FORUM AGE DEMOGRAPHIC

[SonnyPhono]

There is a fine line here. If you are polling only the forum users, you are selecting a computer literate group which does not adequately represent the hobby as a whole. There are many folks over 65 in our hobby who simply do not use a computer or the internet. As a result, I think that the demographics would show an even higher number of older hobbyists.

That's a great point. Case in point, I met a collector recently at an antique shop. He saw the shirt I was wearing and made a comment about phonographs. (The shirt had a picture of an Edison Home phono on it.) I mentioned that I collect phonographs and he told me that he does too. He told me that he has collected since he was 10 years old and is in his late 60's now. He has over 200 phonographs in his collection and they are located in 3 different houses he owns here in Columbus, Ohio. I am going this week to have a look at his collection and am excited to see what he has among all those phonographs. Anyway, I asked him if he was a member of this forum and he laughed and said he has never owned a computer and never will.

It makes me wonder how many people like that are out there. I imagine it would take quite a long time to amass such a collection without the help from the internet!

[OrthoSean]

I know of a local collector who has no computer and has literally hundreds of machines stored in various locations. It's a pretty impressive one at that.

Honestly, the bulk of my collection has not come from eBay or even Craigslist, but back in the good ole' days of estate auctions, admittedly lately that I preview online. I used to look forward to the Thursday Albany Times Union when all the auctions for the week would be listed. The time I spent going to auctions that listed "antique record players" or "old records" was for the most part a lot of fun. I've been at this since age 10, a whole 27 years now and I still enjoy going to auctions locally, although there hasn't been anything of interest to me in quite some time. You never knew what you would find back when it was all in newsprint and you just had to call or go look. I'm being nostalgic .

Seriously, though, some of my best machines came my way before the 'net, only a few from eBay and just two from Craigslist.

I've noticed there haven't been many (if any) mentions of just "being known" for what you collect. I've found more great stuff by word of mouth than I can account for. Just this past summer I was given about 10,000 78s by somebody who was worried his treasured collection would be taken to the landfill upon his demise (he's 90). Three years ago, I was asked to come "clean out" a collection of another deceased collector before it went in a dumpster, that one was over 30,000 discs and tons of other stuff, too. The family was delighted somebody wanted them.

Sean

[Retrograde]

I asked him if he was a member of this forum and he laughed and said he has never owned a computer and never will.

It makes me wonder how many people like that are out there. I imagine it would take quite a long time to amass such a collection without the help from the internet!

I've met plenty of serious collectors and dealers who don't hang out in forums and were building their collections and/or businesses before the internet was invented and managed to do a fine job. It's not at all hard to imagine. The internet surely makes it easier, I'll agree. I rely on the internet a lot for my collecting.

[Energ15]

I have to rely on the internet for a majority of my collecting. Here in Colorado, there aren't very many auctions with phonographs in them. When I do go to auctions, I usually come home with a wall telephone or kerosene lamp.

[Starkton]

With reference to "The Future of our Hobby" it is appropriate to revive this older thread. Please take part in the survey, if you haven't done it already. At the present stand the majority of our members is between 40 and 59.

[Guest]

It looks like I'm dead on for the median age at 51. I'm more of a record listener/collector than a machine collector though I've purchased two in the past year. Since I also just bought a 1938 Zenith deco radio console....I may be subconsciously trying to replicate my Grandfather's parlor from when I was a kid! (circa 1970) Of course, my 1970's quadraphonic and modern 5.1 surround equipment would challenge that thought...... John

[edisonphonoworks]

I am 37, and have been collecting records since I was 7 years old. Our 6th grad class had a phonograph exhibition, and had 3 machines, Victor School house that I got going from the attic of the school, and other students brought machines in, an Edison B-150, and a Peter Pan Cameraphone. The Victor schoolhouse is still in the same location it was purchased for when new, about 1919 and the school is still a school and on the National Register of Historic Places, it was built in 1887. The structure is a Victorian 3 story red brick school house, with working bell, and hexagon hallways, fancy iron work, decorated slate roof, and steep bell tower. There was one classroom that still had the bolt down desks where the seat was bolted to the front of the book cabinet. Many of the classrooms still have the black solid slate chalkboards, and has separate boys and girls entrance.

[Starkton]

Once again it is time to revive this thread to include new members. Please vote!

PS: It seems that the voting button was switched off at some time. Too bad! Dear moderators, can its function be revived?

[epigramophone]

I couldn't get the voting button to work either, but I am 65 and have been collecting on and off since the age of ten.

Like many of us, my collecting was interrupted by marriage, children, buying a home and earning a living to make it all possible.

Those who bemoan the number of older people in the hobby should remember that it is only in retirement that many people have the spare time and the disposable income to indulge in collecting. If you think this is an expensive hobby, try classic cars. I should know!

[FloridaClay]

As noted elsewhere the voting buttons don't work anymore.

I'm 71. Keep looking in the mirror and asking myself how the heck did that happen?

Clay