The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

... or run ?


I went back to a local antique shop that has a Victor Electric 4-40X, with the induction motor.

Serial is 18xxx, most of cabinet label is missing, but lower-left corner survived - 1927.

It appears to be complete (except for the original power cord), and intact, aside from some veneer bubbling at the right-rear corner of lid (leaky houseplant? ), and a thoroughly broken taper-tube mount.

The motor runs, though the governor train sounds like it needs clean & lube.

The Nickeled Orthophonic reproducer is surprisingly free from cracks - couldn't find any.

I removed the back panel, and noticed that the pot-metal flange between the tone-arm "plenum" and wooden horn is badly warped and crumbly looking, and some of the joints along the way look like they've lost their caulking ( whatever was used).

Finish looks like dark mahogany and is fair ( some scratches, but no fading or alligatoring).

The shop is asking $275... I haven't made an offer yet...

Even if I get them to come down $50-$100, I'm fearing I'll spend a couple hundred $ fixing broken pot metal ?

Should I try to bargain, or just walk away ? ( My main attraction is the electric turntable drive and the un-cracked Ortho soundbox...)

Well, I'd say there are more pluses than minuses in this ...And the minuses you can use to beat his price down...Consols are a hard sell for the antique dealer..most buyers want an upright , in oak...Electrics are an even harder sell...The general public wants a crank..So , you should be able to "motivate" the dealer to accept your price...You know what a good orthophonic reproducer is worth!!! Focus the dealer's attention on the poorly functioning motor , and the tonearm and pot metal issues...Unless he's a complete idiot he should jump on your price...I'd start at $175 ...There are a lot of 4-40's out there so you shouldn't have any problem in sourcing the parts that need replacement...How are the legs? Often the turnings have segments that have come unglued and disappeared....I once had an electric Granada..a real fixer upper that I got for a song. It was missing it's lid...After a long search I found a lid ...It was a different size!! Why???!!..It was wider and less deep by ⅛ of an in....Why???? So the moral is measure for the parts that you are replacing....A good friend of mine in Windsor has a 4-40 that has the legs cut off...he may want to part it out...Good Luck

Go for it! They can only say no.