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Amberola III


I am curious about the value of a good Amberola III, and a estimate of how many may be out there.

The Amberola III had a hint of being a budget model when compared to the Amberola 1-B but it's probably more unusual and it has the wonderful Opera type mechanism. My Amberola III has a serial number of 466 so it's not too much help. It would be really interesting if others would post the serial numbers of their machines. I would make a guess that around 2,000 Amberola III's were made. I would estimate a value for a good mahogany Amberola III to start at $2500 and go up for an exceptionally nice one and more for an oak machine. Jerry

Compared to the $200 1B, the $125 Amberola III could be considered a "budget" model, but compared to the Opera ($85 in oak, $90 in mahogany) it was pretty expensive!

My III is No.593 so that's not much help either for estimating production.

I agree with Jerry on value. It's a rare machine - - certainly more so than an Opera/Concert or a Victor VI. But once again, these's not always a direct correlation between rarity and value.

Here's an earlier thread about the Amberola III:

http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... berola+III

George P.

Mine, here in the UK, is No. 1449 - again not much help I'm afraid in identifying how many were made.

All the best

Tim W-W

Not many Amberola III's seem to have reached the UK.

In November 2009 one sold at auction for a modest £500 plus Buyer's Premium of 15%+VAT. I did not attend the sale so cannot comment on it's condition, but I have not seen another on offer since.

The Amberola III was only manufactured from August 1912 through December 1914, if I am reading Frow correctly. On page 228 of the fifth edition of his Complete Talking Machine, Reiss gives the III a rarity rating of three stars (on a scale of five, with five being the rarest), the same as the Amberola 1A and 1B.

I did a Google search for "Amberola III" last spring and found either pictures or discussion of the following extant Amberola III machines, listed by serial number and complete unless otherwise described:

101 (picture downloaded from the Internet)
304 (mine)
465 (picture downloaded from the Internet)
466 (Jerry B.'s)
476 (TMF Featured Phonograph #10)
508 (TMF "Amberola III Grille cloth" discussion)
541 (eBay, bedplate and motor only)
593 (George P.'s)
1293 (but straight edge says "1286-A3") ("Grille cloth" discussion + Phonograph Company website + "TMF Featured Phonograph #10" discussion)
1397 (eBay, data plate and bedplate only)
1449 (Tim W-W's)
1470 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3a2kqTO_b4)

Having compiled this, I see I have only managed to extend the serial number range by 21. Oh well.

Best wishes, Mark

I can't help with total production numbers, but as far as # 465 Amberola III goes, I now have that machine. It still looks the same as it did a few years ago when it was pictured for sale.
Jerry it looks like my Amberola III #465 and your Amberola III #466 kept each other company on Edison's assembly line.

Best Regards, Larry

Mine is stamped 394 - B 3 on the bedplate. It does not have the id plate. It's oak with the amberola transfer. Does anybody make a reproduction id plate? Fred