'Worst Phonograph Description On Craigslist' contest

[JohnM]

From Owensboro, Ky Craigslist:

"Very nice vickers victrola - $1500 (Santa claus)

Date: 2011-05-14, 2:46AM EDT
Reply to: [email protected]

This is an original not a knockoff !!! Totally restored!!! This is a stereo cabinet type!!! Pure walnut finish, turn table and winding is perfect!! It does play!!! This was a deluxe model on it's time, has speed control and original extra pickup needles! I hate to part with this gorgeous piece but we are moving and need to make room.please feel free to ask for pics if interested! I can send all you want!! Thanks. My number is 812- seven one nine 47three0

Location: Santa claus"

[PS: Santa Claus is a town in southern Indiana]

[JohnM]

This one is priceless!

http://denver.craigslist.org/atq/2346157871.html

"Edison phonagraph/dickaphone/and dickaphone shaver - $1300 (lakewood)

Date: 2011-04-25, 6:18PM MDT
Reply to: [email protected]

thomas edison phoneagraft compleat with top for case , a dickaphone shaver to make the cylenders, and a edison dicktaphone to put the songs or words into the wax the compleat set everything works ! will let go all 3 for $1,300.00 jim at 303-986-6733 ,

Location: lakewood"

[gramophoneshane]

I guess that old saying about small things is true
Look y'all, spelling mistakes, and this time they said dick He He He

Would that be a vertical dick or a hill & dale dick?

[JohnM]

I still don't understand why you bother to "waste your valuable time" clicking on this thread if it offends you so much. You had no problem at all mocking listings for high prices asked for HMV gramophones on eBay in a thread that you started recently. At least I clearly titled this thread as to what it is about, rather than a vague title like "HMV 57, anyone?". I'm not going to argue any more about this gs. What's good for the goose is good for the gander. You may post whatever you wish on this board, and so may I within the parameters of the board. Your personal opinion of what is posted is no more valid than mine or anyone else's.

[gramophoneshane]

Those were not asking prices, but prices achieved, and if I was mocking anybody, it was an anonymous buyer who paid (or shilled) far to much for a common low end HMV 97 portable.
I included the 163 Re-entrant because I thought some of the US collectors on the board who actually own one might be interested in seeing what these can go for, and because I felt the price was a little high.
Due to another members post it seems I may have been wrong, and that the opening bid of $2000 for a baby Re-entrant isn't unheard of, outside their native country.
I also included screen captures of both auctions so people could see the machines in question.

I think that's quite different to this thread.
I'm not sure who told you I think my time is so valuable, but I dont think it was me. And as a rule, I usually dont check this thread, but I noticed it's come around the top of the forum 3 times this week after a long absence, and knowing that all contests have an end date, I checked to see if you had finally decided the winner.
Perhaps if you'd included screen captures of the craigslist ads, we'd have a sort of picture gallery of different phonographs & gramophones for future reference, but as it stands, I simply dont see what purpose 22 pages of dead links, pipe dream prices & spelling mistakes serves, other than proving you can spell better than your average bear.

[JohnM]

Sorry, only have my phone to work with so cannot do screen captures.

There is no winner in this contest, but I HAVE identified the loser.

[SonnyPhono]

[gramophoneshane]

Or maybe it's a lowboy dick.
he said dick again

[OrthoFan]

Or maybe it's a lowboy dick.
he said dick again

I don't know why, but all of this reminds me of "Office Blues." In the last scene an unrecognizable Ginger Rogers finally snares the boss, and goes into his office. While closing the door, she puts a rather suggestive sign on the knob. (You'll have to watch it to find out what the sign says...)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVtULLtX6aU[/youtube]

....how bout' "Dictrola?" (sans "k") http://www.computerhistory.org/collecti ... on/D123.79


I hate to admit it, but I got a chuckle out of the craigslist post. For me, it's not about "aah, the dumb idiot can't spell," though. In addition to being a dyslexic, I'm a VERY POOR speller--a person who literally can't function without the aide of a spell-checker. I'd be rather a "pot calling the kettle..." if I found it funny solely because of the spelling errors.

For me, it's more the irony of the situation that's so amusing. The seller takes advantage of the technology that allows him to digitally photograph the machines. He then follows the rigmarole required to post them for sale on Craigslist, but there he stops. Obviously, no research was done concerning what they actually are, how they may be spelled, or what they might be worth, etc.--all of the information he could want is a few clicks away on the same PC that helped him create the ad in the first place.

It's that that I shake my head and chuckle over. Maybe that's not a polite thing to do, but there I am....

OF
...okay, I'll admit I also have a "sick" sense of humor. When I first saw this, I laughed so hard I choked --

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5pkiGgvCKQ[/youtube]

[JohnM]

Ortho_Fan gets it!!!