The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Folks, do the math. Subtract the number of phonograph collectors from the population of the U.S., then you will find that about 328,000,000 people here don’t give a damn for any of this stuff and wouldn’t give you $100 for a Class M or a Sonora Supreme.

I don’t part out machines but how many times have I sat at an auction and bought low-end stuff just because the bids were lower than the value of the reproducer and horn? If “collectors” would step up to the plate and pay a fair price for complete machines, parting-out wouldn’t be an issue.

And although I too don’t like to see machines sold for parts, the last time I checked, we live in an economic system that rewards entrepreneurship. It’s up to collectors to turn those economics around, not the guy looking to make a living.

Raphael

People had better know what they are buying. This is a Vic I xxxxA, not the same thing as a Vic I. Not all parts are interchangeable. Rather than blaming the collector for not stepping up to the plate, this guy's in the wrong business if he has no sense of an item's historical integrity. There are other ways to make a living.