Al Jolson's Orthophonic portable?

[estott]

http://cgi.ebay.com/AL-JOLSONS-PERSONAL ... 2a120b2b8d

A 2-65 Orthophonic portable supposedly with a plate bearing Jolson's Name. The pictures are terrible- for the 3 grand he's asking he could take decent ones.

I'm not saying it's a fake- Jolson strikes me as the sort of man who'd have put his name on his possessions- but this seller doesn't inspire confidence.

[recordo]

for $3,500 you think he would invest in a decent camera!

Here's the description:

"Here is a truly one of a kind item for a real fan of Al Jolson or a collector of Phonographs.I am a collector of not only phonographs but also celebrity owned items. Unfortunately it's time to let go of some things. I bought this phonograph about five years ago at the California Antique Phonograph Show. It was sold to me by my friend who was selling it for the wife of a deceased phonograph collector. The case has the usual marks on a machine taken and used outdoors. It plays beautiful. The carrying handle was replaced by a piece of plastic, hower the original leather hanle comes with it, and a shoe repair person could easily re- attach it. Above the turn table on the left side is a metal plaque with Al Jolson's engraved signature on it. Unfortunately my camera could not get that close to get a clear picture. This is truly a special machine."

[Retrograde]

Maaaaaammy, Maaaaaaammy.
The sun shines East,
The sun shines West,
Another one full of sh!t, at best.
Oh My Maaaaaammy, My Maaaaaaammy.

Take that reproducer and Craaaaaaaammy

[estott]

The 2-65 is actually one of the best machines in the Ortho portable line- I've got one and it will blow cheap machines away.

[AZ*]

I have a 2-65 also. If I stick a famous dead person's name on it, and take some blurry photos, do you think I can get $3500 for it? Ha Ha!!!

[bbphonoguy]

Hahaha!! All I could make out was a rectangularly shaped blur. I'm supposed to believe Al Jolson owned this because of THAT!?!?

I always hear the world's smallest violin playing "My Heart Bleeds for You" when ebayers use the "there comes a time to let things go" line, or some variant of it . It's about a half step above the "selling this so I can pay for my grandmother's pain medicine" phrase that used to pop up now and then.

Maybe there's a time to let things go, but judging by his asking price, that time hasn't arrived.

[OrthoFan]

This is just speculation, of course, but it seems to me that since Jolson recorded for Brunswick at the time, and his name was used to endorse Brunswick records as played "on the New Brunswick Panatrope" -- http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=f1 ... rope&hl=en -- he would have been more apt to have owned a Brunswick Panatrope portable, especially if it was one with is name etched on it.

[Amberola 1-A]

Apparently, Mr. Jolson's ego was rather large as he always lamented about Little Wonder # 20 "Back To The Carolina I Love" which was a freebie for the record company as they didn't pay the artists much if anything for their recordings.

[Lucius1958]

If somebody's selling anything supposedly belonging to a celebrity, they'd better have documentation up the wazoo, from reliable sources.........

Bill

[Amberola 1-A]

If somebody's selling anything supposedly belonging to a celebrity, they'd better have documentation up the wazoo, from reliable sources.........

Bill

If that was directed towards me, then perhaps you may wish to delve into the artists that recorded for Little Wonder.

Bill