The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I need to weigh in here. As an almost 20 year author and consistent contributor to the magazine, you would think my answer would be "absolutely." 

However, my answer is "it depends." 

Any club that collects membership dues must continue to maintain relevance to current and potential membership to survive. 
Each individual needs to asses the value of membership offering against the annual expense and hassel to become/be a member. Today, there are numerous sources to get information about our hobby, and the profile of a potential member and even current member has certainly changed over time.

Continuing to seek new ways to maintain relevance to a changing collecting community, and making it easy to be a member is the only way that any dues-based organization will be viable.

I personally reevaluate my membership every year, and have been on the fence for the past few.

I am still a member, and contributing author, because I am hopeful that newly elected leadership will positively build more relevance in APS for the broader collecting community.

Shawn O'Rourke

WOW! Thanks a million to all of you from The US, Canada & Britain. I'm unable to attend any conventions or shows due to disability but you guys have still convinced me to join. Somewhat similar is the hobby of antique clock collecting and repair. Young people are just not interested in such careers. Maybe these hobbies are something that folks don't become interested until the are older??? At any rate I will be signing up as soon as the check hits my bank in April. Thanks again!

1923VictorFan wrote: Sun Mar 19, 2023 2:44 pm WOW! Thanks a million to all of you from The US, Canada & Britain. I'm unable to attend any conventions or shows due to disability but you guys have still convinced me to join. Somewhat similar is the hobby of antique clock collecting and repair. Young people are just not interested in such careers. Maybe these hobbies are something that folks don't become interested until the are older??? At any rate I will be signing up as soon as the check hits my bank in April. Thanks again!

As a young collector (23 yrs old), I have noticed one common thing with other young folks who have seen my collection. It's not really a lack of interest, because everyone seems to find the phonographs fascinating. I get the feeling it's more that the music they listen to is simply impossible to play on these machines. If it was possible to play Cardi B or some other modern artist, there would probably be a much higher interest in younger folks. (with that said I hope that playing rap on a phonograph never becomes a reality ).

People my age also seem to prefer having instantaneous entertainment. Which is why everywhere you go people are glued into their phones, scrolling through ticktock or some other app that provides endless short videos. So the fact that you have to first pick a record off the shelf, wind up the phonograph, change the needle, play the record, and then put the record back after only about 3 minutes probably also turns young people off. That seems like a lot of effort for 3 ish mins of entertainment... much easier to just look at the cell phone.

I absolutely love this hobby and DO wish that more young people were involved. But when I walk home from class and see the lines to the bars packed out into the street sorta confirms that that probably isn't going to happen. Young people nowadays just have a different idea of a good time.

just my two cents.

Cheers ,

David

Hi David, Thanks for your reply about young people and hobbies like phonographs and maybe clock collecting & repair too. I'm 59 now but got my first phonograph, an Edison Standard (banner) about 30 years ago. That first machine went with me to Germany and then to Texas and on to Chicago where I fell on hard times and had to sell it. I was interested in antiques from the age 8 or 9 years old. I lived with my grandparents and their house full of Victorian furniture and sizable 19th century book collection. I was taught at that young age to respect and carefully handle the books. That was my start.
Maybe your peers will morph into fans & collectors with age?

Hello,
I am Spanish. I live near Barcelona (Catalonia). I signed up at the beginning of the year. The cost is $60. It's worth it?. and so much !!!
The quarterly magazine is awesome. Apart from all the information that exists on the website.
I recommend it to you !!!
Regards,
Ferran

Thanks for all of the spirited responses! I joined today. Look for me under "Cranks-n-Horns".

Welcome aboard!

George P.

1923VictorFan wrote: Thu Mar 30, 2023 8:00 pm Thanks for all of the spirited responses! I joined today. Look for me under "Cranks-n-Horns".

quote=ducretet post_id=328096 time=1680215148 user_id=26300]
Hello,
I am Spanish. I live near Barcelona (Catalonia). I signed up at the beginning of the year. The cost is $60. It's worth it?. and so much !!!
The quarterly magazine is awesome. Apart from all the information that exists on the website.
I recommend it to you !!!
Regards,
Ferran
[/quote]

Welcome guys! I'm sure you won't be disappointed. Did you know you can view the quarterly magazine online now, page by page. It's really nice for those of us living in Europe, available more quickly than the hard copy which comes by mail!