The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

poodling around wrote: Tue Oct 15, 2024 11:06 am Probably the horn will be gone tomorrow as well ....................

Message to potential buyers: in this instance you simply must attend the sale in person, otherwise there is absolutely no guarantee what you will actually receive! Maybe just the record which is not included?

I assume that the vendor's commission includes insurance against theft. If anyone has documentary evidence of the true value of the soundbox, perhaps they could notify the auctioneers so that the vendor can be properly compensated for the loss.

epigramophone wrote: Tue Oct 15, 2024 11:41 am I assume that the vendor's commission includes insurance against theft. If anyone has documentary evidence of the true value of the soundbox, perhaps they could notify the auctioneers so that the vendor can be properly compensated for the loss.

Yes, of course, I can imagine the auctioneers will be only too happy to report what they should rightfully compensate the vendors. I'm guessing the vendor has inherited this anyway and likely has no prior knowledge of its value. In this instance, vendors are often more than satisfied with a hundred pounds as they have no curiosity about the value.

Steve wrote: Tue Oct 15, 2024 9:41 am Unfortunately the soundbox has now been reported stolen. Poor security by the auctioneers who were hitherto unaware of its value. What a crying shame. I hope they catch the thief on CCTV.

Unbelievably predictable! I can’t believe it happened so quickly. Graham had warned me of the value of these soundboxes and perhaps I should have warned the auctioneer as I suspected this would happen. It’s happened to me at auction.

I hope the auctioneers are now aware of the value of the machine and take this theft seriously. Their insurance owes the vendor at least a £1000.

We'll know maybe who was the thief... If we see one for sale in a few weeks...

Steve wrote: Tue Oct 15, 2024 11:17 am

poodling around wrote: Tue Oct 15, 2024 11:06 am Probably the horn will be gone tomorrow as well ....................

Message to potential buyers: in this instance you simply must attend the sale in person, otherwise there is absolutely no guarantee what you will actually receive! Maybe just the record which is not included?

A sad situation but I had to laugh at this.

Inigo wrote: Tue Oct 15, 2024 12:02 pm We'll know maybe who was the thief... If we see one for sale in a few weeks...

We’ll keep an eye on eBay but I suspect the thief will sit on it a while or they may hope to be the winning bidder on this auction at a lower price.

Maybe it was a dirty trick to lower the price and discourage other buyers... So the winner is also the subject of suspicion...
By this, and other recent unrelated matters, I am convinced that there is a sad large wave of corruption among people in our era... Things are becoming impossible to believe!

Inigo wrote: Tue Oct 15, 2024 12:14 pm Maybe it was a dirty trick to lower the price and discourage other buyers... So the winner is also the subject of suspicion...

That’s the idea!

I attended a Bonhams auction twenty years ago where two complete EMGs were for sale. I had just finished examining them and had turned my back for perhaps twenty seconds only to return to see that both soundboxes had been stolen. I raised a great noise and shouted that the police should be called immediately. Within half an hour both boxes were found behind a chair on the other side of the room presumably after the thief had caught fright at the commotion he had caused. A sobering lesson and I am so very sad for the vendor of this fabulous gramophone which clearly has been treasured all its life. Shame on the auctioneers. I shall phone their director tomorrow.