The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

On my way back from lunch today - take a look what I found sitting on top of a garbage can in Bangor Pa. A first for me, finding a thrown out talking machine in the trash

Score! Looks complete and should clean up pretty nicely.

In this case, someone else's stupidity was your good fortune....

It must have been clean up - tons of stuff out on the curb. A quick look and the crank just spins around so we will see what it needs

It still surprises me, in this day and age, when people can get something for a nice antique that they would just throw it away! On the other hand, sometimes people ask too much for an item that is not worth it. I guess it's a double edge sword.

But, I agree, it should clean up, and I'm sure the motor will be easy to get running!

Good luck with it!

Congratulations! I've often found 78s for free out on the curb, but never a full-fledged Grafonola!

Congratulations! I'm glad you got it before some kids spotted it and smashed it just for the hell of it.

That reminds me of something I read, possibly going back over 30 years ago. It was either published in the "New Amberola Graphic," or "The Antique Phonograph Monthly" -- both long gone. Someone came across a Vic. V in working condition, and fitted with an oak horn, at their local dump. Apparently it was just sitting on a pile of trash. Needless to say, it quickly found a new home.

OrthoFan

Looks like a 1913-'14 "Jewel", Columbia's $35 machine.

Nice little 2-spring machine.

Good grab !

Nice find.

I suspect someone will soon create a thread where they describe how they left a Columbia machine unattended next to a trash can for a few minutes, came back and it was gone...

Mr Grumpy wrote:Nice find.

I suspect someone will soon create a thread where they describe how they left a Columbia machine unattended next to a trash can for a few minutes, came back and it was gone...

It was 30 minutes when they went to the rest room. Anyway that is a good find and a once in a life time opportunity. Probably thrown out because it would not crank. I have read a couple of instances of people finding discarded phonographs that people did not want. One was a horned machine complete with horn. It was called a crown. Tom B

tomb wrote:

Mr Grumpy wrote:Nice find.

I suspect someone will soon create a thread where they describe how they left a Columbia machine unattended next to a trash can for a few minutes, came back and it was gone...

It was 30 minutes when they went to the rest room. Anyway that is a good find and a once in a life time opportunity. Probably thrown out because it would not crank. I have read a couple of instances of people finding discarded phonographs that people did not want. One was a horned machine complete with horn. It was called a crown. Tom B

Actually it was more like 10 to 15 minutes while I went to locate the buyer at a phonograph show, leaving the machine by the monitored entry area nowhere near a trash can or bathroom. So I really don’t see any comparison, nor the humor in what was essentially a theft. But whatever, lol, right?