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I hope that the phonograph collecting public never becomes ignorant enough to believe that these left the factory like this

I've personally seen it happen. It can be very innocent. Here's what happened:

1- A collector friend bought a Triumph that needed restoration.
2- The deck was rusty so why not nickel plate the upper works? It was nickel plated.
3- The collector died and his son inherited the collection.
4- The son decided to sell the collection.
5- The son researched the selling price of nickel plated Triumphs.
6- The son thought it was a genuine nickel plated Triumph worth several thousand dollars.
7- A collector paid the price and it became the center piece of his collection.

A sad but 100% true story.

Django, I don't think anyone, including myself, is critical because you like the machines. Really what's not to like? The show great effort, skill, creativity, and attention to detail. I fear that they will someday be passed as authentic like the Triumph in my true story.

Jerry B.

Jerry B. wrote:

I hope that the phonograph collecting public never becomes ignorant enough to believe that these left the factory like this

I've personally seen it happen. It can be very innocent. Here's what happened:

1- A collector friend bought a Triumph that needed restoration.
2- The deck was rusty so why not nickel plate the upper works? It was nickel plated.
3- The collector died and his son inherited the collection.
4- The son decided to sell the collection.
5- The son researched the selling price of nickel plated Triumphs.
6- The son thought it was a genuine nickel plated Triumph worth several thousand dollars.
7- A collector paid the price and it became the center piece of his collection.

A sad but 100% true story.

Django, I don't think anyone, including myself, is critical because you like the machines. Really what's not to like? The show great effort, skill, creativity, and attention to detail. I fear that they will someday be passed as authentic like the Triumph in my true story.

Jerry B.

Point well made. I agree, there is that danger. It is an unfortunate reality in many areas of collecting. A Chevelle becomes an SS, a tenor banjo gets a 5 string neck, and so on. I guess that it comes down to buyer beware and seller be honest. Other than that, I don't see any way to prevent it. I have documented any deviation from original on my machines and I would not hot Rod a machine. It is a bit of a conundrum.

Here's the real thing, the inspiration for all of this. (Image snagged from the internet without reference as to the source.)

Here's one of the images I took of the machine. It was described and given historical context in an article that appeared in the December 2014 issue of The Antigue Phonograph.

George P.

Fakes and fantasy recreations are rampant in just about all collecting hobbies. I used to collect WW2 US militaria and the fake helmet industry is huge. Helmets that came from airborne units and also USMC units are very popular with collectors and very detailed fakes are created and sold for big money. Fortunately there are forums such as this to discuss such issues and educate other collectors, but the same concerns exist. The popularity of WW2 reenacting further complicates things as reenactors attempt to create gear that looks as authentic as possible. Authentic old military gear is often used, but receives new "antiqued" paint jobs and unit markings.