The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

A neighbor (whom I didn't know) died recently. It turns out he was a major hoarder and his house is filled to the rafters with all sorts of things, most of which qualify as junk.

There are two phonographs and the executors asked me if I knew anything about them. One is a tabletop Harmony that looks to be decent, if filthy. The reproducer needs work. The other is a Robeyphone, which a new one on me. It's a bit ratty but appears complete. It has interesting legs for an outside horn machine.

Any thoughts on this oddball?

So, the machines went from one hoarder to another... . The Robyphone is neat.

No, they didn't go to me. What little space I have in my house is reserved for things I want more than these. I'm just trying to help out the executor.

Charles T. Robey of Coventry (UK) was a supplier of mail order goods, and their Robeyphone was either assembled from bought in components or just had their name attached to a complete machine. At least one other example survives here in the UK with those strange short legs.