The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Look who i am asking?

Anyway i was telling my father about a Victor Grenada that I would not pay $400.00, and his response was “Do you really need another machine?”

I have seven very nice machines, and would love to have an Orthophonic, machine. Of course would love a Path`e as well.

If you have room for them, no. If you start stacking them on top of each other so you can't use the one below without moving the one on top, then I think you're crossing the line. I believe that phonographs and records are for playing. Not using them is sad, just like seeing a Stratavarius in a glass case where no one can get to it is sad.

For playing electrical records you need one, orthophonic style. Not wanting to disturb too much, you acquire a good portable. But it's the second one, as your first one was acquired urgently, because it was cheap, your very first machine. Once day, there's the chance to buy a grand orthophonic console, which you know sings much better than the portables, and you buy it. Nice.
Soon you discover that vertical records need another type of machine, and you buy it.
After some time, you're tempted to think that acoustic records might sound better in an older machine. You by a huge, old good style Gramophone, because it was in the spot the moment you need it, and the price was fair.
Then, the legend of the heaviest and most luxurious portable arrives to you. After years rummaging in your brain, you happen to find one, you buy it.
Etc...
That could be the story of many of us.
Then the idea of rescuing machines from oblivion, or from mistreating by bad restorers or ambitious merchants, makes you feel as the saviour of those poor gramophones... so you buy them for the sake of restoring them with love and care, and make them more durable, and useful...
The story has no end.
Those of us who have been bitten by this bug will collect Gramophones and records while we can.

Isn't it lovely?
You NEED machines as others need football, or sailing, or X-Box, or hunting, out fishing... We're not rarer than others!

Can one have too many machines?

I used to believe there were no dumb questions. I have been proven wrong!

Jerry B.

bigshot, will we see you at the APS Expo? Hope so. Stop and say hello. Jerry Blais

Nice Mustang, Jerry! I’m so jealous!

Interesting topic. If I had kept all the machines since the time I started to collect in the late 50's and still in High School, I would have rooms wall to wall. However I tend to like to present machines in locations where they appear at least to be somewhat as they would have been when new. When I get too many machines or records I tend to scrap or sell or giveaway things to get the balance back. Now that I am older and who knows, one day I won't have machines at all for the most part, one tends to begin to challenge what do I really have to have to be happy. A new machine or records are great for a boost in fun, but soon there just lined up or stacked and rarely heard. For now I am lucky my mom is still living and next door so I can place a few in her reasonably good basement and a couple upstairs. That allows for expansion some day as well if I want to. But I am not going to take them with me as the saying goes. I've know people who have such a passion the rooms are just a pathway to walk though. Its not for me, but for them its wonderful. So each one has to decide how they want to proceed. If you have a decent Brunswick you can play all the types on it, and I must say on Pathé it does a better job than the Pathé machines I have heard. And for Edison nothing out plays the Edison reproducer for sound. So your stuck there for sure. Portables are fun but I find they don't have the depth of course the larger electrical play back machines have, thus I ended up with the Columbia 800 which is a good addition to my listening. For me its evern worse because I have gone though periods where 30's and 40's 78 albums are a passion, I also went though a period of 45 records, mostly copied from original 78 masters. It finally dawned on me that the 78s have a much fuller and richer sound on good turntable and quality speakers, so you have that to contend with as well . A person I knew who collected another kind of antique items said, "The fun is in the Hunt". Getting something you have not heard and fixing the cabinets is probably the most fun of all to me, after that I try to limit to things I really found I want to here or play over and over.

Larry

Inigo wrote:For playing electrical records you need one, orthophonic style. Not wanting to disturb too much, you acquire a good portable. But it's the second one, as your first one was acquired urgently, because it was cheap, your very first machine. Once day, there's the chance to buy a grand orthophonic console, which you know sings much better than the portables, and you buy it. Nice.
Soon you discover that vertical records need another type of machine, and you buy it.
After some time, you're tempted to think that acoustic records might sound better in an older machine. You by a huge, old good style Gramophone, because it was in the spot the moment you need it, and the price was fair.
Then, the legend of the heaviest and most luxurious portable arrives to you. After years rummaging in your brain, you happen to find one, you buy it.
Etc...
That could be the story of many of us.
Then the idea of rescuing machines from oblivion, or from mistreating by bad restorers or ambitious merchants, makes you feel as the saviour of those poor gramophones... so you buy them for the sake of restoring them with love and care, and make them more durable, and useful...
The story has no end.
Those of us who have been bitten by this bug will collect Gramophones and records while we can.

Isn't it lovely?
You NEED machines as others need football, or sailing, or X-Box, or hunting, out fishing... We're not rarer than others!

Absolutely, that’s the way it goes!

I sold off about 25 of my machines, I realize that 14 machines are enough for me. All of my machines are cherished and played as much as possible. When does one have enough machines, it’s a tough question. But when they become a consumer of too much space, a drain on finances and the mind, in my opinion it’s too many. I ask myself how many records can I play in a month or year and figure it out.

Some of us have other hobbies and have to weigh that in, me it’s photography, antique radios, stereoscopes and fountain pens. I have downsized that collection to 12 radios, 1 stereoscope,100 stereo cards and a dozen fountain pens.

Too many machines, we all have to make our own decisions.

As Larry noted, the fun is in the hunt. However, for the last twenty five years, I have had an eight machine limit, with a few temporary exceptions. It is just right for my interests and space.

I tend too find quite a number Victrola’s in the wild, but i don’t buy them, because, i already have a nice floor model. Also, I would not buy one to resell, because it took four years to sell one, and i took a price loss. If I found a decent affordable orthophonic, i might consider it? However it can’t be a large credenza. I do have four nice cylinder machines. Two Edison and two Columbia’s. Plus i have a nice portable machine as well.

If I have to be honest. I love the more unique machines, that only turn up at auction.

The one thing that keeps me from buying more machines is money. Most goes towards paying bills and my mortgage. So, that helps me too not buy a machine, because i want it. Although i did splurge, and buy a Mandolinia Organette, because it is not a phonograph, but something i like. Needs repair though. SIGH!