Expert ‘Mahogany Gramophone’

[Steve]

What will that accomplish?

Initially: absolutely nothing!
In time (with some hope): an awareness that more than one person has identified a valuable item which they have allowed to become compromised and reduced in value whilst in their "care" and responsibility and potentially all without the vendor knowing. It's not great publicity if that should get out and find its way into say, Antiques Trade Gazette - still the lifeblood of many old school sale rooms.

I worked for an auction house in high school. This is wishful thinking.

Well, if you're suggesting that there might be auctioneers out there who couldn't care less that the public know they are reckless, incompetent, lack enough knowledge to sell anything properly and are generally not fit for purpose, this only reinforces a negative opinion a lot of us already have here about that trade and why sellers should probably boycott the vast majority of them in the interests of getting the best price for anything they want to sell.

[Garret]

I totally understand, but it's wishful thinking.

Garret

[CarlosV]

The motor change wouldn't have bothered me if it had been serviced, re-wired and functioned perfectly. In fact, on the right day, I might have found it preferable to my spring powered EMG and Experts!

This happened to me when I bought an Expert Senior with an electric motor that has been restored. It ended up as my preferred, not only for the convenience of the electric motor. but also due to its superior sound compared to the other two I have from the same family, an Expert Junior and an EMG 10.

[CarlosV]

Well, if you're suggesting that there might be auctioneers out there who couldn't care less that the public know they are reckless, incompetent, lack enough knowledge to sell anything properly and are generally not fit for purpose, this only reinforces a negative opinion a lot of us already have here about that trade and why sellers should probably boycott the vast majority of them in the interests of getting the best price for anything they want to sell.

In my experience, the reduced size of our hobby is the main culprit for the lack of expert auctioneers and the respective dismal experiences like the one reported in this thread. Today, as far as I know, there are only some three or four reputable auction houses that reliably and regularly trade mechanical music: Beker in Cologne, Nauck (for records) and Donner in the USA. There used to be one in Chartres, but I think they stopped auctioning gramophones.

[JerryVan]

Well, if you're suggesting that there might be auctioneers out there who couldn't care less that the public know they are reckless, incompetent, lack enough knowledge to sell anything properly and are generally not fit for purpose, this only reinforces a negative opinion a lot of us already have here about that trade and why sellers should probably boycott the vast majority of them in the interests of getting the best price for anything they want to sell.

In my experience, the reduced size of our hobby is the main culprit for the lack of expert auctioneers and the respective dismal experiences like the one reported in this thread. Today, as far as I know, there are only some three or four reputable auction houses that reliably and regularly trade mechanical music: Beker in Cologne, Nauck (for records) and Donner in the USA. There used to be one in Chartres, but I think they stopped auctioning gramophones.

That's Donley in the USA, and don't forget Stanton Auctioneers, also in the USA.

[Garret]

There used to be one in Chartres, but I think they stopped auctioning gramophones.

They are still having sales.

[Sidewinder]

There is a scene in the film GROUNDHOG DAY where the protagonist asks the manager of the dining room "do you ever have Deja Vu's" - and she says "I don't know, I'll check with the kitchen"

Some people may remember St*phen & D*nnis from many years back - who allegedly stole pieces off items at auction - prolifically - to depress the prices. I believe they were eventually blacklisted from all the leading auction houses. D*nnis was the more enigmatic of the 2.

[Steve]

There is a scene in the film GROUNDHOG DAY where the protagonist asks the manager of the dining room "do you ever have Deja Vu's" - and she says "I don't know, I'll check with the kitchen"

D*nnis was the more enigmatic of the 2.

I see what you did there, very clever!

[emgcr]

Yes, that was the man at Bonhams.

[epigramophone]

It was also Cuttlestones who failed to mention that the recently sold Rondo portable was wearing an Expert soundbox.
No excuses for that, as it had "Expert" written on it. All was not lost, however, as Graham now has the soundbox and thanks to his generosity I now have the portable.

Steve makes the point that free eBay selling may hit conventional auction firms. This current Expert Senior debacle makes it difficult to feel any sympathy for them.