The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

George, what about collecting your most vivid personal experiences (with phonographs I hasten to add) in a book. I would love to read it.

Starkton wrote:George, what about collecting your most vivid personal experiences (with phonographs I hasten to add) in a book. I would love to read it.

Ha!

I started writing detailed accounts of my collecting activities in 1973. I had been collecting for only 6 years, but had already forgotten some exact dates (such as the date I made my first phonograph purchase; all I know is it was in November 1967). So, my original intent was for this to serve as a memory-jogger in my dotage (I guess that's now!). However, I must admit that it can sometimes make for entertaining reading. During the early years, this journal was done on a typewriter; in 1997 this changed to word processing (MUCH easier!). It's currently at 159 pages, single-spaced. It comes in handy when I want to pinpoint a date, but as for outside consumption... The stories are unvarnished and feature the real names of all participants. I wouldn't be very popular with a number of people if I were to share some of these stories! (I'd better tell my family that the journal must be cremated with me! )

As I wrote earlier, I enjoy unlikely stories; the sort that make you think, "What are the chances?" A year ago I was asked if I could be prepared to give a presentation to phonograph collectors in case a scheduled presenter could not make it. I said I could, and decided that my presentation would consist of s few of these unlikely stories (not all of them my own) with slides. I wouldn't have included this Mortimer/Clyde story, but there are many others I could relate. Maybe I'll dust off the idea and put something together "just in case..."

Thank you for your kind regards, Bruce. I try to be helpful; that's all. Lots of people on this Forum do that too, and I've learned from them.

I hope my too-lengthy story didn't obscure the point that I was tempted to screw over poor Mortimer. It just happened to turn out well for me, thanks to fate and Mortimer's goals. As phonogal so accurately notes, "Sometimes it's your lucky day, and sometimes it isn't." Aside from educating ourselves, being alert, making an effort, and making our interests known, much of this hobby is luck when it comes to acquiring items. But in the end, we don't take the phonographs and records with us. I'd rather have my soul than a bigger/better collection if given the choice.

I'm reminded of a late evening sometime in the 1980s when I stopped by the bank to make a night deposit. As I pulled open the heavy plate to drop in my meager envelope, there - stuck in the aperture, was a thick manilla envelope. It looked like it could have been a store's receipts. In an instant, I thought of my wife and two little kids at home. But we were making ends meet, and their husband/father was not a thief. As quickly as I could, before I could be truly tempted, I pushed that fat envelope through the slot, followed by my own. I'm not an overly-religious guy, yet the words, "Lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil..." crossed my mind. My heart was pounding as I listened to the crickets chirping that quiet evening.

Sometimes with antique phonographs, given the time to scheme and really work up a thirst for a particular artifact, it can be even harder to be the people we'd like to be...which I believe was Hailey's original point.


George P.

Hey George-- Love the stories-- and even more, the sentiment of honesty. To put a little different note on your "Lead us not into temptation" quote-- Re: temptation-- You can't stop a bird from flying over your head, but you can sure stop him from making a nest in your hair!

I have a story of a good deal-- albeit a music box, not a phonograph. I was out yardsale-ing alone one day, just after my wife and I were married.(30 years next month!) One house had a very nice oak sideboard/server and a few other antique items. I always made it a point to ask about phonograph or music box items. The owner of the items said, "Well I do have an old music box that I've had for many years, but it isn't really working". She took me to her basement where I saw a 15 ½" Regina in the fancy case with the embossed cherubs (Roccoco?) The case was pretty much toast-- lots of peeling and chipping and lots of plastic wood filler had been applied, but the double comb, top wind mechanism was complete with only one broken tooth. She had a few discs with it and said that she wasn't sure she wanted to sell it--but if some one bought it they'd have to buy the discs too. I asked if she had thought about how much she would want for the box and discs. She said she would have to think about it.

I knew it was unlikely to disappear (being in the basement away from the sale), and I wanted my wife to see the oak server, so I drove home, picked up my wife and my truck and drove back to the sale. I was gone about 30 minutes. We both liked the oak server--It was priced at $200. I asked the woman if she would consider any less for the piece-- Without hesitation she said, "No, I really need to get $200 for the server, but if you give me $210 I'll throw in the music box and the discs"

Wow! Twist my arm!-- Needless to say I went home that day with my first music box. It took several years to get around to getting it restored. The case was too far gone, and I have little experience with music boxes, so Chet Ramsey was able to find a nice oak case that was set up for the same mechanism and he did an incredible job restoring the works. I've always been a phono guy-- I've only added one other music box to my collection in the intervening 30 years, but that first Regina still has a treasured spot in our dining room.

Brad Abell

Getting back to Phonogal's original post, I think that everyone who goes to auctions or estate sales runs into rudeness sooner or later. I think your encounter was particularly bad. I go to auctions fairly frequently. It's how I've furnished the house. Say I see an electric phonograph. What do I do? Well I look for an outlet and test it. I invariably have an audience. Some people even follow me. If it's furniture, I won't bid on it unless I inspect it. This often means I pull out all the drawers and get down on my back to look underneath. Again an audience. One time I was looking at a stack of rugs. They're heavy. I was peeling one away at a time with some effort. Along comes an old **** (and I ain't that young anymore either). He stands there and has the benefit of my show and my labor. I said to him, "If you want to see the rugs, why don't you come down and help me pull them back?" He walked away. For the most part, people are pretty good. It's just that now and then we run into someone who's infuriating. Well, there's not that much we can do about any of this.

I had an antique dealer tell me once that she missed me not going to auctions anymore. I thought that was kind of odd because she almost always bid against me. I told her that I don't really need anymore stuff and most of the time I wait for hours to bid on something and the opening bid is more than I would give, something important gets stolen from the item, or someone like her outbids me. So, I told her she was getting stuff cheaper now that I don't waste my time at auctions. She said "No, I always knew that you would know a bargain and I was safe bidding against you!" Now there's an admission. She did say that she didn't bid against me on record players as she got stung on a few of those that she outbid me on. Ha! Dealers are sure an odd bunch and must be having a hard time of it now with craigslist and ebay. And much of the time I don't know how they can even pay the utility bills in the shops I go into when I see what they have for offerings.