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that price seems fair, especially for an unrestored machine, unless the condition is particularly not so good. actually, maybe that price is more than fair - I know of an oak XI that recently sold for a thousand in NJ (although it apparently went to a couple who was new to phonograph collecting - welcome to the hobby).

I think it's a very fair price for a quality machine that's presentable and in good working order. Jerry

If you like everything else about the machine excluding the parts that are missing, broken, marred, or otherwise not prime, then if I were you I would bargain the price down. Point out that you will have to spend $$ to make the machine whole again; that should be worth at least $50 right there. I paid $100 for my red mahogany XI-G (1917) in 1980; its nickel-plated taper tube gleamed like factory-new (I suppose!), and the machine was complete and perfect in every way, including the original instruction booklet. After buying it, I sent the motor out for CLA and the Exhibition out for rebuild, and I polished the metal stem of the winding key, also went over the wood surfaces lightly with lemon oil; later, I "touched up" the sound box. That's all I had to do with it except buy needles and acquire records.

The brown mahogany is not common like the red, but otherwise the XI is not rare (!), as we all know. I think the seller should come down a bit for this one.

Of course the price is fair

Read this topic on the forum !

http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... 2&start=10

$130 http://www.victor-victrola.com/XI.htmin 1921 would be $1307 today http://www.1soft.com/todaysdollars.htm so $450 is a great bargain !

soundgen wrote:$130 http://www.victor-victrola.com/XI.htmin 1921 would be $1307 today http://www.1soft.com/todaysdollars.htm so $450 is a great bargain !

Umm-hmm, assuming I was getting a brand-new, perfect machine, right out of the crate...



Well, from the majority of replies to this thread, even at $195, with all the dings , gouges, broken winding parts, and dodgy original finish, , it seems like I can't go wrong...

If my buddy doesn't like it, I can probably flip it in the Yankee Trader for $400-$500 w/o doing a thing to it...


N'est - pas ?

The worth of a dollar in 1921 (or pick your year) and the equivalent worth in today's dollars is irrelevant. What a machine sold for in 1921 (or pick your year) dollars and what it sells for in today's dollars is irrelevant. Case in point: my 1917 XI sold for $100 and 1917, and I purchased it for $100 in 1980. The value (as opposed to the worth) of a machine is exactly what it sells for today, no more and no less. If Frank pays $195 for that XI, then that's its value. If $450, likewise. "You pays your money and you takes your choice" was never more true!

Henry makes a valid point, but I also feel that my point is also valid: that if we're going to compare original selling price circa 1920 to the 2013 dollar-value equivalent, we need to clarify that the machine in question is factory perfect, and ready to use, the all lubricants are relatively fresh and will do their job, etc, as was the case in 1920.

I guess I'm feeling that the asking price for the machine($195), given its flaws(see post #1) is a bit high, and I was fishing a bit to check whether my Scottish heritage was rising to the surface and I was expecting a bit much, OR, whether for nearly $200, I could expect to find a cosmetically nice XI, needing only basic cleaning, relube, and fresh rubber to be fit for use.

The machine in question can certainly (in my modest opinion) be put into proper playing order w/o great expense, assuming the springs are still usable. I know for a fact that the pin that secures the winding-key socket to the winding gear has sheared, and until that's fixed, we won't know much about the rest of the motor.

Even the finish may be able to be revived and made reasonably presentable, but I doubt that it will be possible to remove all the dings and gouges from the raised mouldings. So on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being "Perfect" (better than new), I don't see this machine having potential to be more than a 6 or 7. To make it more than that would certainly take more time & effort (=$$$) than would be required to to find a similar machine that is already cosmetically a 7 or better, that could be a 9.

I've seen some very nice XIV, XVI, and XVIII machines on CL for the same or a bit more money, but they are far enough away that travel and shipping costs kind of rule them out.


So. That's the thinking that started this whole thread...

I don't mean to criticize anyone who has an XI and paid more than $195 for it; I hope they got a nice machine and are very satisfied with it.

Frankly, I think I paid a couple hundred $ too much (Less than $1k) for my 1909 L-door, but I also felt it was a "very few in a lifetime" opportunity, as the machine came with all the original folders AND records, key, original packs of needles, AND the original bill of sale from 1910, and it is in very respectable condition. Would I ever be able to "make money on it" if I decided to sell it? Maybe, maybe not. Could I recoup my original investment ? Very likely. I bought it to have and enjoy, not to make money on.

I'm not out to make money on this XI in question; I just don't want to spend foolishly. And since I keep bringing-up the various cabinet issues, perhaps that should be a signal to me that I should walk away from it, maybe make a low-ball offer, and look for a nicer machine.

I mean, does anyone even bother lugging an XI to meets like Wayne feeling that they'll make money on it ? (Aside from an early model or one in oak)

Frank, I agree with your reasoning about this machine (and your general comments as well). It seems that you have enough reservations about the condition of this one that you're leaning toward waiting for a better example to come along. If that's the case, I think you will have made a good decision. I happened, by sheer dumb luck, to have fallen into possession of a good one right off, that took only minor reconditioning and some tinkering to bring around to top condition (except for the usual mild alligatoring and blotchy sheen, which I haven't touched apart from an application of lemon oil). Should you, after all, decide to take this on as a project machine, best of good luck!

Thanks Henry...

Like you, I "fell-into", or "stumbled-over" my very decent oak 1918 XI for a mere $125, 10 years(?) ago. It had a broken spring, but the only thing I had to do the cabinet was vacuum-out all the coal cinders, wipe it down with Murphy's Oil Soap, and treat it a couple of times with Orange Oil. It needed no other cosmetic attention. It looks good enough to sit in the corner of the stairs in our foyer.


We shall see... my buddy is now leaning towards some form of Orthophonic, so this might be moot afterall...


Frank