SOLD: 1911 L-Door VV-XVI - $350

[Cody K]

Somewhat reluctantly, I've decided I've got to free up some space after squeezing eight Victrolas into my 1400-s.f. apartment. I've currently got two L-Doors, so one has to go. It's a very nice example in red mahogany, with a good original finish. This one -- serial number 49xxx -- was originally sold by Sherman, Clay & Co. in Portland, Oregon, and came East with its owners at some time during the 1920s. I bought it from the grandson of the original purchaser.

It displays and plays very well, though there is some damage beneath the motorboard where someone in the family had the bright idea at some point of replacing the original mechanism with an electronic phonograph for awhile. Luckily, they had kept all of the original parts, except for the horn and the needle receptacle, which I replaced with help from a forum member. The damage is completely invisible with the original motorboard restored to its rightful place.

I haven't done much to this, because I've acquired one machine after another since I got it. I think I must have done a rudimentary cleaning and lubrication of the motor, and I did give the cabinet a good cleaning. I didn't remove and clean the springs, but it plays well and with minimal noise. The soundbox will need a new gasket; I've just never gotten around to it. The turntable felt is original, unfaded, and clean (it looks better in person than in the picture) and the feltoid casters are in nice condition. The gold plating on the taper-tube, soundbox, etc., is all nice. The knob on the backside motor access door was glued in place before I bought the machine. The record shelf and drawer are both in good condition. There's a very faint water-ring in the finish on the top, and a few very light scratches, all of which should disappear with a good waxing.

There are no boxes or albums.

[November 29, 2015, a date that will live in infamy:] I'm repricing this at $350, which is at least close to what I've got in it, and what I'd like to get back.

Pickup is easy, as I'm about three minutes and only two turns off Rt. 95 in Providence. It is on the second floor, though.



I'll let the pics tell the rest of the story:

[Cody K]

Repriced. I need the space!

[Cody K]

Repriced to $350. -- this really needs to go. Though it's totally against my principles, I'm really starting to think about parting this out. I hate the idea of it. Anyone fancy an L-Door wine bar?

[Zwebie]

PM Sent.

[Cody K]

Note: I'm not committed to parting this machine out yet; it's a nice example at a low price, and I'd much much much prefer to see it kept whole and preserved. But I must regain the real estate it takes up!

[emerson]

Hey CK, ---That was from a kids TV show (Claude Kirshner), you have to be a bit older to remember it and I guess from the tri-state area NJ for me. Well just wondering how the L-door is doing and where you are located? Thanks,

[Cody K]

She's doing as well as can be expected -- worried, I'm sure, about what may happen, but standing tall and hopeful.

I'm about three minutes and only two turns off Rt. 95 in Providence, the magnificent capital of Rhode Island, a cute lil' pit stop between Connecticut and Massachusetts.

[Lucius1958]

Very nice!

*sigh* If I only had the floor space for it....

Bill

[Cody K]

Aw, Bill, c'mon. You can find some space! Look around you. There's gotta be something you can put on Craigslist to open up some room! That's how I got to point I'm at now, where 90% of my furniture is tall-case Victrolas. For awhile, anything that was nice, but couldn't play music, was out the door!

But seriously, folks...

I'm honestly surprised that I can't move this out pretty quickly to someone within a hundred-seventy-five-mile radius of Providence (which, let's face it, this state is so small that that radius encompasses most of the Eastern seaboard!) at so low a price. It has 99% visual integrity intact and original. The only real flaw is the hack-job underneath the motorboard, but that's completely invisible with the motorboard in place. The missing 1% involves the slight and barely-visible repairs to the horn, and the faint ghost of a water mark on the lid. And it plays well, with a quiet motor.

I took a good long look at this thing today and I realized that I canNOT part it out. That'd be like re-homing a dog by chopping it up and making separate craigslist listings for each part. This is a very good machine with some significant, if not immense, historic value, in excellent condition, and it deserves to exist another hundred and four years, at least. It's a good investment, too: I estimate that a hundred and four years from now, if preserved now, this particular machine will be conservatively valued at twenty-two million dollars; if it isn't, I will guarantee whoever buys it from me a refund of 200% of their purchase price, no questions asked. Y'all have that iron-clad guarantee in writing, right here, right now.

Plus, c'mon guys. Think Christmas! Is there anyone here whose wife (or other significant other) wouldn't be thrilled to have her/his very own Victrola?

[brianu]

Perhaps if you were more able to assist with moving this, being willing to meet a buyer partway or getting this to the wayne NJ show or another, you'd have a better shot at selling this. The price is fine, not everyone has several hours roundtrip to pick up something like this. Either way, it would be a real shame, neelam-ishly irresponsible even, to just part this out.