The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I remembered today that I placed one of my father's boxes in the attic that used to contain cylinder records. I went on a search and I found the wooden box that contained several broken black cylinders.

I did spy another case up there that I didn't recognize. I brought it down and examined it and it contained 22 Edison blue amberol records. Now I have heard of salesman's cases but never have seen one.

Is this a salesman's case or were these sold to transport cylinders?
I did some research and didn't find much on the subject. Are these case worth anything???
This one needs some restoration, and I'm wondering if it would be worth restoring.

One half of the case had its covering removed... Looks like it was glued... I'm not sure what the material is.. but it has a alligator like finish. Anyone know? If so, is it obtainable today?

Thanks in advance for any help with these questions.

Edward

I dont think they were ever used by salesmen. I would imagine a salesman would have needed a box to carry cylinders in their cardboard storage tubes, so would have no need for a box with cardboard pegs to mount bare cylinders on.
I think they were mostly just storage boxes for private use, being one step up from the "shoe box" type storage boxes, and a step below record cabinets.
I have seen them included with "outfits" offered by places like Sears, where you'd get a machine, cylinders, listening tubes, fliers & a printing outfit etc, for people who wanted to put on shows in the early days, and charge people to hear a phonograph playing. But I think most were just for domestic storage & transport.
I have no idea what they sell for. I bought one many years ago from an antique shop, but honestly cant remember what I paid. It wouldn't have been much.
Mine appears to be covered in some type of "rexine" fabric, much like you find on old cameras & the portable phonos of the 20s & 30s. This is still available, and you should find some by doing a google search for Rexine, but you might have to recover the whole box, as you may not find a pattern that's an exact match to the original.

The 2 cases I have came with early (pre-moulding) brown wax cylinders. It is quite possible that these transportable cases were used for traveling exhibitors, although they "could" be used by the technicians that changed out the cylinders on coin-in-slot phonograph parlors. I think the case in your illustration is older than Blue Amberol cylinders by far.

Thanks for the replies.. I researched the "Rexine" and I believe that it is the same material.. Now finding some has proved to be a bit of a challange. Still working on that.

Good point about the salesman and the cylinder cases. Regardless. I think I will restore this case