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eBay Item #251399060981

It will be interesting to see the final price considering it is missing the horn, horn elbow, and lid. Jerry

Don Gfell makes Opera lids and horns. Most of this machine will be repro parts that will reduce it's originality. Original Opera parts are extremely difficult to find.
Harvey Kravitz

It went for $4,325.11

Wow, I'll have a complete oak Opera at Union for only slightly more. It will be refinished with original lid, horn, and elbow. Jerry

A few pics for the record...

If you can buy a nice condition complete original Mahogany Opera for no more than $5500 why would you spend $4300 on a machine missing the lid, elbow and horn? It will be very difficult to find the missing original parts need to complete this machine as they will need to be in just as nice condition as this machine. perhaps someone is going to upgrade the Opera they already have in their collection in which case they already have the rest of the parts and can then sell off the other machine.
Pete

I forgot to mention that I find it hard to believe that this Opera could have sat around for 100 years without a lid on and yet the bed plate decals and paint have survived just like new! This machine is in such nice condition... What the heck happened to the horn, lid and elbow???
Pete

flashpanblue wrote:I forgot to mention that I find it hard to believe that this Opera could have sat around for 100 years without a lid on and yet the bed plate decals and paint have survived just like new! This machine is in such nice condition...
Pete

The trademark decal has been replaced and the gilt decorations have been touched up in places.

George P.

flashpanblue wrote:I forgot to mention that I find it hard to believe that this Opera could have sat around for 100 years without a lid on and yet the bed plate decals and paint have survived just like new! This machine is in such nice condition...

I thought so too and contacted the seller with my suspicions. The seller said the machine had been completely restored about 30 years ago and was missing the horn and lid when he acquired it. I think it came from an estate sale and the seller knew nothing about it. He was astounded when I predicted (correctly!) what it would sell for.

When I bought my Opera in 1985, I was told that someone had restored a number of them, and this specimen on eBay has paint, pinstripe corners and re-oxidized mandrel identical to mine. I have always wondered who did the restorations.