The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Phonolair wrote:

Curt A wrote:Regarding the original listing, is it just me or does this machine look like it was refinished with polyurethane? Too shiny...

I thought the same thing, looks to be over coated or refinished.

Larry Crandell

The photos of the end of the case showing the base certainly confirms that this case has had a recent coat of polyurethane or lacquer.
The endgrain gives the game away!

I agree that it is too shiny. I was thinking he oiled it. Maybe waxed it. It should be shiny for that amount. Maybe it was a $ 7000 wax job. Tom b

Of course the photo has the ever-present, epic,
Flea-Bay pose which always MUST have the lid propped
up against the machine at an angle!

What is it about that lid always having to be shown
in that highly annoying position?

It just makes me want to record a cylinder of the
sound of my vomiting, and then set that up as the
background sound for this online "auction".

Yep, not only that, but just go ahead and set the recorders right down on the cutter. Real smart.

It just makes me gag every time I see this.

Chuck wrote:Of course the photo has the ever-present, epic,
Flea-Bay pose which always MUST have the lid propped
up against the machine at an angle!

What is it about that lid always having to be shown
in that highly annoying position?

It just makes me want to record a cylinder of the
sound of my vomiting, and then set that up as the
background sound for this online "auction".

Yep, not only that, but just go ahead and set the recorders right down on the cutter. Real smart.

It just makes me gag every time I see this.

Well, that's right up there with my personal favorite of the reproducer/ needle of a gramophone on the wrong side of the record- with the needle aimed against the rotation of the turntable... with added points given when the record used in the photo op is a Diamond Disc.

Maybe that's why my machines take so long to sell... I am not doing it "right"!

My calculations:

Take the asking price of $10750 and subtract
the fair price of the machine with one reproducer
at about $400 or so. That then brings the price of
the group of (8) extra reproducers and recorders
down to a paltry $10350. Divide that by 8 and
we get $1293.75 per item, for each of the 8 items.

What are these things made of anyway?
Solid platinum or something?

Always love, (not really), eBay descriptions that begin with the dawn of time and all recorded history right up to the existence of the item they're selling. Then, after gushing over the item, with over-the-top half truths, they say almost nothing helpful about the item or its condition.

Guess what folks, the machine has a sale price of(drum roll) of the super-duper low, low price of $9,750!!!
Harvey Kravitz

Talking RETAIL prices I think the seller is still off by at least $5000. The reproducers are worth
Standard Speaker $1000
Blackman $700
Two Automatics $700
Two Model-B's $300
Two Model-c's $250
Total - $2950

Now the machine:
brass mandrel $400
Banner crank $300
Automatic reproducer $350
the machine itself $500 to $1000
Total - $1550 to. $2050

Combined total AT RETAIL PRICES $4500 to $5000

What would I pay for it, probably around $2750.00 to $3000

What do you all think of pricing and what would you pay?

Rich Gordon

Hi Rich,
You forgot what looks to be a very nice original 14" all brass horn. That's at least another $175!!
Pete

I agree with your reproducer estimates. The value on the machine may be overly generous, especially if it has been urethaned. But the bottom line it that you're right, it's priced 2-3 times more than it's worth at a high-end valuation.