The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

Ron Sitko Estate

“Antique Phonograph Parts & Service”

Stanton’s Auctioneers have been contracted to offer the business along with all present new inventory of the Ron Sitko Phonograph Parts business that was in New York. For nearly 30 years Ron produced and sold parts across the country and world to collectors, and dealers of all types.

In addition to the inventory and business will be a group of antique parts machines, along with the equipment including metal lathe, table saw, drill press, benders for springs, and related pieces used in his business.

Refer to reference link:

https://www.stantons-auctions.com/auctions/8588/landing

CONTACT:

Steven E. Stanton, 517-331-8150, Email – [email protected]

Michael C. Bleisch, 517-231-0868, Email – [email protected]

Glad to see that they decided to sell this as a viable business.

I hope some good soul will get this, to carry on Ron's work...

- Bill

I am not able to pick this up as it's probably going to go high, but I hope somebody does-- Whoever saves the Sitko parts business is going to both save the work of a very good man, and save the phonograph hobby for the rest of us. Most of us have got phonographs that started as Edisons or Victors, and ended up as "Sitkolas" eventually. Without springs, gaskets, and spare parts, the antique phonographs are going to go from accessible & affordable back to being fussy & difficult to fix.

VanEpsFan1914 wrote: Mon Aug 02, 2021 10:06 pm I am not able to pick this up as it's probably going to go high, but I hope somebody does-- Whoever saves the Sitko parts business is going to both save the work of a very good man, and save the phonograph hobby for the rest of us. Most of us have got phonographs that started as Edisons or Victors, and ended up as "Sitkolas" eventually. Without springs, gaskets, and spare parts, the antique phonographs are going to go from accessible & affordable back to being fussy & difficult to fix.

Well said, Charles. I hope there is someone out there with the mechanical aptitude to keep runs work alive. I know I am not that person but I know there are a few of you guys out there who have these talents.

Gosh, those pictures sure bring back a LOT of fond memories to me.

Ron always allowed me to drive down to his place to get my phonograph parts and we spent many pleasant hours over the years chatting about phonographs in these very rooms pictured. He was a truly wonderful person. So knowledgeable and so helpful. And he was never concerned with trying to get top dollar for his parts and his repair services. He was more interested in making a friend and helping out a fellow phonograph collector than anything else. I can still see him sitting at his desk writing down the prices for the parts I needed after we had completed chatting. He would come up with a total like 282 dollars, for example. He'd say, "Call it 270, Doug. Close enough." Not many people left like that anymore.

I had thought that Stanton's would be transporting all of Ron's parts out to Michigan to be sold and dispersed among various buyers. But it's refreshing to see that they are trying to keep his vast collection of parts together which is admirable. Hopefully, this offering will be successful and the new owner will be as fair and reasonable and honest with their pricing as Ron was. It's no wonder that his telephone number was surely the very first call that most phonograph collectors made for their phonograph parts and phonograph services needs.

Ron was one of a kind and I can only hope that whomever is able to take over Ron's business will recognize that he was so incredibly successful because he always found time to help someone with a problem they were having on a phonograph even if the phone call resulted in no sale or benefit at all to him. This along with his fair pricing on parts and repair services made for an incredibly successful business.

Doug

Doug has said it well. The efforts and work Ron did was great. Someone out there can surely take over and keep it going.

Glad to hear his business will be kept intact and sold whole. I sure hope a new owner of this business is up and running soon.

Phono-Phan wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 2:07 pm Glad to hear his business will be kept intact and sold whole. I sure hope a new owner of this business is up and running soon.

Really ? if anyone buys which is unlikely it will probably be parted , any other repairer will have oodles of tone arms etc already

That's what I thought seeing it... A brave man, with lots of money, would be the one who bought it.. . JJudging for the size of the room-shop, and the hundreds of parts and stuff stored therein, I'd bet you'll need near a million dollars to buy it complete... There's no news on the starting bid?