The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

PeterF wrote:And as we all by now know, if a spring is busted only Sean will want the useless thing.

Well, it would be kinda cool to have bookend Vernis Martin XVIs, but I think I'll let someone else have at this

And Peter, at least you get my humor here and understand my subsequent point.

I am curious to see where this goes, mine is not quite as nice as this one, but it's certainly worthy.

Sean

I see a lot oof private bidders are bidding on this. I think it may go for aprox. $ 4000.00. Tom

Just under $7800. Wish I was the buyer. Jerry Blais

Jerry B. wrote:Just under $7800. Wish I was the buyer. Jerry Blais

I wish I was the seller! Do you know how many XIV's I can buy with $7000?

Jerry B. wrote:Just under $7800. Wish I was the buyer. Jerry Blais

I was pretty close, I had guessed in the $7-8000 range!

Sean

I wish I was the seller! Do you know how many XIV's I can buy with $7000?

I understand what you are saying but it's all about interest. How interesting is a room full of ordinary Victrola XVIs? How interesting is one Vernis Martin Victrola XVI? There are probably a number of Forum members that would not want one. But I doubt if there is one member that would not agree that it's the pinnacle of Victrola XVI production. Yes, it's gaudy. Yes, it's expensive. But it's the best.

Is anyone bringing one to Union? I'm a buyer but I want to look and touch first.

Happy collecting to everyone! Jerry Blais

Jerry B. wrote:

I wish I was the seller! Do you know how many XIV's I can buy with $7000?

I understand what you are saying but it's all about interest. How interesting is a room full of ordinary Victrola XVIs? How interesting is one Vernis Martin Victrola XVI? There are probably a number of Forum members that would not want one. But I doubt if there is one member that would not agree that it's the pinnacle of Victrola XVI production. Yes, it's gaudy. Yes, it's expensive. But it's the best.

Is anyone bringing one to Union? I'm a buyer but I want to look and touch first.

Happy collecting to everyone! Jerry Blais

I'll be the outlier here- I don't like it- at all. To me, it might fit in in the drawing room at the Tsar's Winter Palace, but that's about it. It's only attractiveness to me is because it's so ghastly- e.g., a curiosity... but a curiosity that takes up way too much space. I guess you could say I suffer from a Bauhaus- esque mentality.

This is just my personal opinion.

Gosh, I'm really surprised at what it went for.

Benjamin_L wrote:Gosh, I'm really surprised at what it went for.

There was a VM XVII at Union this past show and it sold for, I believe, $18,000. It was nearly perfect. The XVI at Donnelly's recently (a few weeks ago) brought $7500 and this one about the same, both seeming to be in similar and decent condition. These used to soar over $10k routinely, so this was quite a nice deal for the buyer and I'm sure the seller was pleasantly surprised as well.

Sean

Yeah, but how do you turn it on? I can't seem to get the pictures to move....