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From my research it appears that a brass-mandrel home, like the one in the Ebay auction below, should have a lid with the earlier decal featuring thick crosshatched shading and placed higher up on the lid:


eBay Item #191585069932



Am I correct in thinking this or is there a de facto cutoff serial number range for the early decal?

-Jake

No, the lid is correct for the machine. The early lid -- with the decal positioned higher -- was discontinued around serial number 1500 - 1800, when the weighted half-nut was dropped. The serial number on the ebay machine is in the 3000 range, and its lid appears to be the right one.

Hi

This is mine with an early serial number #825 weighted half nut, brass mandrel and the reproducer rest lug.

Cheers

I would caution collectors from assuming that certain features of the Home were seen only "before such-and-such serial number," while others appeared only "after such-and-such a number." In particular, the weighted half-nut appeared on and off during early production (even No.138 does NOT have a weighted half-nut). Various types of speaker clamps, recessed vs. blunt-end brass mandrels, and open vs. closed top castings are also characteristics that (like weighted half-nuts) cannot be specifically assigned to "before" or "after" a given serial number. Rather, these characteristics appeared sporadically within a serial range before supplanting an earlier design, or disappearing entirely. There is more detail found in an article on the "Suitcase" Home Phonograph which appeared in the September 2006 issue of The Sound Box.

For whatever it's worth, here's No.4090 (note the position of the decal):

George P.

Also one must take in account that the case could be a replacement. If I'm reading the serial number correctly in the ebay photos, then that machine is #3052. I first saw #3052 offered on ebay as a top casting only in 2011. It had the brass mandrel and the single screw type reproducer clips, but no case or motor.

This is another example of the possible confusion that a restoration can make when trying to document the history of a given machine. Is it original? Yes. Was it like that from the beginning? No.

Regards,
Martin

Re-reading the ebay listing shows that the seller does not claim the machine as original, but only the components. Nothing wrong with that - no false claims - and the assembly/re-creation was done with reasonable accuracy, so no harm done.

It is good to remind ourselves that no matter how original something appears, we can't extrapolate real facts from what we see. The only exception to that is when we as hobbyists find items that provably have not yet been in hobbyist hands - and even they could have been altered/updated by handy prior owners (or even dealers) using materials at hand.

And then the old Edison practice of using up extra parts throws another monkey wrench. Makes it even more fun.

$1,702.99 plus $50.87 shipping. Is this a fair price? Too much? Too little? What is this particular machine really worth, retail and to a dealer?

orpington wrote:$1,702.99 plus $50.87 shipping. Is this a fair price? Too much? Too little? What is this particular machine really worth, retail and to a dealer?

The only thing you can conclude from this sale, is that this machine was really worth the selling price to a specific, willing buyer, collector or dealer.... It may be worth more or less to a future specific buyer.

Curt A wrote:

orpington wrote:$1,702.99 plus $50.87 shipping. Is this a fair price? Too much? Too little? What is this particular machine really worth, retail and to a dealer?

The only thing you can conclude from this sale, is that this machine was really worth the selling price to a specific, willing buyer, collector or dealer.... It may be worth more or less to a future specific buyer.

Yea, verily.

Anyone else want to comment on the sales price? Thank you for your answers, but this does not provide valuable information--e.g., obviously someone in the future might want to pay more or less...

Thank you.