The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Client brought this in to have a bad repair repaired correctly, has now decided that she wants to sell it and asked me the value... I have no idea so once again turn to the forums knowledge. I apologize if this is covered, I found nothing in the search, tag has H 19 @ the left and SM-60420, will attach pics. Any info @ year, low and high value, machine plays and sounds good, new spring and arbor, diamond looks good under 10X lens, pretty much untouched. Thanks in advance!

The H-19 is probably the least wanted Diamond Disc machine. It is generally considered to be too plain and too ugly to be of interest to anyone except the beginner who just wants a working DD machine. The only thing going for this one is the earlier style "sheaves" grill which appears to be in good shape. Most of the time those grills are damaged in some way.

With a good reproducer, I'd value it in the $100-$150 range, a touch higher or lower depending on condition and restoration quality. That also doesn't take into account any records.

Knowledgeable collectors would probably pass on this and wait for a decent C-19 or similar, which can frequently be had for maybe another $100.

H-19, "Heppelwhite" (Edison's spelling). Introduced in 1919, as the model number suggests; dropped from the catalog by 1927. One of Edison's least expensive disc models (the B-19 "Chalet" table model was the cheapest at the time): the composition grille was changed for a wooden one of different design shortly afterward, as the public didn't like it very much. Not a particularly rare or valuable model; but a nice entry to Diamond Disc machines.

- Bill

52089 wrote: Wed Dec 15, 2021 9:53 pm The H-19 is probably the least wanted Diamond Disc machine. ...

Even less than its console variant, the BC-34 "baby console"? I think I remember a listing or so in Yankee Trader that failed in an attempt even to give away a BC-34, and although I've seen a BC-34 or so "in the wild," and I've seen jillions of S-19 "Sheraton sans inlays," I've never encountered an H-19 in person. Not that it can be by any stretch of the imagination a "rarity" or "hot collectible," but given all that I personally would find one marginally more interesting than the other two models. Mind you, I agree that at current prices it would make more sense to hold out for a C-250/C-19 unless space is an issue.

Thank you all!! Great info as always, Merry Christmas!!

I'm not an expert in dds, but I suppose the key thing is the horn. The biggest horn was the '250', wasn't it?