The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Well I'm disappointed to report someone has beaten me to it.

He has an offer pending with someone else. I know it's horrible to say, But I kinda hope it falls through.

If I may respectfully offer a bit of advice, learned sometimes painfully over the years: If you're interested in acquiring an item, don't publicize it until after it's in your possession.

The main reason is obvious - there are people who will shamelessly buy something out from under you if your publicity comes to their attention. To be fair, this isn't always due to a character flaw on their part. When something is for sale, it's generally first come, first served. Your job is to be the first on the scene with the money. I've witnessed potential buyers at shows hem and haw over an item that I'd like to own, but they saw it first. I will not interfere, but I certainly will discretely watch. If they pull out their wallet and buy the item, I'll be the first to sincerely congratulate them. If, however, they put it back on the table and wander off to "think about it," all bets are off and they're out of luck. If I didn't buy it, someone else would have, and the original guy wouldn't get it either way. Of course, if a friend is looking for something in particular and I'd like to have one too, that's different. I won't let him walk away, but tell him, "If you don't buy it, I will!" (Does this sound familiar, Fran?)

The other thing that can happen is that you tell only 2 or 3 people about something you're trying to buy. Then, when you get back to the seller, you discover that your prize is gone. What happened? At that point, you may unfortunately become suspicious. Did one of your "friends" grab it behind your back? Or did they accidentally let it slip to a third party? You don't want that poison in your head. Your friends deserve better, and so do you. Don't put people in that position.

If all this sounds rather cutthroat, it's just the human condition. Perfectly sane people can act crazy when money, love, or antique phonographs are involved. My advice is to not tempt fate.

George P.

phonogfp wrote: "If you don't buy it, I will!" (Does this sound familiar, Fran?) George P.

It sure does, George! And we've all certainly been on both ends of the equation.

I've always tried to be gracious in my loss, because what you say is exactly right, and quite fair in the grand scheme of things.

"Sometimes you eat the bear, and sometimes the bear eats you."

Best,
Fran

You're right George, but my problem was I started out with the intention of not wanting it at all. And I was just sharing a rather neat off-brand machine, but after learning about the history and provenance it really kinda grew on me. So I exchanged an Email or two with the seller hoping to at least get a few better photos. But then that's when he told me he had an offer.

It kinda felt like a one time chance to find something like that here in the south, which kinda pushed me. (But I was just sharing it Originally.)

Benjamin_L wrote:You're right George, but my problem was I started out with the intention of not wanting it at all. And I was just sharing a rather neat off-brand machine, but after learning about the history and provenance it really kinda grew on me. So I exchanged an Email or two with the seller hoping to at least get a few better photos. But then that's when he told me he had an offer.

It kinda felt like a one time chance to find something like that here in the south, which kinda pushed me. (But I was just sharing it Originally.)

Benjamin;
I am the person who bought the phonograph from this seller. I certainly had no intention of buying this out from under you , but I got the impression from you initial post that you really had little interest in it because you really wanted to add a Diamond Disc machine to your collection. I followed this post and did not contact the seller until last night when I realized that you had not. It was not going to sit there very long,and not knowing if you were going to move on it, I emailed him and struck a deal. I'm sorry about the way it worked out. It does have a great deal of damage to the grille, but I plan on working on that. I have a Oak Edison Chippendale upright that I would sell to you very cheap to try to make it up to you if you are interested. Let me know.

Bill

Benjamin,

Well, that's just bad luck that you didn't have an immediate attraction to the Lauzon with the intention to buy it. That too is part of the human condition, I guess...

The way things worked out is ironic. Bill is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. For example, he once put me in touch with an antique shop that had an Amberola III, because it was too far away for him. (His phone call came in just as I was leaving the house for a bone scan prior to my cancer surgery. He really made my day!) There's no way Bill would have bought the Lauzon had he known you were interested in it. He's a good guy.

I feel for you, because there have been several occasions when I've seen something at a show or online, but didn't pull the trigger right away. Just not interested enough. But after a little thought, I decided that maybe I really should buy the thing after all...and you know what happened.

Better luck next time!

George P.

StL Bill wrote: Benjamin;
I am the person who bought the phonograph from this seller. I certainly had no intention of buying this out from under you , but I got the impression from you initial post that you really had little interest in it because you really wanted to add a Diamond Disc machine to your collection. I followed this post and did not contact the seller until last night when I realized that you had not. It was not going to sit there very long,and not knowing if you were going to move on it, I emailed him and struck a deal. I'm sorry about the way it worked out. It does have a great deal of damage to the grille, but I plan on working on that. I have a Oak Edison Chippendale upright that I would sell to you very cheap to try to make it up to you if you are interested. Let me know.

Bill

Well, I've been a little reluctant about making a reply Bill, But George is right. It's first come first serve.

I just thought me and Mattrx being the only major members in Tennessee, that no one else would go through such the trouble and expense for an off-brand.(So i'd be save to share it.) But you communicated with the seller better so my hat's off to you.

Being only thirties minutes away, the seller moving, the research, etc, is what really changed my mind. But I shouldn't have started off seeing it as a spectacle. (I'm a little disappointed but nothing to call the president over.)

I hope you fix the grill and share some photos when you're finished. .

Benjamin_L wrote: (To be honest I've kinda been wanting to add an Edison as my next upright...

An oak Edison Chippendale would be an excellent choice! Bill can turn this into a winning proposition for you. If you don't have an Edison Disc Phonograph, you're missing out on arguably the finest acoustic experience available (okay - excepting EMGs and Ginn machines...). The Chippendale was the flagship of the Edison line. And in OAK yet... Well worth considering!

George P.

While I greatly appreciate Bill's offer, I just don't have the time or expense to get a machine from Missouri.

I'll just have to be patient until a good deal comes up locally.(I'm more interested in the smaller models like an S-19 or an H-19.)

Benjamin_L wrote:While I greatly appreciate Bill's offer, I just don't have the time or expense to get a machine from Missouri.

I'll just have to be patient until a good deal comes up locally.(I'm more interested in the smaller models like an S-19 or an H-19.)

Of those two, the S-19 is a bit better, with its larger horn: but the Chippendale also turns up quite often.

(If you're lucky, you might find an SI-19, which has a more attractive, inlaid case than its plainer cousin, and a #250 horn for best reproduction).

Bill