The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

A bit pricy, but it has a Victrola? (style) record cabinet and a bunch of records...no affiliation.

http://buffalo.craigslist.org/atq/4347158087.html

He's had that up for months. If the 186 discs were more interesting (they are mostly etched label) or the price was half of $650 or if it hadn't been badly refinished (it is ORANGE!) I would consider it ...

Edisone wrote:He's had that up for months. If the 186 discs were more interesting (they are mostly etched label) or the price was half of $650 or if it hadn't been badly refinished (it is ORANGE!) I would consider it ...

Thanks for the insight! I thought the price was out of wack, but didn't notice the color, specifically. Are A-80's and A-60's particularly rare?

Fran

A-60 comes in two variations: the wooden-cabinet version, which is scarce, and the metal cabinet version, which is rare.

The A-80 is always in a wooden cabinet (on occasion with a metal grille), and is somewhat scarce, but few seem to care as they are offered for about the same prices as the B-80 (which is far easier to find).

There were motor problems with the A-60/80, so relatively few left the factory before the December 1914 fire.

George P.

phonogfp wrote:A-60 comes in two variations: the wooden-cabinet version, which is scarce, and the metal cabinet version, which is rare.

The A-80 is always in a wooden cabinet (on occasion with a metal grille), and is somewhat scarce, but few seem to care as they are offered for about the same prices as the B-80 (which is far easier to find).

There were motor problems with the A-60/80, so relatively few left the factory before the December 1914 fire.

George P.

Ah, thanks, George. I did read that the motors were not capable of even making it through a single wind. (Frow). It seems, from what I read that these weren't very popular items.

Fran

I have a mahogany A-80 and I really like it. It was a bit tricky to get it to run smooth at first. It still has the original double stitched leather belt, which was slipping at times. I cleaned and soaked it with alcohol and let it dry over night, which provided just enough shrinkage for it to run perfectly well now. I had to replace a broken spring, but with the new spring it makes it easily through every diamond disc I play on it. But it's true, even great original examples hardly ever make $500.

Andreas

alang wrote:I have a mahogany A-80 and I really like it. It was a bit tricky to get it to run smooth at first. It still has the original double stitched leather belt, which was slipping at times. I cleaned and soaked it with alcohol and let it dry over night, which provided just enough shrinkage for it to run perfectly well now. I had to replace a broken spring, but with the new spring it makes it easily through every diamond disc I play on it. But it's true, even great original examples hardly ever make $500.

Andreas

I hafta check to see if mine is an A or B 80, but I solved the belt slippage by cleaning & then coating the pulleys with rubber cement. I used Permatex orange RTV gasket-maker on a Fireside's pulleys, which worked very nicely to smooth-out warbling. Also used the same stuff to seal & tighten a very sloppy Kent adaptor; the RTV has enough 'give' to allow sufficient up & down motion when playing Pathé records on an Edison DD machine. Air-tightness made a huge difference - Pathés played this way are outstanding.

If the price were right, I think it would make a dandy addition to a collection. My thoughts are that artifact is important despite lack of perceived value or original design issues.

People collect Edsels, for God's sake.

Fran