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That really really hurts http://www.ebay.com/itm/VICTOR-VTLA-ANT ... 6016.l4276

From the listing:
THIS VTLA VICTOR VICTROLA HAS BEEN MADE FROM A FLOOR CONSOLE TO A TABLE MODEL. THE ORIGINAL VICTROLA'S LOWER HALF WAS UTTERLY DESTROYED IN A HOME THAT WAS FLOODED MANY YEARS AGO.THE LOWER PART OF THE MACHINE WAS CUT AWAY JUST BELOW THE HORN OPENING AND THE LEGS AND FRAME WERE SALVAGED, COLOR MATCHED AND ATTACHED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE UPPER HALF OF THE MACHINE.THE ORIGINAL MAHOGANY FINISH HAS SOME MINIMAL CRAZING AND HAS BEEN CLEAR COATED AND HAND RUBBED. HAS TWO RECORD ALBUM STORAGES, ONE ON EACH SIDE. NO ALBUMS ARE INCLUDED.

HAS ALL OF THE ORIGINAL MECHANICAL OPERATING PARTS AND WORKS WELL WITH LOUD AND CLEAR SOUND. THE MACHINE MEASURES 251/2" H X 20"W X 22" DEPTH. THE SERIAL NUMBER IS 1701.

This machine would have been worth salvaging from flood damage. Serial# 1701. So sad.

Andreas

I must say, for an amputee this is far from the worst result I've seen. It's almost plausible.

Looks a bit top heavy but well done for the most part.

Scott wrote:Looks a bit top heavy but well done for the most part.

Comparable to the Columbia Elite in the Bulky but Handsome category. I suspect that the buyer will strip this for parts.

Now there's a challenge....could I create the lower half of a pooley flat top?

And the hammer came down at $438.59 -- not bad, I suppose. Half a machine at a little less than half price!

Cody K wrote:And the hammer came down at $438.59 -- not bad, I suppose. Half a machine at a little less than half price!

If this doesn't get broken up for parts it should stay as it is. Short of building a new cabinet there is no way that you could fabricate a new lower part without obvious seams on all four sides. At least the butchery was done with some care.

I didn't sell. According to the auction, the reserve was not met.

Wes

It's a shame that it suffered damage initially, but I think maybe indeed it should remain as-is... someone put some care and craftsmanship into the modification, and it is presentable...

Just have to find a low table to go under it...

Wes, you're right! I hadn't noticed that lil' detail. How the heck much is the reserve if four-hundred-plus isn't enough to breach it?

I agree with Eric and Frank that it would probably be good if this machine can stay as it is. It looks to me as if the makeover was done quite some time ago; it doesn't look like a recent chop-job, and it's pretty nicely done. But it makes the machine a curio -- it's the most eccentric-looking table-top I could imagine, looks like something out of The Wizard of Oz. It's pretty awesome in its own way, but it's no longer a Pooley VTLA. How much do the sellers expect to get for it?