Off brand talking machines and them some

[larryh]

Your right about some of these small and no doubt inexpensive machines are quite interesting. I toyed with buying a tabletop with lid, mahogany machine with some kind of mail order looking label in it. As usual I didn't make a note of it and when I went back to consider buying it after it sat for about 6 months it was naturally gone. They were asking 80.00 and the thing played well. My big hang up was that behind what appeared to be a rather normal horn grill there was a tiny very short wood horn that opened across the very bottom of the area. I figured that even if it looked nice, which it did it might just be something I wouldn't enjoy playing. But when I reconsidered it was too late.

Larry

[estott]

Part of the fun in off brand machines is finding ones labeled from places you know. I live in Albany NY and have never found a machine originating there, but I've seen an "Mastertonic" from nearby Cohoes.

[briankeith]

I for one have become a big big fan of these small "off-brand" machines, scheme machines, whatever you want to call them. Some were actually very well made machines like my Ecco, and some sounded very nice, although I think most of them only came with a single spring motor. My Ecco has a small 8 inch turntable so I buy Victor 7" and 8" records to play on it. A larger record will not play all the way through without giving it some extra cranks. Look at this Mag-Ni-Phone currently for sale on EBay. It's a great looking machine, but way way way over-priced. I found my Mag-Ni-Phone in near mint condition at an antique show in Kutztown, Pa. back in 2009, and I paid only $150.00 for it with the original manual and 10 decent 8" records! They are pretty fragile because of the thin sheet metal bodies that look like real wood. I would never think of shipping one without fear of damage to the case. These too sound pretty darn good for a single spring talking machine.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/250877178942?ss ... 1423.l2649

[briankeith]

Another off-brand Domestic Phonograph currently on EBay - a pretty beat up machine and way over-priced.