The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

phonogfp wrote:

rodpickett wrote:George- thank you in advance as I'm sure you remembered Fran and myself in those instructions you left.

Yeah, you two were mentioned when I warned Barbie about jackals circling the house.

PeterF wrote: Naw. He left it all to Tim F.

And he was mentioned in conjunction with locking the doors and electrifying the hardware. It's a mad, mad world.

George P.

Yes, you need to leave it all to another George. I know a guy.

I keep a simple spreadsheet listing of my machines with info such as where, when, price ,description, value, serial numbers and if I've sold it. As for music I also keep a spreadsheet of all my records and such. My collection isn't as vast as some so this is the easiest method for me.

I used to keep track of prices paid for phonographs and gramophones in a simple notebook, but eventually gave up the practice. I do have a pretty good memory, and could probably say with some degree of certainty about how much a machine cost. I never bothered to keep track of prices paid for parts and records. For me, this is recreation - a hobby not a business. I do not want it to resemble work or chores where managing budgets and accounts can become tedious.

I have a file folder for each machine. The first page in each folder lists the machine, serial number, date purchased, cost, and who it was purchased from. If I remember, I will also go back and make note of any additional expenses for horn, reproducer, or any other upgrades or repairs. The key part being "if I remember." A lot of incidental costs (like reproducer rebuilding) are not well recorded, but at least I have the basics.

The folders also serve to hold any related information that turns up -- articles, original catalog copies, correspondence, early ads, etc. etc. They are a trove of useful background information.

When I sell a machine I note the price, date, and buyer, and add it to the main sheet, then draw a red line across the label on the folder and move it into the 'sold' section of my file cabinet to keep them separate.

My family knows these exist so if they are faced with liquidating my collection when I'm gone they will have some idea of what things should (hopefully) be worth, which will make it easier to know if they're being offered a fair price.

I create an index card and keep it with the item noting the model, serial number, it's cost, seller, date, and notes of condition, accessories, etc.

Like Rene, I try to update these if I remember.

My wife and children all know to look inside them for the information. If nothing else, they'll all realize what a fool I was...

Fran

I never really kept track of what I've paid for stuff either, but I do like to write down all the records I got with a machine if I am pretty sure it's the collection the original owner had with the machine. I think that's kind of interesting and a big part of the history of the machine.

On the radio forum one guy that the quote "I hope my wife doesn't sell this stuff for what I told her I paid for it" Ha! There's some truth in that one.... Earl.