The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hello,
There is another one on Ebay right now that looks very nice. It has an auction start price of $1800 but this seller had it listed before at " Buy it now" for $1500. When you factor in EBay's commission that means that he was willing to accept about $1320.00. You should contact him directly and try to make a deal. The Vulcan Cylinder Company in the U.K make several resin 5" Concert records that you can play on these machines.
Pete

WDC wrote:I had one for a couple of years which worked just great. But the general problem with concert cylinders came to surface only while trying to play them. Almost all concert cylinders I came by were shrunk and would stick over the mandrel's edge for about one inch. At least I could play them partially. An Edison Concert with its end-gate would have been impossible to use.

Finally I sold my AB and since then would avoid concert cylinders. I just don't feel comfortable to wipe each $100-$300 wax concert with turpentine from the inside until it would fit the machine...

Thanks for this note, I had no idea that Concert cylinders were so troublesome. I had in mind, however, to purchase few new cylinders, I know that there's someone who makes them. But, as said, I think I will forget about the AB that I desired so much and live on.

flashpanblue wrote:Hello,
There is another one on Ebay right now that looks very nice. It has an auction start price of $1800 but this seller had it listed before at " Buy it now" for $1500. When you factor in EBay's commission that means that he was willing to accept about $1320.00. You should contact him directly and try to make a deal.

Thanks, Pete, but I don't see any other AB for sale on eBay.

Anyway, I would nonetheless have to pay the postage, the duties and the VAT (twice), and the phonograph will be again at $1800 (actually, way over it). I really don't think that that machine is worth that value. Okay, it's the "law of supply and demand", "collector's rarity" and all that depressing stuff, but plain and simple it was an entry level machine and entry level will remain, despite how many bidding wars and collectors craze there might be out there. I simply have to forget about it. Should I ever have $1800 in my pockets for a carefree purchase, there are many higher quality machines in which that sum would better outgo.