The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

paradroid1793 wrote: Fri Apr 04, 2025 9:34 pm Ah. I don't pay too much attention to those things, sorry.

I've noticed things that would have been snapped up in a heartbeat a couple months ago just sitting ever since the serious tariff talk began. All of a sudden complete project Porsche 356s and Mercedes 190SLs that would have gone for $80K are sitting at a little more than half that with no takers. It's ugly.

The Dow started its downfall on 28. Feb. It bobbed around up and down but ever lower till it fell off a cliff two days ago.
Two days ago the Euro was at $1.07. Today it's flirting with $1.11 on a straight- up trajectory. The markets and currencies don't like chaos, and it looks like it's in for a steady diet of it. It's a total buyer's market on collectables and classics right now, and it will keep heading that way I think.

All currencies are gaining strength rapidly against the USD and people here are taking notice. It's turning into a perfect storm of tariffs, sinking buying power, and then the coup de grace will be when- not IF- the de minimus duty exemption goes away. It's just going away on China and HK right now, but the executive order doing away with it states clearly that DM will be abolished for ALL TRADE once the Secretary of Commerce is "ready".

Google "Smoot- Hawley" and check out how well THAT worked out.

Sorry about the rant, but if you really wanted to know why things like this ZonOPhone are suddenly so cheap... this is it.

Damn. I wish the best of luck for those affected. Shame to see a great machine like this dropping so much in value.

paradroid1793 wrote: Sat Apr 05, 2025 12:39 am Damn. I wish the best of luck for those affected. Shame to see a great machine like this dropping so much in value.

There has been utter chaos in the UK since last July too but that isn't impacting the gramophone market; something far more obvious was at work long ago and prices may well never recover for everyday items and common stuff.

The American market has tanked far worse than the British market. The Europeans still have it!

I talked to a collector that reported that the prices at Stanton's were quite strong even in spite of issue conditions.

Jerry B.

Jerry B. wrote: Sat Apr 05, 2025 5:40 pm

The American market has tanked far worse than the British market. The Europeans still have it!

I talked to a collector that reported that the prices at Stanton's were quite strong even in spite of issue conditions.

Jerry B.

I was there. I also felt that prices were somewhat healthy. Not like the old days, but better than the past few auctions.

I recently bid on several items online from an auction in Hastings, Michigan. It was interesting, things like horns were unusually cheap, but on the other some machines were going for way over market price.