The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

If you find yourself in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, it may be worthwhile driving some 60 km east to Abbotsford. There you will find Granny and Grumpy's antiques: 37936 Wells Line Road. In barns full of antiques are scattered boxes of Blue Amberols, most dusty but showing little wear. Most lack their cases. Going through these records I was intrigued not just by their very good condition, but the fact that most show numbers below 2488 -- that fateful day after which cylinders were dubbed from disks. Somebody put together a collection of some hundreds of records in that early phase.

There were lots of what I would call "lively" recordings: marches, dances and humour; few dreary hymns, nothing racist as far as I could see. Price $3 per cylinder, non-negotiable! I bought 44 cylinders and there are plenty more to sort through. Granny saw us off with fresh vegetables from her garden.

If you go be sure to ask Granny for the whereabouts of ALL boxes: as I mentioned above, they are scattered over acres of buildings.

Regards, Michael Barnes
Coquitlam, B.C.

i always buy my cylinders in bulk i know 3$ doesn't sound much but if you like me buy cyl in the hundreds than it does ad up so i buy cyl at prices below 2$ at a minimum of 100 cylinders p sale pref, more
the price should be a negotiable thing buy more pay less since the cost of moving the stuff goes up the bigger it gets
if its not negotiable than there's no sale

the whole thing sounds interesing but since i'm in the nederlands and the cylinders in canada the price should be somwhere around 0,50$ per cyl counting customs and shipping than it wil still ad up
oh well i just keep rumaging here in europe closer to home less fuss and cheaper

sadly i am sometimes the guy that ends-up on your doorstep when sombody like you guys are dead i wont pay top dollar but i'll take everything including the trash if need be and you can be sure your collection stays in one piece in one way or another after digitizing 3000 cyl for the last 2 years from a deceased collector i donated all my doubles to the mertens institute here in the netherlands the doubles from ebay sales or auctions i sell (a guy got to live aswell

don't you just love the smell of celuloid and or caustic soap i think i'm adicted tob the stuff, weird!, i think a coke adiction would cost less!!

Personally, I think $3 your choice is not bad at all. Thanks for the post. Jerry Blais