The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Like George and Jerry, I tend to collect what appeals to me. Some of my machines are somewhat rare and unusual; others are bog standard.

Yes I do collect ordinary machines, but I didn't think they were ordinary when I bought them! Then you find when you upgrade your collection to rarer, more collectible things, you find that buyers for you ordinary machines are scarce! I have had to give away some machines just to make more room. Of course, floor models and consoles are the hardest to sell. They don't sell on Ebay because of shipping prices, and they don't sell on Craigslist because it only shows up in one city or area.

marcapra wrote:Yes I do collect ordinary machines, but I didn't think they were ordinary when I bought them! Then you find when you upgrade your collection to rarer, more collectible things, you find that buyers for you ordinary machines are scarce! I have had to give away some machines just to make more room. Of course, floor models and consoles are the hardest to sell. They don't sell on Ebay because of shipping prices, and they don't sell on Craigslist because it only shows up in one city or area.

One exception is the HMV102 portable. In it's basic black version it is very common and there are always examples for sale on UK eBay, yet in any condition they sell well and for good prices.
In recent years the 102 seems to have become the "must have" portable, and quite understandably as it is a well designed and well made machine.

Yes, I know those British 102's are good. I also once heard a British Columbia Viva Tonal portable that was the best portable I had ever heard. I wish I had bought it.

The old saying Beauty Is In The Eyes Of The Beholder is true with phonograph collecting, My wife and I started collecting in the eighties and almost immediately received the advice and rebuke from the local old time collectors to stay away from bulky upright machines that they were not for true collectors, well cabinet model machines were what we were drawn too, after all a hobby is for personal enjoyment and a distraction from the troubles of the hectic world we live in, so we bought what appealed to us and ignored the seasoned advice we had been given. Forty years later we have around 23 machines and only 3 or 4 with external horns, Collecting can sometimes become too competitive , if a hobby makes you happy and brings joy then its all good.

My collection is comprised of several regular conventional machines that Joe and Mary Homeowner might have used... I became interested in 2-minute cylinder machines and began collecting variations of them. My collection is entirely made up of various 2-minute cylinder machines, none of which I would say are rare, but all are in nice condition. I like them and the variety!!! If I had gone for rare items, I would not have been able to have the variety I have. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

As I'm relatively young in the hobby, I started off by getting my hand on almost any machine I saw that I could afford. So most of my machines I consider fairly economical for their time and not that high end. Like my C-150, Silvertone second style IX, or even my Amberola 50 which I think were very middle class for their time.

Well, I think I’m at a point when a VV-XI (unless it’s a table top model) doesn’t excite me as it used to. Since I’m limited to what I can buy I’m going to save that space for upscale(ish) machines. Since Edisons are mostly tabletop machines that can be put on the shelf, I am still actively looking for the different variations of the Standard and Home and hope to add Triumph and Gem machines to my collection. (Columbia cylinder machines too but I haven’t had any luck finding those) But ordinary common floor machines I don’t have enough room for.

Benjamin_L wrote:As I'm relatively young in the hobby, I started off by getting my hand on almost any machine I saw that I could afford. So most of my machine I consider fairly economical for their time and not that high end. Like my C-150, Silvertone second style IX, or even my Amberola 50 which I think were very middle class for their time.

Hey at least you have an Amberola 50. I would love to upgrade from my 30 to a 50 or a V.

I collect ordinary phonographs. I have no budget for going to highly priced machines. In my country, in yard sales flea markets, portables and tabletops are priced the 100-250 EUR range, while external horn machines run in the 900-1500 EUR league... In more 'serious' antique shops, they also sell some uprights and consoles in the 500-1000 EUR range. So, as many collectors, I usually go for the affordable machines (the 100-250 EUR range my case) which are, in most proportion, common machines. I've also had the luck in few cases of finding a special machine in an affordable range, and I acquired them, but moved by their appeal. So most of my machines are common hmv/Columbia/thorens portables and tabletops, with four exceptions (i.e. not so common machines).
One case was a small charming and very old HMV Junior tabletop for EUR 90 at an antique cars exhibition.
Another case was a marvelous Aeolian Vocalion low upright period model for only 330 EUR which I went to see attracted by a newspaper ad. I found it to be so wonderful that I bought it. My wife pushed me to go. It resulted to be near my home among all places...
Another was a marvelous Spanish Columbia portable of the mid-thirties or early forties era, which I bought in mint condition in an antique shop on the road, for a bit expensive price, 390 EUR. Very expensive, but you've to see that marvel... the Spanish Columbia copy of the HMV 102 in pristine condition, green coloured.... and it is really rare. It is only the second one I've ever seen, and never in such good condition. It's similar to the luxury Columbia portable 163/113a but with the hardware more in the style of HMV 102. This machine I eventually swapped with another fellow collector for the Columbia 113a, which had still more appeal to me...
And then there is the Queen of my home, the HMV 194, which was the only one I've seen in the flesh, which I had the chance to buy for a mere 950 EUR, which is cheap, given the scarcity of these machines. Again my wife pushed me to buy it, although she thinks it sounds too powerful and is too big!