The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Some old phonograph catalogs surfaced here recently, indicating the prices asked in days past. Here are some of the more interesting ones:
June 1962, from a list by W.H. Miller, of Troy, Ohio: Columbia BX with horn and reproducer, $35.00; Columbia Model A, Washington DC emblem, $110.00; Edison C-19 in mahogany, 30.00; Columbia Concert Grand, plays two sizes cylinder, storage drawers in cabinet, $425.00; Edison Triumph, no horn, 2 min, $65.00.
Does anyone have other dates to share?

startgroove wrote:Some old phonograph catalogs surfaced here recently, indicating the prices asked in days past. Here are some of the more interesting ones:
June 1962, from a list by W.H. Miller, of Troy, Ohio: Columbia BX with horn and reproducer, $35.00; Columbia Model A, Washington DC emblem, $110.00; Edison C-19 in mahogany, 30.00; Columbia Concert Grand, plays two sizes cylinder, storage drawers in cabinet, $425.00; Edison Triumph, no horn, 2 min, $65.00.
Does anyone have other dates to share?

Pretty cool idea. Now with inflation at say (3.96) this is what it SHOULD sell for in today's $! How close is it to actual prices?
$35=$273.94
$110=$860.97
$30=$234.81
$425=$3326.50
$65=$508.75


*I have seen inflation rates from 3.22-4.25. I took an arbitrary number (not mine)from a site that calculates such things for fun.

I purchased a few machines from Dennis and Patti Valente's shop in NY in the 70s and 80s, back when I was not aware of any other alternatives.

My first machine from them was an Edison long case Model A home with the finish stripped off but otherwise complete and intact, with an original Model C reproducer, reproduction witch's hat horn, and 3 cylinders, for $225. That was in 1976.

Around 1980, I bought an Edison H-19 Diamond Disc with the early grill for $75.

I still have those two. I also bought a B-80 and an Amberola 50 from them, which I later sold back to them to help with college expenses. I don't recall what I paid for them, but I do remember they paid me $100 and $200, respectively, for those machines.

I have a lot of old dealer lists dating from the 50s to the 80s. I've often thought about writing an article to compare relative prices but I have yet to take the considerable time to assemble the database. It really can be interesting to see how some machines that we now consider common were selling for more than machines that are seen as rare today.

A few random prices:

1957:
Pathé cylinder phonograph with salon (3") mandrel and 12 cylinders: $100
Regina Hexaphone: 250
Columbia BS coin-op: 100
Graphophone Type B 'Eagle': 45
Pathé Gaulois with repro horn: 60
Edison Spring Motor: 125
Graphophone Type N: 110
Kalamazoo Duplex, refinished: 100
Edison suitcase Home: 40

Undated, pre-1959 (no zip code in address:
Puck: $65
Pathé open-works cylinder phonograph: 80
Pathé Gaulois: 95
Edison Gem, banner decal: 40
Edison maroon Gem: 80
Edison Business phonograph: 50
Edison Fireside: 55
Columbia BM: 100
Columbia AA: 40
Columbia AS coin-op: 250
Edison Spring Motor with Bettini reproducer: 250
Columbia AB: 100
Berliner trademark: 250

1959:
Edison Standard with 14" brass horn: $35
Edison Concert - banner model with 5 cylinders: 150
Graphophone Type B 'Eagle': 45
Edison Triumph with Model O reproducer and oak cygnet horn: 75
Berliner hand-wind: 175
Pathé cylinder phonograph with 2" and 3" mandrels: 100
Victor R: 85

1978 --
Peter Pan cameraphone, needs restoration: $100
Graphophone Type B 'Eagle', complete: 210
Edison Suitcase Home: 350
Edison Fireside, refinished: 300
Standard Talking Machine model A: 440
Edison Triumph Model B, fair condition: 400

1979 --
Edison Concert with horn: $1700
Grafonola Deluxe with lion head case: 1500
Graphophone Type B 'Eagle' with repro horn: 395
Edison drip pan Gem: 450
Amberola 1A with M reproducer: 1500
Edison Standard Model A with 2/4 gearing and red morning glory horn: 750
Berliner hand-wind: 3000
Kalamazoo Duplex: 1800
Edison Triumph Model D with #11 cygnet horn: 695
Edison Amberola 30: 350
Columbia AG with 30" brass horn: 1500

Undated, ca. 1980:
Edison Alva: 4500
Edison Class M coin-op: 5000
Edison Eclipse coin-op: 3500
Amberola III (restored): 1500
Triumph model A: 975
Columbia BM: 2500

1982:
Edison Spring Motor: 1500
Edison 'Manhattan' coin-op: 4800
Edison Excelsior coin-op: 3150
Regina Hexaphone 101: 5800
Edison Opera: 2100
Edison Fireside, stripped finish, no horn or reproducer: 350
Edison Suitcase Home: 375
European rear-mount disc phonograph, mahogany with matching horn: 1000
Columbia BS coin-op with Lambert record: 2700
Edison cygnet horn #10, "good condition": 250
Victor IV with wood horn: 1400
Edison Suitcase Standard: 600

1984:
Edison Ajax: 8000
Paillard Maestrophone with hot-air Stirling motor: 6000
Berliner lever-wind: 3000
Edison Idelia, metal cygnet horn with grain finish: 5000
Edison Home, mahogany case: 1000

Etcetera, ad infinitum.

Thanks for posting. I have often wondered how many times a phonograph was bought and sold during its lifetime.

In 1959, I was 12 and a new bank had opened in our little town of Canoga Park, California. My allowance was $1.25 a week, and the idea of putting a little of it into savings appealed to me. At a quarter a week, I would have several dollars by Summer to spend on myself and my sister. During the weeks after the bank opening, there was a display of early recording machines and phonographs in the lobby. I made my deposit and went to see what that was all about. 45 rpm records were the latest technology to me, and rock n roll played on my sister's fat spindle Victrola was a leap forward from these ancient contraptions that played a resin coated toilet paper roll (that was my pre-teen interpretation of what I was looking at!). Anyway, as I closely viewed one of the smallest of the cylinder players, an older gentleman engaged my attention by telling me that this little machine was worth more today than when it was new. He was the owner of all these devices and he offered to sell me that little machine for $15! I learned later that it was an Edison Gem, which version it was I cannot say. Ten years later, my college education was partially funded by repairing early phonographs and radios for the multitude of antique stores in the LA area. All the while, I was gathering the affordable ones to keep for myself. The next machine I have a good recollection of buying, was a Standard Model A for $25 about 1973. It was the first of many machines I got from Neauman Miller, of Yorba Linda, CA. That one took a lot of work to restore, and then I re-restored it about 12 years later, after learning of better techniques and materials. Segway to about 2003, and I attended Stanton's Auction for the disposal of Cecil Dancer's collection. I bid on many machines, including a coin-op Multiphone, which went to someone else for $32,500. I did get a really nice Victor III with a spear point wood horn for $3750 and a Pink Lambert cylinder for $375. It is interesting to note that a similar Victor III and wood horn went for about a thousand less, in the recent months. I'm curious to see where values will go in the next ten years.

Christie's London sale on 13 September 1978 included no less than seven Edison Gem's ranging from £110 to £190, but with hindsight and subsequent price movements the real gems were these :

Style No.3 Gramophone with Clark-Johnson soundbox c1900/1902...£600.

HMV 193 in oak...£160.

HMV 511 in mahogany...£38.

EMG Mark VII in walnut...£300.

The Mark VII was the most expensive model EMG ever offered, and it has been estimated that no more than 100 were made. Where is that walnut example now?

My friend Arthur Pare used to buy machines just for the records.For example,he bought a model N Columbia Graphophone back in 1956 for the amazing price of $3!The N came with a case of brown wax cylinders.Some of them were announced"Made for the Columbia Phonograph Company of Washington,DC."Those were the days!! And,I also thought of my late friend Jerry Donnell.Jerry used to pick stuff up for a song.edisonplayer

By 1966 I had discovered the existence of cylinder phonographs and wanted one badly. My parents, While visiting friends in St. Paul, shopped through a number of antique shops there and brought home a nice Edison Home model B, fitted with a recorder, as we later found out. That cost $35. A black Tea Tray Company morningglory horn with painted flowers cost an additional $6. Fourty mint condition 2m wax cylinders cost .50 cents each. I later paid $15 for a model C reproducer. I still have all of those things.

For what it's worth, my Amberola 30 went for about $40 in 1972 (shabby cosmetic condition, and a couple of non-vital parts missing). The first machine I bought with my own money in '73, the oak VV-IX in good original condition, cost me $70.

Bill