The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I have many "Rules of machine collecting" but THE single most important one which never seems to let me down is that "irrespective of the state of the market, whatever machine I want to buy it'll always fetch top price when I want to buy it!"

I've been collecting for over 30 years and can honestly say with well over a hundred machines I've never found a bargain or "cheap" machine. Maybe I should have stuck to very common machines with a plentiful supply?

It's Murphy's Law...
... or Peter's Principle... i don't remember well...

Inigo wrote: Fri Mar 17, 2023 9:11 am It's Murphy's Law...
... or Peter's Principle... i don't remember well...

My favorite formulation of Murphy's law is in three parts:

Nothing is as easy as it looks.
Everything takes longer than you think.
Anything that can go wrong will go wrong at the worst possible moment.

What I like even better, however, is a corrollary to Murphy's law:

Murphy was an optimist.

But to return to the topic at hand, yes, prices seem to be down. Anecdotally, a friend recently consigned for auction a substantial group of machines--not major rarities, but good ones, some with wooden horns--and was dismayed at just how little they brought in. I imagine it's a combination of the general economic oddities of the COVID/post-COVID period, the current inflationary environment, and the ongoing lack of interest that we've seen for some years now on the part of generations coming up. Whether phonograph prices will recover, and if so by how much, once the economy stabilizes remains to be seen.

I am planning to consign some machines to the upcoming Stanton auction, knowing that I won't get much for them, however we just moved and I must downsize my collection. I'm not real happy about it, but that's the way it is. At the same time though, the downward trend has allowed me to be able to afford an Opera and an 1897 Berlinner, neither of which I could have bought 10 or 20 years ago.The good thing about it all is that I have been enjoying antique phonographs for around 70 years now and plan to as far into the future as life will allow.

Steve wrote: Fri Mar 17, 2023 8:47 am I have many "Rules of machine collecting" but THE single most important one which never seems to let me down is that "irrespective of the state of the market, whatever machine I want to buy it'll always fetch top price when I want to buy it!"

I've been collecting for over 30 years and can honestly say with well over a hundred machines I've never found a bargain or "cheap" machine. Maybe I should have stuck to very common machines with a plentiful supply?

That makes two of us, Steve. I am still hopeful to find someday a pristine Pathé 14 lying on the sidewalk with a ¨FREE¨ poster waiting for me to pick it up. All high quality machines in my collection cost me a lot of money, with long trips around Europe or hefty overseas shipment charges.

drh wrote: Fri Mar 17, 2023 10:54 am

Inigo wrote: Fri Mar 17, 2023 9:11 am It's Murphy's Law...
... or Peter's Principle... i don't remember well...

Murphy was an optimist.

CarlosV wrote: Fri Mar 17, 2023 5:21 pm

Steve wrote: Fri Mar 17, 2023 8:47 am I have many "Rules of machine collecting" but THE single most important one which never seems to let me down is that "irrespective of the state of the market, whatever machine I want to buy it'll always fetch top price when I want to buy it!"

I've been collecting for over 30 years and can honestly say with well over a hundred machines I've never found a bargain or "cheap" machine. Maybe I should have stuck to very common machines with a plentiful supply?

That makes two of us, Steve. I am still hopeful to find someday a pristine Pathé 14 lying on the sidewalk with a ¨FREE¨ poster waiting for me to pick it up. All high quality machines in my collection cost me a lot of money, with long trips around Europe or hefty overseas shipment charges.

It occurred to me that I will be in Luxembourg soon. I'll send you a dm.