The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

http://www.ebay.com/itm/221472432940?_t ... EBIDX%3AIT I would love to have this.

It's a beautiful mechanism, and the cabinet appears to be original, but the decal looks a bit odd to me. Maybe it's just the angle...

George P.

Hello,
A friend of mine emailed the seller and asked if the finish was original. It turns out it was refinished about 29 years ago which was very disappointing.
Pete

flashpanblue wrote:Hello,
A friend of mine emailed the seller and asked if the finish was original. It turns out it was refinished about 29 years ago which was very disappointing.
Pete

That means a new decal? That would kill it for me.

flashpanblue wrote:Hello,
A friend of mine emailed the seller and asked if the finish was original. It turns out it was refinished about 29 years ago which was very disappointing.
Pete

I don't understand....Why would it have to be "disappointing"?
If the machine has been restored why not accept it for what it is.
Looks very nice to me and i think someone a hundred years from now might be thanking
the person who preserved it...even with imperfections.
In their zeal ...too many purest spoil a lot..In my opinion.

Hi Dave,
Mahogany cased Edison machines are very rare. To find a mahogany cased Triumph is even harder. To find one in original condition is very exciting. I was disappointed to learn that it had been refinished. There is a big price difference between a machine that has it's original finish and one that has been refinished. I would also point out that nowhere in the EBay listing is it mentioned that the machine has been refinished. There is a good chance that the bidders on the machine are not even aware of the fact. If these things are not documented in an honest way how will collectors a hundred years from now be able to tell the difference.

JUST MAYBE... the reason the phonograph was restored in the first place, might have to do with the condition it was found in before restoration. There are many nice examples of restored machines that have been brought back from the dead and preserved. Granted, it would be great to find a warehouse full of NOS machines, still in their original packing crates, but realistically that isn't going to happen. Most machines on the market today have had something done to them in the past 100 years, so who cares?

Before the "restoration wars/debates" begin... think of it this way - if restored machines are good enough for Jasper SanFillipo, and restored cars are good enough for Jay Leno, where does the snobbery of "untouched" come from? How do you actually know that your "untouched" machine wasn't restored 75 years ago and you can't tell the difference?

One more comment: to be absolutely truthful, no one has a machine in "original condition", since no one has one directly from the factory - the condition has definitely changed in 100 years.

Liken this to the statement: "everyone drives a used car"...

Most collectors I know look for original condition machines. Many times they will buy a machine that is 100% original that may have a few flaws over a restored machine that looks like it was made yesterday. I would compare it to classic cars. There are many cars that look amazing in every detail. But yet it is the car that was identified as being original that will bring a much greater price.

Rich Gordon