A good cleaning would likely work wonders. It looks like it has not even been dusted in ages!
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.
THERE IS SPIDER POOP HERE AND THERE ON THE HORN AND CABINET
Lovely....
LOL, yes I saw that.
I recently bought a machine and saw something scurry around out of the corner of my eye when I removed the back. Prompt eviction of a family of roaches followed.
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.
This one looks really rough to me. Although it is neat to see a virgin Victor VI surface from time to time, the consequences of doing so are evident in the photos. I think it comes down to the likes/dislikes of the buyer...will you be satisfied with it "as is", or will you be willing to spend the additional $1500-$2000 to restore it to quality condition. And then you have eBay itself, and the potential horrors of buying such a machine via this method. Need I say that I am not an advocate of doing so?? But, then again, if a proper contact with an eBay seller with a reputation such as that of Raphael Cole's may be established, and a purchase can be made as a result, then success triumphs on both sides. With that said, there is a possibility that I may be offering a Victor VI from my father's collection in the near future here on the forum. I can not make any promises, as the machine remains at the farmstead where my father lived. My intent is not to hijack this listing on eBay, it is to counsel the collectors out there to proceed with caution when purchasing quality additions to their collection. You do not always get what you pay for!! I firmly believe that, as tenured collectors, we should be putting at least as much attention toward mentoring the newer generation that will follow us, that we do flagging every auction that pops up on Auctionzip/eBay that has a victrola in it.
As for the "spider poop"...not quite as concerning as the amount of rust that won't just wipe away like the evidence that the spider left behind. No pun intended...
Looks fine to me and apart from the iffy reproducer, it doesn't look like it's ever been messed with - just how I like to find them! I also like to see the crazing of the finish. There can be little doubt that it's unrestored and genuine. What will it make, I wonder?
Steve wrote:Looks fine to me and apart from the iffy reproducer, it doesn't look like it's ever been messed with - just how I like to find them! I also like to see the crazing of the finish. There can be little doubt that it's unrestored and genuine. What will it make, I wonder?