The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I had taken my Columbia portable to school last week and had played it for one of our schools music classes, needless to say, most of them were amazed at how something that old and primitive could doing so good and still work after this long. Later that day, I had it set up in the cafeteria during lunch and people were coming over just to listen to the old thing play. Even a few couples started dancing in the middle of the lunchroom to Glenn Miller, someone they hadn't heard of until now. A few people started asking me where they could find one for themselves. Talk about something that doesn't happen everyday. Maybe my whole generation isn't completely uncultured.

Keep in mind that most people under 25 or so have probably never even heard of a phonograph, never mind seeing one actually work. A year or 2 ago we had a family friend over to our house and her 18 year old niece had absolutely no idea what our old all-in-one stereo was. Then I showed her my Diamond Disc machine and her eyes lit up wide. She wound up taking a video for her Facebook page.

52089 wrote:Keep in mind that most people under 25 or so have probably never even heard of a phonograph, never mind seeing one actually work.

You got that right. A phonograph collector friend of mine works at a large corporation that employs LOTS of young electrical and mechanical engineers. Most of those highly educated people have never seen an LP record played, and the youngest don't even own CDs. To them, 78s or cylinders would be something from another planet.

I frequent an Ace Hardware store to buy tools or small bits of hardware to make repairs. Some "kid" will ask me what I'm looking for. I tell them I'm repairing some "machinery". Like what? I say, "stuff you've probably never heard of". Like what for instance? "A Victrola." Blank stare.

VintageTechnologies wrote:

52089 wrote:Keep in mind that most people under 25 or so have probably never even heard of a phonograph, never mind seeing one actually work.

You got that right. A phonograph collector friend of mine works at a large corporation that employs LOTS of young electrical and mechanical engineers. Most of those highly educated people have never seen an LP record played, and the youngest don't even own CDs. To them, 78s or cylinders would be something from another planet.

I frequent an Ace Hardware store to buy tools or small bits of hardware to make repairs. Some "kid" will ask me what I'm looking for. I tell them I'm repairing some "machinery". Like what? I say, "stuff you've probably never heard of". Like what for instance? "A Victrola." Blank stare.

Oh I have the same things happen to me, when I go to the hardware store, your scenario is like mine. They would not know so I don't go into details. I usually am looking for something, and they bother me, it may not be a part for its intended purpose, so it makes it weird. I found some plumbing grommets for a electric phonograph I was working on, they were perfect. Also, it takes me time to look for screws and such for motor work.

These kids have no clue. I am 40 years old, it was like yesterday that I was 14 and buying needles and phonograph records and machines, even then my peers thought it was odd and that was in 1987. I think in 1987 there was more of a chance for a younger person to know what a record is.

I refuse to buy records through e-bay and have some unknowing kid just shove a 78 in a envelope and receive it into pieces. They just want to make money off something they think is ancient, so it must be valuable.....then to top it off most of them have grown up in a world where most things are unbreakable. And who can forget the kid on History Channels, Restoration show where he and a friend buy a 45 rpm record for a early external horn machine that they were refinishing.

Even with the age differences, there is no way that I can understand how a kid today does not know what a phonograph is?

Victrolacollector wrote:

Even with the age differences, there is no way that I can understand how a kid today does not know what a phonograph is?

About 2 years ago I bought a CD "jukebox", a changer that holds 400(!) CDs, off Craigslist. In the ad, the guy selling it wrote "Does anybody even listen to CDs anymore?"

If the CD is semi-obsolete, that makes the phonograph a dinosaur!

52089 wrote:

Victrolacollector wrote:

Even with the age differences, there is no way that I can understand how a kid today does not know what a phonograph is?

About 2 years ago I bought a CD "jukebox", a changer that holds 400(!) CDs, off Craigslist. In the ad, the guy selling it wrote "Does anybody even listen to CDs anymore?"

If the CD is semi-obsolete, that makes the phonograph a dinosaur!

In his presentation at the Johnson Victrola Museum last Sunday Oliver Berliner showed an early Berliner record and a Music CD. He pointed out the similarities like same diameter, one sided record, made in a press, etc. He also mentioned that the Berliner record will still be playable 100 years from now, but the CD will have disintegrated.

Andreas

One day this past summer I was playing my maroon Gem on the porch of where I live.My neighbor thought it was interesting as she had never seen an antique phonograph before.She took a picture of it with her phone,and posted it on Facebook.Her friends asked her,"Where's the slot for the CD's? edisonplayer

alang wrote:

52089 wrote:

Victrolacollector wrote:

Even with the age differences, there is no way that I can understand how a kid today does not know what a phonograph is?

About 2 years ago I bought a CD "jukebox", a changer that holds 400(!) CDs, off Craigslist. In the ad, the guy selling it wrote "Does anybody even listen to CDs anymore?"

If the CD is semi-obsolete, that makes the phonograph a dinosaur!

In his presentation at the Johnson Victrola Museum last Sunday Oliver Berliner showed an early Berliner record and a Music CD. He pointed out the similarities like same diameter, one sided record, made in a press, etc. He also mentioned that the Berliner record will still be playable 100 years from now, but the CD will have disintegrated.

Andreas

Interestingly enough, the original Berliner plant in Hanover was still pressing CDs- at least as of a couple years ago.

GrafonolaG50 wrote:I had taken my Columbia portable to school last week and had played it for one of our schools music classes, needless to say, most of them were amazed at how something that old and primitive could doing so good and still work after this long. Later that day, I had it set up in the cafeteria during lunch and people were coming over just to listen to the old thing play. Even a few couples started dancing in the middle of the lunchroom to Glenn Miller, someone they hadn't heard of until now. A few people started asking me where they could find one for themselves. Talk about something that doesn't happen everyday. Maybe my whole generation isn't completely uncultured.

I think your entire generation is hungry for culture- they're just not exposed to it enough.

My experience with phonos, records, and even CD/ MP3 transfers of older music have been very similar.

It is great that you are sharing history with others in your age group!