The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

This guy will be at an auction i'm headed to this weekend, is it an AB? If so, what should I expect to pay?

Thanks Fellas!

If there in good original condition, 1500.00. But the prices are way down right now. I would try at 1200.00.

A Gregg Cline decal would make that a fine looking machine. Jerry B.

Sigh...so close. Machine and 20 concerts went for $750...unfortunately my clutch went yesterday so my bank roll was only $500.

Great deal.

I'd be riding my bicycle for a while if I could buy an AB McDonald and twenty concert cylinders for $750. Twenty five inch cylinders in good shape in boxes is worth around $2000. If course if they were moldy and broken, it's another story. Another unknown is how high the successful bidder would have gone if pushed. I'm sorry you were not the top bidder. Jerry

The concerts were boxed but the 3 I looked at were very rough and moldy...still..someone lucked out

Jerry B. wrote:I'd be riding my bicycle for a while if I could buy an AB McDonald and twenty concert cylinders for $750.

You bet. Or walking.

Fonotone wrote:

Jerry B. wrote:I'd be riding my bicycle for a while if I could buy an AB McDonald and twenty concert cylinders for $750.

You bet. Or walking.

Agree.

Oh, had I ever saw one at that price!

It's been YEARS AND YEARS since I began to sieve the "bay" in search of a decent AB at a decent price. I think I'm passing hand: I saw only ABs with HUGE problems sold at the price of a "mint" unit. I'm pretty tired. It's getting meaningless and I'm beginning to hate the machine rather than to like it.

I think that you all followed the AB auction on the bay that ended this weekend. With peace for those that say that "prices are low", although it was admittedly "untested" (=not working) and harshly refurbished IMHO, it sold for $ 1700.

I think that this really puts the words "The End" on my desire of ever owning one. I'd better forget about it.

I had one for a couple of years which worked just great. But the general problem with concert cylinders came to surface only while trying to play them. Almost all concert cylinders I came by were shrunk and would stick over the mandrel's edge for about one inch. At least I could play them partially. An Edison Concert with its end-gate would have been impossible to use.

Finally I sold my AB and since then would avoid concert cylinders. I just don't feel comfortable to wipe each $100-$300 wax concert with turpentine from the inside until it would fit the machine...