The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Whatcha think??

and my other piece

Hello,
Great start to your collection with two quality machines. I am a fan of Edison Triumphs and yours looks real nice on that cylinder cabinet.
Pete

Thanks, I am tempted to sell the triumph and maybe the cabinet to get an opera

It might be small but I see good quality. Jerry B.

This is a wonderful start to a collection. Buy a little of the very best, and you will eventually have a very nice assemblage!

I love that 5, the horn is just gorgeous.

Hello,
I wouldn't sell your nice Triumph with cabinet to help finance an Opera you may regret parting with it. Edison Operas are not rare, they turn up all the time. The hard part is finding one in real good condition. Expect to pay $4500 for one in average condition with some flaws to $6K for a nice one. Most the collectors I know are in their 60's or older. I think there will be a lot of machines coming on the market in the near future. Be Patient but be prepared. You need to have the cash on hand when the opportunity presents itself. There are two ways to do this . Open up a dedicated saving account just for the purchase of your Opera and put some cash away every month. $250 per month over two years and you have 6k. The other way is to secure a small line of credit for $6K . The interest rates have never been so low.
all the best
Pete

It was my ambition for 20+ years to own an Opera, and I have no regrets buying mine. Style aside, no Opera sounds any better than a well-adjusted Triumph, Home, Standard, or Fireside equipped with a diamond reproducer and cygnet horn. Plus, those commoner machines can be had in both 2 and 4 minute configurations.

Younger collectors will have a lot of nice machines to choose from in the future as old collections go to the auction house. Be patient!

I collect a lot of stuff so I cannot just focus on phonographs

So I just want one phonograph from each major company

I also collect coins, mainly ancient ones

Lastly I collect civil war. I own a musket with three diaries all from the same soldier and 150 letters from another soldier.