The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

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Over the top and pricey, but still pretty good looking.

$3800 - For that money you're approaching an Opera purchase.

Jerry B.

That's a Don Gfell creation...

That's a Don Gfell creation...

The embellishment? The fantasy Cygnet on a two minute Home?

Jerry B.

Quote from the seller's description:

This one is modeled after a special machine that Thomas Edison did for his daughter as a wedding gift.

So the seller wants a potential buyer to believe that Thomas Edison took an obsolete two minute Home added a Cygnet horn and gave it to his daughter as a wedding gift?

DeeDee and I are enjoying the Oregon Coast so I don't have Frow's book readily available. But I'm thinking there must be an eight year gap between a Model A Home with the red decal and the introduction of Cygnet horns.

Jerry Blais

Jerry B. wrote:

That's a Don Gfell creation...

The embellishment? The fantasy Cygnet on a two minute Home?

Jerry B.

Yes and yes.

We are all forced, from time to time, to use accurate reproductions to complete a machine. I recently purchased a Victor IV project machine. I plan to use a reproduction (Eduardo from Peru) mahogany spearpoint horn. I'll tell any prospective buyer about the horn. I'll also place one of my business cards with those details inside the case. But chances are good that a future buyer will lose that card or conveniently misplace it.

The machine featured in this thread is more than a machine with reproduction parts. It's really a fantasy machine. But in fifty years, with some age, someone, perhaps both the seller and buyer, will think they are looking at a genuine "one off" machine from the Edison factory. Any fantasy machine muddies the waters of our hobby.

Jerry Blais

Exactly, Jerry... I saw those machines in person for sale in Orlando several years ago... A replacement wooden horn, done well, like Eduardo's is not a problem. His are highly valued and bring as much as originals, like Paul Baker's reproducers or Mirek Stehlic's (however that name is spelled) creations, which are as well made or better than the originals. Both highly talented machinists... Bill Ptacek's replica tinfoil machines are incredible and made to exacting standards and command very high prices...

Two minute Edison Standards and Homes are not that valuable, UNLESS, they can be proven to have custom painting from the factory. Even a wood cygnet horn does not increase their value compared to special order custom painting and striping... which seems to be where the lines are crossed...

To my eye all those decals look cluttered and the machine over fussy with detail. But for me the real hideous part is looking at the horn, well made, it might be, but that grain pattern tops off this awful looking machine.

I also don't like fantasy machines for reasons already given - unless they are clearly marked as such. This one is particularly "dangerous" as it combines many real aspects blended with fantasy ones and a story. As time goes on I can see this machine being sold with this "modeled on a machine" story morphing over time to "the actual machine Edison made for his daughter" Apt to cause confusion in the future I think.

I was not initially thinking that in the future someone might try to pass these off as authentic, which is a real possibility. That would be unfortunate. I just thought that they were well done fantasy machines. I like the flamed maple horn with the traverse grain and I like the colors and details that were applied to machines that normally have a utility look. I looked at these as I would look upon a Hot Rod. Not authentic, but well done. I hope that the phonograph collecting public never becomes ignorant enough to believe that these left the factory like this, but it may, and I agree that this can be a problem. I used to play banjo and it is common to see nearly perfect copies of Gibson Mastertone models or Vega tenor banjos that have been converted to 5 strings with convincing necks. I think that the problem has been around for a long time and it is not likely to go away.