The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

JohnM wrote:Can't see squat on my iPhone without glasses!

Hey John,

Can you see this?

I am thinking of getting an iphone and don't want to have to get glasses!

(just trying to lighten the mood a bit)

Whittington wrote:
In the Talking Machine book I have, Tim Fabrizio shows the cabinet identical to mine and it says it was the first production style for the Monarch. But, several pages later it shows a later cabinet style with the extended support arm and a 30" horn. So I am not sure what that means for the one I have. The one pictured in the book is valued a "VR" which apparently means they won't put a value on it because VR stands for Very Rare in that it rarely changes hands from one owner to the other.

Jeff

Your Monarch is indeed the first cabinet style, and the original owner chose to substitute its original horn and arm with the larger versions - - possibly a year or two after purchasing the machine. The larger horn and extension arms are simply accessories that were added, and may be found on various machines such as the early/late "Monarch," the "Monarch Jr.," etc.

The book you mention, The Talking Machine Compendium, was actually co-authored by two guys: Tim and some other fellow. You very kindly noted that "they" did not ascribe a value to items listed as "VR" (in the this case the machine with extension arms on page 113), but the "Monarch" similar to yours (on page 97) was given a value range. The larger horn and extension arms represent a desirable variation, but I encourage you to take to heart what the authors wrote in the Value Guide, and what several members of this board have stated: "value" is a fluid and almost daily-variable chimera. Ultimately, anything you offer for sale will be worth whatever others are willing to pay on a given day. Therein lies the benefit of an online auction for a seller.

I'll stick my neck out and guarantee that you'll make a handsome profit on your less than $165 investment! Good luck - -

George P.

Jeff,

I know if I were going to buy the machine, I would prefer it left "as is", that's not doing anything more than wiping the dust off. I agree with some of the other posters that it's better (and probably more financially lucrative for you) to keep it unaltered.

If you do decide to polish or go beyond a good dusting, I'd suggest you rely on expert(s) help or pay a small amount to have it done for you.

It looks like a really nice original example.

Cheers,
Valecnik

Brad wrote:

JohnM wrote:Can't see squat on my iPhone without glasses!

Hey John,

Can you see this?

I am thinking of getting an iphone and don't want to have to get glasses!

(just trying to lighten the mood a bit)

LOLOL! Brad . . . I'm cured!!!

The iPhone is great and the new S version is very nice. It is my middle-aged vision (and tendency to not have my glasses handy) that is the real problem!

"I have convinced my wife that spending every waking minute studying everything phono related I can get my hands on is a good thing. (It's tough to convince the wives of the value and benefits of collecting these machines.) "

I think we can relate to that comment!!!!

Ha ha! That's what I thought! So in essence, if you find a good deal and sell it to someone who will restore it you have done a good thing. You've given someone a piece that will live on, made some extra money to spend on the next one and given your wife reason to accept all the phonos we hold onto! It's almost an art!