The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

What a great story and find in 1963. I too have a BO which I bought at auction in the UK. Unfortunately mine was in a pretty poor state with the cabinet missing mouldings, but I have had some copies made and this year hope to put the machine back together and play 1 of my 2 6" cylinders. Great machine. Love Graphophones if only for their decals.
Regards Brian

Wonderful machine!

zapper wrote: Unfortunately mine was in a pretty poor state with the cabinet missing mouldings, but I have had some copies made Regards Brian

My BO has the same issue with missing mouldings....
I would love to have copies made so could you or someone having a complete unit send some pics showing these moulding, including the corners?
Thanks,
Jeff

A very interesting story, I am sure it really takes you down memory lane. I still have my Magnola upright that I acquired in 1987 at 13 years old, that was my first phonograph that got me interested in the hobby, I can’t believe that was 31 years ago. So much has changed since then, but my interest in antique Phonograph continues.

Your Columbia BO is nice. The Columbia’s seem to have such great style.

René,

In 1963 we were somewhat neighbors, I was living near Chicopee, MA then. But I was interested in fixing old TV's, converting TV's to oscilloscopes, & building radios.
Took another 10 years till I started with phonographs.


Chuck

I still clearly remember my first phonograph.

I was 15 years old and had been saving my paper route money for a while. Sundays' paper was an early edition and I usually finished my route at about 7 a.m. I'd rush home to go through the want ads looking for a phonograph.

I finally found one near our house. It was a Victor XI. It was "for sale - best offer". I had about $50. saved up but offered the man $15. He said, "Okay, let's see if a better offer comes in by the end of the day."

My immigrant Italian parents thought I was nuts. They left the old country to get away from Mussolini and came here with nothing. When they got here, all they could afford for furniture was old second-hand stuff -- like the Victor.

Well, all that Sunday, I was sitting on pins and needles waiting for a phone call and hoping and praying no one came in higher.

Finally, at about 6 p.m., the phone rang. It was for me. It was the man selling the Victor.

I ran to the phone.

Mine was the only offer that came in and the Victor was mine!!!

I talked my older brother into driving me the couple of miles to pick it up that night -- I couldn't wait. We drove over. I paid the man. We loaded it up, went home and, my brother and I unloaded it and took it up to my room.

This was the start of a wonderful, incurable disease.

I still have hat Victor in my collection.

Great story, Marty! I wish I still had my first machine, a Victrola IX.