What is happening to our hobby?

Discussions on Talking Machines & Accessories
New Owner
Victor O
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Re: What is happening to our hobby?

Post by New Owner »

Well, "too much" can vary from person to person. To me, too much is where you run out of space and out of money but you're still buying phonos, or you have them but you don't use them. To some, too much is a non-existant figure, and to the general population, too much is 1. Personally, I see where all of them are coming from: their beautiful pieces of history, they're far more interesting to own and use than a Technics turntable and state of the art filtering software, and who else is gonna keep them? Some dilettante who stumbled across an Idelia and thought it would make a lovely conversation piece because HGTV said so (I actually used something similar to this, albeit more generic, when we had to I had to write 3 stories with 3 types of irony in English a week or two ago). I feel a phonograph is meant to be treasured and enjoyed, to convey the sounds of a dead past to the very much alive present generations (or some artsy phrase like that :lol: ).

Sorry to have stepped on anyone's toes :oops:

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TinfoilPhono
Victor V
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Re: What is happening to our hobby?

Post by TinfoilPhono »

Echoing George's comments, much as I love forums (I subscribe to literally dozens covering a vast variety of topics) I see the Internet as ephemeral. It's quick, vibrant, fully of information. But forums disappear in a heartbeat -- and years of fabulous posts and priceless information disappear instantly. I still value the printed word. There's a thread here right now about digital transfers and CDs versus the permanence of Blue Amberols and shellac. Same thing. Ten years from now who knows if even this forum will still be accessible?? At least I know all of my copies of George and Tim's books will be available, as well as The Sound Box and even copies of APM from the 1970s.

The single most serious antique forum I've ever known, in which no claim could be uploaded without original documentation to back it up, disappeared earlier this year. Suddenly. Just like that. Gone forever. I relied on it daily for information that is not available anywhere else. The Internet is wonderful but the greatest sites and forums in existence could be gone tomorrow, with no notice. Books and magazines are permanent.

Jerry B.
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Re: What is happening to our hobby?

Post by Jerry B. »

I guess we all have our own definition of a "hoarder". I always thought of a hoarder as someone who's main focus is accumulation with little thought to condition, variety, or focus. I never thought of myself as a hoarder but my basement is full. There is very little duplication. If there are two machines of the same model, I have them to display different or interesting horns. I spend a great deal of time improving or bringing an item back from the verge of being junk. I spend a bunch of time doing quality restorations on items for resale and reinvesting the money into something for my collection. I am always proud of the things I sell. I have no regrets and I'll make no apologies for my collection. In fact I've very proud of it and hope you'll stop for a visit when you're in Oregon. Happy collecting, Jerry Blais
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bigphononut1

Re: What is happening to our hobby?

Post by bigphononut1 »

Oh Jerry B. I love it! Proud of you thats what its all about, I have 16 machines and have stopped. they are all table models except a off brand floor model that I love! At least we are preserving them.

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mjbramham
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Re: What is happening to our hobby?

Post by mjbramham »

I can agree with many of the posters on this subject. As a fanatical reader of this forum I have found it an invaluable source of information in the last few months since my interest started, despite having only just begun posting myself. In the same period in the early '90s, I may have read two books and received 4-5 copies of a magazine.

The transient nature of such a medium is definitely an issue. Yet one thing I have noticed is how knowledgeable so many of us newbies are able to become in such a short space of time, through delving into these posts and asking questions of our own. No trawling through back copies for answers and then writing a letter to a publication which may or may not get answered. We are all much better integrated now and information disseminates quickly. As a result, surely we all know our hobby so much better, and are therefore more robust as a group?

I take the point that hard-copy information will become harder to source and this is a shame. Many of the books I use for reference are at least 10 years old. Anyone want to write a book?!

Guys, your collections are wonderful to look at, thanks for the uploads! Big or small it is always nice to see what people are devoting their time to. It is not easy to source rarer machines as time passes, but I suppose another factor in a complicated mix is that 20 years in the context of something which is a little over 100 years old is a significant period of time. Garages are cleared out, stuff gets thrown out and lost, something that was common becomes scarce and sought after. Very annoying for those of us starting out, but who doesn't need a challenge?

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FloridaClay
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Re: What is happening to our hobby?

Post by FloridaClay »

While I am not one of them, couldn't afford it, I am very happy that there are folks who can have lots of machines they love on display in climate controlled conditions. That greatly enhances the chance that they will survive for future generations instead of winding up on some trash heap somewhere as so many have over the years.

Clay
Arthur W. J. G. Ord-Hume's Laws of Collecting
1. Space will expand to accommodate an infinite number of possessions, regardless of their size.
2. Shortage of finance, however dire, will never prevent the acquisition of a desired object, however improbable its cost.

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phonogfp
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Re: What is happening to our hobby?

Post by phonogfp »

New Owner wrote:Well, "too much" can vary from person to person. To me, too much is where you run out of space and out of money but you're still buying phonos, or you have them but you don't use them. To some, too much is a non-existant figure, and to the general population, too much is 1. Personally, I see where all of them are coming from: their beautiful pieces of history, they're far more interesting to own and use than a Technics turntable and state of the art filtering software, and who else is gonna keep them? Some dilettante who stumbled across an Idelia and thought it would make a lovely conversation piece because HGTV said so (I actually used something similar to this, albeit more generic, when we had to I had to write 3 stories with 3 types of irony in English a week or two ago). I feel a phonograph is meant to be treasured and enjoyed, to convey the sounds of a dead past to the very much alive present generations (or some artsy phrase like that :lol: ).
Amen!

I don't think anyone's toes were stepped on - at least not mine. The free expression of ideas and subsequent debate is a good thing. I was hoping there was no magic number of phonographs or records that collectors could not exceed, and I'm happy to learn there isn't. I've known collectors who have ruined their finances and their marriages in pursuit of phonographs. In my opinion, they crossed the line into "too much," but that's their choice. And as you say, it varies from person to person.

This reminds me of when I was a hot-blooded 18 year old collector, and discovered a Triumph B with an oak Cygnet horn all set up in the shed of a farm. The elderly man who owned the farm collected music boxes, and looked upon phonographs as one step above junk. Yet, he had kept this Triumph. But it was out in the unheated shed, which leaned slightly, and whose roof didn't inspire much confidence. Boy, how I wanted that Triumph! I would clean it up, protect it from the elements and temperature extremes, and preserve it for future generations (or some artsy phrase like that! ;) ). The old man told me he'd sell it for $500, which in 1972 was crazy money. The following summer, I had almost convinced myself that I might pay it, if I could somehow scrape together the money. The old man could see that I was wavering, so he raised the price to $650. At that point I knew I'd probably never own that phonograph, and it seemed unfair. How could such a beautiful thing fall into the hands of someone who didn't appreciate it? It was something like that beautiful cheerleader who dated the neanderthal who captained our football team. Pearls before swine. And I never had a chance...! :(

Ultimately, that cheerleader and the neanderthal married - and divorced. The roof of the shed leaked and the oak cygnet fell apart, so the old man sold it to an antique dealer (I had moved out of the area with the love of my life - to whom I'm still married 35 years later!). The neanderthal and the old man seemed to have it made - - yet they ruined it. But ultimately we're talking about old record players, and pretty faces. Neither of them will bring happiness, so why begrudge the big collector his treasures, or the old man his trophy bride? As long as we enjoy what we have, regardless of how little or how much, we're doing fine. God bless us, every one.

George P.

syncopeter
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Re: What is happening to our hobby?

Post by syncopeter »

I've got very sensitive toes, but no-one stepped on them. Our hobby is more alive than ever. The younger generation just doesn't want machines for display, they want to use them!

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OrthoSean
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Re: What is happening to our hobby?

Post by OrthoSean »

George, I'd say you've summed it up best so far!

I love all of my machines, I try to play them all regularly, but that isn't always possible. Every year or so, I also re-evaluate what I have and usually decide a paring down is in order. A pretty major one is under way, in fact, since my spaces are all a bit more full than I'd like them to be, although the addition of a brand new enclosed three season porch has helped to offset the space issue a bit, I'd still like a nice set of appropriate furniture out there as well and not just a few machines. I've always dreamed of having a large room devoted to just phonographs and records, it will happen eventually.

Interesting, the original poster of this thread is the same age as I am and we've been in the hobby almost the same amount of time, I got my first machine at 12 though, but had my first 78s when I was 8. I've seen more new blood coming into this hobby in the last five years or so than I have in the 20+ I've been at this and I think it's heading in a great direction, even with the economy being what it is, in fact, this might be a reason so many great machines have been coming out of the woodwork. 2011 has been perhaps my best year for "finds".

Sean

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briankeith
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Re: What is happening to our hobby?

Post by briankeith »

The internet has helped our hobby by giving us all world-wide access to the talking machine hobby, especially overseas like in France. Now we can dig deep in our pockets and have beautiful French, Swiss, or German made machines shipped right to our front door here in the USA. (I still prefer the Edisons since I was born & raised near West Orange, N.J.) Yet I agree with a lot of you that there is nothing better than a good old book, magazine, paper, or trade publication to sit back over a cup of java and read-read-read. I use all collecting searches: the antique newspapers, Craig's List, EBay, the internet.... BUT by favorite is still the flea markets, town wide yard sales, and good ole antique show. Not to boast, but my newest find, an old Edison Diamond Disc machine, was found via a local newspaper ad in a well read Newark New Jersey newspaper. Yep, a paper and ink newspaper. Brian Keith

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