The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hi all,
I am a newbie on this site and trying to get any information I can on my most recent purchase. I bought a Columbia Portable Grafonola recently, it's original purchase was for it to accompany my 1930 Ford Model A at car shows, I intended to record some 1920's and 30"s songs from the internet, transfer them onto a MP3 player and hide a small speaker somewhere on or in the player. When I saw this player because the case looked decent and it had a drawer for the MP3 player, I bought it even though it had a broken tone arm. I found I could repair the arm using some plumbing parts as a bushing ( I may have just sent a shutter thru the crowd, sorry) I purchased some inexpensive 78's and was amazed that it works and sounds so well. I now LOVE the player and may have found yet another hobby, I have some questions about the machine that I haven't been able to answer on the net so I am here to ask the experts, I have what is supposed to be a original instruction manual, but that has no answers for me. I don't know if I will be successful or not but I will try to add a picture to my post. When I had the motor board off I didn't see any model number but a Patent sticker which I believe to have a last date of 1922, indicating it was made after that. 1st question is what model would this be? 2nd what years were this model produced? I had the typical questions about needles but got the " throw them away often" answer from reading posts on here, thank you for your time reading all this, any answers or history i can get about this I appreciate, thank you. Bob

Sorry I couldn't post a photo

There were many, many different models of Columbia portable machines made in the USA, England and countries across the world. Without a photo, it is difficult to know which one you have. However, most, if not all the portable models have the model number displayed somewhere, usually in the lid.

Welcome to the forum and to the hobby.
Pictures can easily be added by scrolling down below the area where you type your text. There you can upload up to 10 pictures per post. If you need more simple respond to your own post and add up to 10 more and so on. Hope that helps.

Andreas

Bobm90 wrote:Hi all,
.... When I saw this player because the case looked decent and it had a drawer for the MP3 player, I bought it even though it had a broken tone arm. ....
Bob

A drawer? Only two Columbia portable models equipped with a "drawer" (for record storage) come to mind --

The Model 140 and Model 150. They are similar except for the fact that the tonearm was attached to the lid in the 140 and the horn is encased in the lid, with louvers for volume control. For the 150, the tonearm is attached to the motor board, and a conventional horn is located under the motor board.

Here's a photo of the 140 -- FROM: https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/ ... -410022346
(Also see -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTyxESkJGu0)

Here's the 150 -- FROM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRDY1F2rz6E

OrthoFan

Thank you all for your replies, and the directions as to how to post a photo (sorry I didn't look below the line), I will try to get one on here now. From the photos that OrthoFan posted it looks like I have the model 140 so now questions about it's production dates and any other interesting info., thanks again - Bob

Hi Bob:

Many thanks for confirming.

Unlike The Victor Talking Machine Company , where production dates, and other company stats still exist -- http://www.victor-victrola.com/ -- there's relatively little to go on when it comes to Columbia models.

One of the most comprehensive resources published about Columbia Grafonolas (disc models) was "Columbia Phonograph Companion, Vol. II," by Robert Baumbach. (He also published Volume I, which was was devoted to Graphophones or cylinder players.)

According to the information Baumbach provides, The Model 140 (New Columbia Portable) was introduced in 1924, though some sources state 1923.

Page 203: "The New Columbia Model 140 portable phonograph featured the new one-spring motor; New Reproducer, and a sliding drawer under the turntable which held eight records. Columbia's famous tone leaves were housed in the top of the lid. The cabinet was finished in black fabrikoid and trimmed with nickel plated metal parts. (Height 8 ⅞"; Width 11 ¾"; Depth 16 ⅛")"

That's it.

The model 150, which would have been the follow-on to the 140, was introduced in 1926, according to the book, though some sources say 1925.

In any event, your 140 was probably produced for only a year or two, which makes it relatively rare. As to how many were produced or sold--that's anyone's guess.

HTH,
OrthoFan

Ortho Fan'
Thank you very much for going to the trouble of researching my Columbia player, you have answered all my questions. These are amazing devices when one thinks that it is all mechanical and the reproduced sound starts with a simple vibration caused by grooves cut into a record. I have much to learn about how the shellac records were actually produced, and more about these wonderful machines. The record keeping on these machines is much like Ford did with his cars, collectors still debate details on some things even after 90 years mainly because everything was kept a secret and not recorded properly. I won't be able to add much to the posts on here because of my lack of knowledge but will watch topics and read as much as possible about this fabulous hobby. Thanks again.
Bob