Stories about collecting

Discussions on Talking Machines & Accessories
ColoradoPhonograf
Victor II
Posts: 475
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2009 6:21 pm

Stories about collecting

Post by ColoradoPhonograf »

I was thinking about some of the stories that come along with each machine we come across. How you came across it? The search for something and suddenly found it in the weirdest place? Doing an eBay word search with misspellings? or just dumb luck?

I'll lead out with a story from about 10 years ago. A fellow collector I know was bidding on a VTLA Victrola on eBay but didn't win it. Back then you could find out who was bidding and actually do contacts. A Radio collector in my hometown contacted him after the auction ended and offered up a similar machine for private purchase. This fellow collector who is a friend of mine was quite interested and asked me to check out the machine since he was a 1000 miles away. I said yes, and went to check it out. It was a pristine VTLA with all the original record boxes and no issues. I picked it up for him and held it at my house for a couple of months til he arranged to have it shipped. Since I was an obvious collector while at the seller's house he showed me around his radio collection, it was interesting and I was cordial to compliment him on his collection. I was only there to be a confidante to my fellow collector friend and do the deal.

A couple of weeks later this radio collector called me and said he had been out to some estate sales and found another phonograph which he had purchased. I told him I would contact my friend and see if he was interested. The seller said, "no, this one is for you, if you want it". he said he had enjoyed the visit and that maybe this machine was something I would like for my own collection. I asked what he had found and he said a Victrola XVIII (18). I have never heard of anyone in this forlorn western area as to ever to have have found a local machine of that caliber. I asked him again if it was a XVII or a XVIII. he was specific and then I asked about the condition. All he had to say was "Well, it's better than that VTLA you picked up for your friend". My heart was beating wildly because I knew he knew what he was looking at and didn't exagerate condition. Off I went with furniture blankets in hand to check it out. He said he would like to get $1500 for it....I had cash in hand and picked up the most minty victrola XVIII (spring motor) you could ever hope to find.

It now sits in my office where I can see it and play it if I wish. I guess a good deed done sometimes have its rewards.

I'm hoping others have stories of things stumbled upon or fate or just downright diligence to acquire a machine you had always wanted. This is my (sorry) lengthy story (one of many).

Image


Happy Collecting,
ColoradoPhonograf

User avatar
JHolmesesq
Victor II
Posts: 265
Joined: Sun May 09, 2010 4:44 pm
Personal Text: Nashville nightingale, sing a little tune for me, croon for me...
Location: York, UK

Re: Stories about collecting

Post by JHolmesesq »

Mine was more of a lucky eBay search. At the moment I am trying to acquire every 78 that Bix Beiderbecke appeared on. As usual I was having no luck - the Okehs and Gennett sides were going for way above what I was willing to pay so I began to look at other artists I had an interest in.

I typed in "New Orleans" in to the search bar. Look what it threw up:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0355631433

The seller had no clue that this was one of the most treasured Bix recordings featuring a famous solo. I couldn't believe my luck - they had just listed the song title on one side! I bided my time and won the auction by just one dollar.

It now take pride of place in my collection :)

User avatar
SonnyPhono
Victor III
Posts: 984
Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2009 3:59 am
Personal Text: Drawing a blank...
Location: Columbus, Ohio

Re: Stories about collecting

Post by SonnyPhono »

Great stories, and a great thread I might add. It's always fun to hear the success stories from other collectors. The hunt is half the fun, right?!

I was at a local auction about 2 years ago and I had just began to collect/take interest in phonographs. I really didn't know very much about the hobby yet so I was eager to get my hands on anything phonograph related. It turns out the auction listing mentioned a "Columbia record player", but didn't show any pictures. I arrived to the auction late and asked someone in the crowd if the Columbia had already sold. The person I asked happened to be the guy who had the winning bid. He looked at me and said, "It already sold, and I bought the d*mn thing by accident. Thought I was bidding on something else." I smiled and asked what it sold for. He said he won the bid at $20, and if I wanted it I could have it for that price. Keep in mind I hadn't seen it yet and didn't even know what it was for that matter. Again, being new to the hobby I was interested in anything that had to do with phonographs for that price. I went to his seat to see what he had bought. Turns out it was an early variation of a model AK Graphophone. It was missing the horn, crank and reproducer. But the cabinet and decals were nice. The motor looked good so I though what the heck. $20.00 was worth it. At that time I didn't realize what a nice find that was. Not that an AK is an ultra rare or highly desired phonograph. But it also isn't one you come across at a local auction everyday either.

That's probably one of my favorite stories from my brief history in this hobby so far. Who's next?! :)

User avatar
Brad
Victor III
Posts: 939
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2009 7:12 pm
Personal Text: So many phonographs, so little money
Location: The Garden State

Re: Stories about collecting

Post by Brad »

Recently my wife and I went to a local estate sale that that listed phonographs, horns, and telephones amongst the various other typical estate items. Included in the listing was an Edison Fireside. We took a number and waited outside for our turn to enter. As the folks that got in before us started to leave they all commented to us second class shoppers "don't bother, they're crazy, they will never get the prices they are asking". They weren't kidding. typical glass ball xmas ornaments, $5 each, standard used stainless knives and forks, $2 each. A VV-IX in bad shape $1500, moldy and cracked 2 minute cylinders $25 each, scratched and dirty diamond discs $20 each, and a reproduction 14" witches hat horn $250, and so it went on. NOTHING was negotiable and nothing was selling. I asked about the fireside and the kid they had stationed in the room of phonographs/telephones said "We are saving the good stuff for next week". Oh boy, I could only imagine. I asked the kid what he knew about the values of what was in the room and he said, nothing, but everyone is telling me they are way over priced. I took a few minutes to educate him on the standard stuff, tried to make some fair offers on a few items, but no one working the sale was empowered to actually get anything sold.

We noticed the following weekend another add in the paper for the same sale that said for Sunday afternoon, things would be half price. I talked my wife into another visit thinking, maybe they will deal. No-way. Practically nothing in the house had sold. I could now pick up that repro witches hat for a cool $125 if I wanted. The same kid was there and he told me that very little had sold. I looked around and asked him about the fireside that was listed, he pointed over in the corner and said it is over there, it doesn't work. I took a look and everything was there except the belt. I looked at the tag to see how hard I was going to laugh at it said $75. I asked if that was the price and he said no, it's half off, only $37.50. So $37.50, a new belt and little cleaning of the motor works and I have a very nice Fireside (which, by the way is my favorite machine, at least until the next one follows me home).
Why do we need signatures when we are on a first avatar basis?

Jerry B.
Victor Monarch Special
Posts: 8718
Joined: Tue Feb 10, 2009 11:25 am
Personal Text: Stop for a visit when in Oregon.
Location: Albany, Oregon

Re: Stories about collecting

Post by Jerry B. »

I work as a journeyman for the local electric company and am friends with the meter readers. It's always nice to have extra eyes looking for old bicycles or phonographs. One day one of the meter readers, Steve, came across a Victrola at an estate sale while reading his route. He called to ask if I was interested in a big mahogany upright Victrola for $125. When I asked him to read me what was on the ID tag, I was surprised to hear him say "VTLA". He volunteered to put $20 down to have them hold the machine and mark it "sold". After work we drove to the sale and I fully expected to see a domed top Victrola XVI style VTLA. To my delight, it turned out to be a flat top Pooley style VTLA. I couldn't believe my good fortune! I told Steve that he hit a home run for me and it was not an ordinary home run. It was one from the bottom of the ninth in the World Series. Steve is an outdoors-man and after we unloaded the Victrola, I offered him a Ruger pistol that had been sitting unused in the basement. He exclaimed that the gun was worth several hundred dollars and he couldn't accept such an offer. I reminded him that he found one of the finest Victrolas in my collection and the pistol was a small thanks for his efforts. To this day, the $125 price tag hangs from the same Victrola knob. I'm often asked by generous collectors if I'd like to double my money when they hear the story.

Side story... when I cleaned and polished the VTLA, I found one of my old phonograph business cards from our old address in the drawer. I must have talked to the previous owner at a flea market or somewhere and I have often wondered what we talked about.

Happy collecting, Jerry Blais

gramophone78
Victor VI
Posts: 3946
Joined: Mon Nov 16, 2009 9:42 am
Location: Western Canada

Re: Stories about collecting

Post by gramophone78 »

Victor #10.JPG
Well,like everyone that has collected for awhile there are many great and funny stories that have happened to us.For me,it was a "part" that I remember as one of my most memorable.I was visiting family down Mexico way and as alway's looking for Phono goodies.That trip was turning into a "nothing" trip.We decided to take a short trip to another town and have fun.As we are about to leave,the phone rings.A man would like to know if I would like to see his Phonographs.Well,I gave my Wife the "Puppy eyes" and she said OK!!.
We met the man and to my dismay all the machines (3) were in sad or bad shape.As I was about to leave (empty handed) I asked the standard question....."do you have any parts??"
The man pulls out a small drawer and tells me "just these reproducers".Right away my eyes see a Victor black case and a bunch of "beat" ortho's and Columbia's and off brands.I pick up the case (thinking Exhibition) and open it.Well........Was I wrong!!!! :shock: .It was a clean un-molested Victor #10 looking at me :o .Without showing tooooo much excitment,I had to ask "how much??" 8-) .The man looked at me and said "80.00 and no less".Now,who am I to argue.A deal was made :lol: .

User avatar
TinfoilPhono
Victor V
Posts: 2019
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2009 8:48 pm
Location: SF Bay Area, Calif.

Re: Stories about collecting

Post by TinfoilPhono »

It's very rare for me to find anything locally here in northern CA, though I've had a few good scores. I think my favorite was this:

Image

A guy who worked for the local utilities company was into phonographs and would occasionally stop by to chat. Working for PG&E he had the opportunity to get inside just about every house in the county, and found some great things as a result. One day in 1996 we were talking and I happened to mention the glass-sided Zonophone A I had owned in the 1960s/1970s but traded away in a very misguided and lopsided deal, that I've regretted ever since. He said "I just saw a glass Zonophone at a guy's house a few miles north." I asked if he was going for it himself and he said no, it really wasn't his thing. So he gave me the fellow's phone number and I called right away. He said to come on over so I raced up to his place, maybe 10-15 minutes away. He took me in the kitchen and I saw the machine, which consisted of the cabinet, support arm and turntable, and the 30" horn (rather dented). It was missing the crank, tonearm and reproducer.

I wasn't sure exactly what it was, but I sure as heck knew it wasn't an "A". So I was really disappointed. So disappointed that I stupidly was preparing to walk out the door when common sense finally clicked in. It was, after all, a Zonophone, even if I was unfamiliar with the specific model. The cabinet is a lot like an "A", just a bigger base and 9" rather than 7" turntable. The original condition of the finish was flawless. And, after all, it does have two glass sides, not just one as on the usual 'Concert'. I suppose it's worth at least asking how much he wants........... So I did. "$600, firm." Holy crap! I almost walked away from this???

I found an original crank at a show, got a replica Concert V reproducer from Mirek Stehlik (which I have since replaced with an original), and a replica tonearm from the Smiths. I had the horn rolled out but kept it unlacquered. Et voilà, a really nice example of the earliest 'Concert' model, of which I have seen only 3 others since.

EdiBrunsVic
Victor IV
Posts: 1111
Joined: Mon Jun 28, 2010 12:12 pm
Location: Lubbock, Texas (again)

Re: Stories about collecting

Post by EdiBrunsVic »

This short story could go under the Brunswick machines section, but since it is a collecting experience, I will relate it here.

When we lived in Oklahoma, there were more places to hunt for old records and phonographs. We also lived about two hours drive from Amarillo, Texas and it was there that I traded a Brunswick table model for a large amount of cylinder records...(about 130 of them). We took them home, played them on our little dependable Amberola 30 and realized we had some duplicates and some tunes we did not really want to keep. Several weeks later, we were in the Oklahoma City area and while browsing around a shop, I spied a Brunswick York phonograph. It looked good, except the mainspring was broken. The shop owner had acquired two cylinder phonographs but had no records. He wanted to get rid of the Brunswick. I decided to offer a trade. So, on that February day in 1986, he took 25 cylinder records in trade for the Brunswick phonograph. I borrowed a pick up truck to get it home. After ordering a mainspring and following the instructions in a pamphlet I had, I replaced the old spring, new grease and all, and to this day, the phonograph works quite well. It's the only phonograph I bought with records! I need a Pathé needle for it, but the Ultona reproducer sounds great with Brunswick records! There's something about the sound quality of a good Brunswick record played on a Brunswick phonograph that is hard to match!

Now we live in Nevada, and I am looking forward to going to the CAPS show later this month.

gramophoneshane
Victor VI
Posts: 3463
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2009 3:21 pm

Re: Stories about collecting

Post by gramophoneshane »

I recently posted a picture taken in 1976 on facebook, of a Gr6 camp we went on with a whole bunch of other local primary schools. One of the girls in the photo (from another school) was my girlfriend for about 3 days during the camp, and I didn't see her again for a couple years, until we went to high school, but she was only there a short time, and we only spoke a few times before she transfered to another school. That was 1978 & I haven't had contact with her since.
So a couple weeks ago, I get a friends invite from her, saying she had found my profile & saw the picture I had posted. I accepted & sent a quick message, asking how she was etc, then yesterday she sent a reply with usual married with 6 kids kind of story, but the end of the message was very interesting.
A friend of hers was looking through her friends list, and checked out my profile, and noticed the photo album I have posted of some of the cylinder & disc machines in my collection. Apparently the friend contacted Lisa, saying they have a cylinder record player sitting in the shed, & if I want it, I can have it for free :D
Is it a Gem or an Idelia? Who knows, but I guess I'll find out in the next couple weeks when I get it.
I was tempted to ask for a serial number to maybe identify the model, but I dont mind surprizes ;)

User avatar
Tinkerbell
Victor III
Posts: 778
Joined: Tue Jul 13, 2010 7:01 pm
Location: Somewhere over Never, Neverland

Re: Stories about collecting

Post by Tinkerbell »

gramophone78 wrote:
Victor #10.JPG
Well,like everyone that has collected for awhile there are many great and funny stories that have happened to us.For me,it was a "part" that I remember as one of my most memorable.I was visiting family down Mexico way and as alway's looking for Phono goodies.That trip was turning into a "nothing" trip.We decided to take a short trip to another town and have fun.As we are about to leave,the phone rings.A man would like to know if I would like to see his Phonographs.Well,I gave my Wife the "Puppy eyes" and she said OK!!.
We met the man and to my dismay all the machines (3) were in sad or bad shape.As I was about to leave (empty handed) I asked the standard question....."do you have any parts??"
The man pulls out a small drawer and tells me "just these reproducers".Right away my eyes see a Victor black case and a bunch of "beat" ortho's and Columbia's and off brands.I pick up the case (thinking Exhibition) and open it.Well........Was I wrong!!!! :shock: .It was a clean un-molested Victor #10 looking at me :o .Without showing tooooo much excitment,I had to ask "how much??" 8-) .The man looked at me and said "80.00 and no less".Now,who am I to argue.A deal was made :lol: .
Wow, that is beautiful! Do you have any pictures of the side engraving?

Post Reply