The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Andersun wrote:I have lost and gained interest in phonographs several times in my life. If you decide to leave the phono world, keep some of your favorite machines. You will be glad you have them when your interest comes back.

If you really want to reinvigorate your interest in the hobby here's a pretty good recipe.

1) Put most of your favorite toys into storage
2) Move ~4000 miles away
3) Do not look at above for 13 years
4) Move back to location of toys or move them to you.

I've never won a lottery but I imagine the impact is somewhat similar. That's essentially what I did. It's like buying a collection except you've already paid for it years before and there are so many things, especially records, reproducers, parts that you totally forgot you had.

WDC wrote:

Steve wrote:It's not fashionable, chic or 'modern' to be thinking of old technology or domestic furniture.

I cannot say that I see this trend. Actually I do see the exact opposite in many ways, especially when it comes to furniture and anything interior. We are currently in the middle of a 1920's - 1940's art deco rush that is admired by younger generations.
Also one would have to admit that phonographs (since they became antique) have never been a thing for the masses. And we all should be thankful for it because machines and records are already expensive enough. Imagine what a financial impact a worldwide phono rush would have? The average collector could be proud of what he had by then, but expanding the personal collection would have reach the very end then.

It seems to be the same here in Australia too, or at least on the east coast. Even 50's & 60's items are very popular.
We even had a story appear on the news about 2 months ago, saying how well the trade is doing, and that the larger antique malls are having trouble keeping up demand.

Collecting is exactly that. Collecting! It seems to me that 90% of the fun is in finding something new, devoting some time to cleaning it up and getting it going, listening to pieces on it, an then, well I seem to want to try yet something else. I have gone though the collection of machines and records at least twice in my collecting career. I got rid of almost all my machines way back, then about 4 years ago I started looking at them yet again at sales and on line. I always had a large collection of records, but there too I have given away thousands of albums and records over the years just wanting to get them out of the way.
This is timely because just today I too am going though that feeling that the Edisons are losing some fascination. That feeling comes now and then. I have too many records and am going to try and sell off some at bargain prices if they sell at all. I just want the room.
It would be one thing if I only collected records, but I like way too many things and often I get overwhelmed by what to do with my latest, have to have purchase. Simple always sounds appealing to me, but I have never figured out how to accomplish that because my whole life style has revolved around rescuing things out of style and I can't really see that changing till I have too.
Probably a new toy would rekindle your passions, but if not, like they are saying, I wouldn't part with too many things in case later I changed my mind as often seems to happen. I think we just get burnt out at some points and have to take a rest from it.

I fully agree with you larry. I'm going to continue to hold onto my collection.

Edisonfan wrote:I'm going to continue to hold onto my collection.

That's exactly what I did for 5 years, Paul. Eventually my interest was rekindled when I picked up a bonus and wanted to buy something again. Over the past 6 years my interest has been far more intense than ever before and although about ⅓ of my earlier collection has now gone, it's been replaced and substantially added to over the past 6 years with much better stuff. For this reason alone, even though I am now drifting off into 'disinterested' mode again much like yourself, I will not sell anything for at least another 5+ years as a safety precaution.

Even if I never restart collecting again, I suspect I will keep and maintain what I've already got. However we all know, you can never say 'never'.

True! It's nice to know, I'm not alone in this.

For some reason my interest in phonographs has wained this year too However my interest in vintage music boxes has increased dramatically with the purchase of 5 sine the end of June. My wife is now has an interest in certain sterling silver objects. I don't know what it is. It could just be something in the air or just that our interests are taking a break from the hobby. Just go with the flow. However, now is the time to buy.

Exactly!

Phonofolks wrote:For some reason my interest in phonographs has wained this year too However my interest in vintage music boxes has increased dramatically with the purchase of 5 sine the end of June. My wife is now has an interest in certain sterling silver objects. I don't know what it is. It could just be something in the air or just that our interests are taking a break from the hobby. Just go with the flow. However, now is the time to buy.

Boy I hope it remains true your new found interest. I used to think I wanted some of those way back, but after listening to a few and buying some records I could only stand so much "tinkling" music. A few discs and they all sounded alike to me at least. Yet I knew people that had huge collection of them and loved them. Even with burn out I will take my records as the path to listening enjoyment seems so much wider there.

I am not knocking your personal choice here, just relating my experiences and thoughts.

larryh wrote:Boy I hope it remains true your new found interest. I used to think I wanted some of those way back, but after listening to a few and buying some records I could only stand so much "tinkling" music. A few disc and they all sounded alike to me at least. Yet I knew people that had huge collection of them and loved them. Even with burn out I will take my records as the path to listening enjoyment seems so much wider there.

I am not knocking your personal choice here, just relating my experiences and thoughts

When I first started collecting early domestic technology and vintage communications / entertainment items, I also wanted a music box, automaton, cylinder phonograph, valve bakelite radio, bakelite Art Deco style telephone, early TV, record auto-changer etc.

I bought some early radios and telephones and a music box around the $700 mark. I also had a Pathé cylinder machine for a time. I agree with Larry though; there was only so much 'tinkling' I could stand from that music box and after a while my interest focused purely on disc phonos (or gramophones as we call them). I sold the music box for a loss and ditched most of the telephones and radios with it. I now have just one valve radio (1950's Bush DAC90), 3 of the more iconic British vintage phones and that's about it. I sold an RGD radio-gram, which although it had a sterling auto-change mechanism, was a very big lump of furniture that I didn't really have room for. I also found that old electrical equipment gives off an unpleasant odour after being in use for a while! It's a pity really it was really attractive and I only paid £1 for it at auction. I think it went to landfill, sadly! The phonograph was sold on eventually to an uncle of mine.

Similar to Larry, I find that the experience of listening to mechanically and acoustically reproduced music, overall, is far more satisfying than any of these other subjects and this is why I focused more on this area at the expense of everything else. I can't see the appeal of vintage telephones anymore apart from the visual aspects. Who uses them today? I tried for a while with my candle stick phone but I got tired of callers complaining that I sounded 'quiet'

Our vintage radios now over here can hardly pick up any stations anyway, unless, of course, you pay to get them adapted. This is my own bugbear with any collectible today. If it has to be adapted substantially to be able to use it as it was originally intended, then, for me at least, it's a no no and I won't bother with it.

It's a good job we're all different.