market for a 202 in a few years once I finish school. By then I will have sought one for about 12 years.

I had to wait 15 years to get one and it certainly wasn't cheap when I did!

[HMVDevotee]

Indeed, my error. It was the Oct 2020 sale of the 193 that I saw... and in the days following, when I wrote my post, must have let wishful thinking remember it as a 202. Nonetheless, my dilemma, finding one here, remains the same. Garret and I are of the same frame of mind, except I suspect I am about three times his age! Oh, well. Better late than never as they say.