The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Scott wrote:Now that's dedication and passion..

You're being charitable, Scott. I can think of other words for it...!

George P.

My best Phono Road Trip actually turned into a Phono Double Road Trip!
In August 2011 I heard about a big phonograph auction about 300 miles away in
South Dakota. My wife had other commitments so I took off by myself the day before the auction with an empty GMC Suburban, slept little that night in my vehicle in a Walmart parking lot, and got to the auction the next morning. The school gymnasium was FULL of phonographs and I was happy to see that by the time the auction started the crowd was still fairly small.

It was one of those auctions where they hand the items to you as you win them, and I seemed to be getting a pretty big pile stacked up. As the auction moved around the gym, I started another pile, and then another. This was pretty intense, prices were low, and I was wishing I had brought a trailer. Concerned, I passed up some items, but still the final tally included a Columbia AG, 3 Amberola 30s, an Amberola X, 2 Edison Standards, a Triumph, a Lakeside cylinder machine, a Busy Bee Grand, a Standard Model B with enclosed horn, Standard AA, a Symphony that plays United records with the large hole, a Victor IV, Victor M, a Victrola VV2-55 portable, and quite a few boxes
of cylinder and Diamond Disk records, plus a boxful of over 50 7-inch Victor, Columbia and Zonophone records! And then there were also 9 floor models, including a Columbia Grafanola C-2, a Pathé 75, a Regina, a Sonora Baby Grand, and Edison models A-100, C-150, H-19, LC-38, and a huge C-450 in the Adam cabinet.

A couple boys were helping people haul phonographs out to their cars, and after helping with two of my piles they said it would never all fit. I think they thought I was crazy when I told them there was still another pile
to bring out. It took a lot of time to carefully pack every square inch of space, using blankets and cardboard between anything that might rub. The suburban was totally filled, with the front passenger seat stacked to the ceiling and 3 of the smaller floor models stacked on top of each other and tied on top of the open tailgate with plastic over them in case it rained.
I was pretty pleased with myself for getting it all in there, and the small crowd of auction workers actually cheered as I drove off. But the best part was that my wife actually let me go back to part 2 of the auction in October!

-- Greg

Saying "It sounds like you had a good day" would be an understatement. It sounds like you attended every collector's crazed dream...a super auction with practically no one there and $5 opening bids! Of course, every spouse's nightmare. John

Greg---WOW

Clay

WOW! I'm doubting that my wife would be as "understanding".. Looks like a great lot..

phono-farm wrote:My best Phono Road Trip actually turned into a Phono Double Road Trip!
In August 2011 I heard about a big phonograph auction about 300 miles away in
South Dakota. My wife had other commitments so I took off by myself the day before the auction with an empty GMC Suburban, slept little that night in my vehicle in a Walmart parking lot, and got to the auction the next morning. The school gymnasium was FULL of phonographs and I was happy to see that by the time the auction started the crowd was still fairly small.

It was one of those auctions where they hand the items to you as you win them, and I seemed to be getting a pretty big pile stacked up. As the auction moved around the gym, I started another pile, and then another. This was pretty intense, prices were low, and I was wishing I had brought a trailer. Concerned, I passed up some items, but still the final tally included a Columbia AG, 3 Amberola 30s, an Amberola X, 2 Edison Standards, a Triumph, a Lakeside cylinder machine, a Busy Bee Grand, a Standard Model B with enclosed horn, Standard AA, a Symphony that plays United records with the large hole, a Victor IV, Victor M, a Victrola VV2-55 portable, and quite a few boxes
of cylinder and Diamond Disk records, plus a boxful of over 50 7-inch Victor, Columbia and Zonophone records! And then there were also 9 floor models, including a Columbia Grafanola C-2, a Pathé 75, a Regina, a Sonora Baby Grand, and Edison models A-100, C-150, H-19, LC-38, and a huge C-450 in the Adam cabinet.

A couple boys were helping people haul phonographs out to their cars, and after helping with two of my piles they said it would never all fit. I think they thought I was crazy when I told them there was still another pile
to bring out. It took a lot of time to carefully pack every square inch of space, using blankets and cardboard between anything that might rub. The suburban was totally filled, with the front passenger seat stacked to the ceiling and 3 of the smaller floor models stacked on top of each other and tied on top of the open tailgate with plastic over them in case it rained.
I was pretty pleased with myself for getting it all in there, and the small crowd of auction workers actually cheered as I drove off. But the best part was that my wife actually let me go back to part 2 of the auction in October!

-- Greg

I think there is a 12-step program for collectors such as yourself...

Tinkerbell wrote:I think there is a 12-step program for collectors such as yourself...

Yes, well I bought them knowing I'd resell the common machines and that would pay for the ones I'd keep and would keep my wife happy too.