The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/184908215090

Lovers of the elephantine might make one good machine out of this lot. They can then use the left over cabinet as a wardrobe, which is what these hulking great monsters always remind me of.

The 203 seems to have already been used as a shelves wardrobe, watch the holes! They're at both sides... Unless someone has used it as a shooting target!

It is missing the tonearm, which is as hard to find as the horn. The problem with buying rare incomplete machines it that it may take years until you find the missing components. Alex, who is buiding his own DYI reeentrant horn, may want to sweet talk the owner into selling him the horn. The cabinets are too small for wardrobes, Roger, but as probably was the case in the above examples, they would make nice liquor cabinets. It is unfortunate, the 202 sounds almost as good as the best HMV/Experts.

The 203 cabinet looks better than the one I found over here in the US last year.
But refinishing what I have will have to be must less expensive!

What do they sell for when they are in one piece and working these days?
I mean that this really looks like just enough stuff to make one machine and there is little value in the leftover parts so that's a HMV 203 kit of parts for £4000.
Have I missed something ?

As someone pointed... The tonearm is missing, and it's difficult to find! So add more!

They've probably dropped in value but they used to sell for £15,000 or more some years ago.

A good original 202 with oil bath motor and original grille cloth etc will still make North of £6000. An equivalent 203 possibly £7000.

I've been offered £7500 for my 202 but happily turned it down. And to think it was acquired by a lucky member of this forum for the princely sum of just £200, almost beggars belief. I hasten to add that wasn't me. I had to pay full whack for it.

Ugh. To think I knew of a 203 in Berlin that had the tone arm, but passed because there was no horn. FML.

I had no idea that these larger machines were still getting or had got this sort of price, they must have sold in fairly small numbers compared with the smaller machines in the range at the time of production.
If the tone arm is unique to this machine or at least the larger models then a spare is going to be problem.