The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

The recent thread about the HMV118 Transportable mentioned David Smith, a dealer well known to many of us.
Since I bought my Edison (Concert) Opera from him a year ago, his website and eBay listings have all disappeared.
For the first time in many years, he was absent from the CLPGS Malvern weekend last October.
Has he at last retired? If so I never heard of any closing down sale taking place, so what became of his stock?
His house was sold in February 2023, and I have heard it suggested that he may have emigrated to Thailand with his Thai wife.
Can anyone confirm this?

I heard that he retired and no longer trading, no more than that.

I believe he's emigrated which means there are now no specialist gramophone dealers left in the UK, for the first time in over 50 years. Collectors at last have a free for all and can happily fight each other for what's left over!

Steve wrote: Mon Sep 25, 2023 5:44 am I believe he's emigrated which means there are now no specialist gramophone dealers left in the UK, for the first time in over 50 years. Collectors at last have a free for all and can happily fight each other for what's left over!

Ha ha !!!

Like badgers rooting around in a dust-bin at mid-night

poodling around wrote: Mon Sep 25, 2023 6:40 am Like badgers rooting around in a dust-bin at mid-night

When I started collecting in the late 1950's it was still possible to find a gramophone in a dustbin. Many were still with their original owners, who were only to happy to give them away to youngsters like me rather than see them thrown away.

I do hope he has immigrated to Thailand, it's one of my favorite countries.
Over the years I have bought some wonderful gramophones from Dave. He was always fair and very straight forward, even though his grumpiness is legendary. Sometimes he would deliver the gramophones to my mothers place which was not far from his shop. Yes! he actually had a gramophone shop. She would say "What a lovely gentleman" and he is. I wish him a happy retirement.

epigramophone wrote: Mon Sep 25, 2023 8:38 am

poodling around wrote: Mon Sep 25, 2023 6:40 am Like badgers rooting around in a dust-bin at mid-night

When I started collecting in the late 1950's it was still possible to find a gramophone in a dustbin. Many were still with their original owners, who were only to happy to give them away to youngsters like me rather than see them thrown away.

Interesting recollection.

I often think of all the wonderful gramophone items which have been thrown away over the past decades. So many EMG soundboxes, HMV documentation and so on. All presumably buried in landfill or maybe lying at the bottom of the sea having been dumped by barges.

poodling around wrote: Tue Sep 26, 2023 10:24 am
I often think of all the wonderful gramophone items which have been thrown away over the past decades. So many EMG soundboxes, HMV documentation and so on. All presumably buried in landfill or maybe lying at the bottom of the sea having been dumped by barges.

I was given an EMG when I was a kid, My Mother wouldn't have it in the house, so it sat in the shed, where my Mother used to hang damp washing over the horn to dry, with the inevitable "drooping" happening after a time. Eventually I was bought a Dansette Junior record player, so Mother could see no reason for me to hang on to the EMG, and while I was at school one day she carted it over to the local rubbish dump. Can't say I was really upset though, I always thought it was a hideous machine, and would rather have had the kid next-door's HMV 102 portable.

Barry

epigramophone wrote: Mon Sep 25, 2023 8:38 am

poodling around wrote: Mon Sep 25, 2023 6:40 am Like badgers rooting around in a dust-bin at mid-night

When I started collecting in the late 1950's it was still possible to find a gramophone in a dustbin. Many were still with their original owners, who were only to happy to give them away to youngsters like me rather than see them thrown away.

It still happens! Often down to indifferent relatives. A relative dies, they inherit a house full of stuff and they just want it cleared. They travel to the property, limited time and in a hurry, numerous trips to the local dump and the stuffs gone. It’s value is of no consideration compared to the value of the property in a minimalist world. 2 years ago, John the traveller, bought me a Zonophone Champion, brought into Harpenden dump (well it’s now called a recycling centre). It had the wrong soundbox, a Meltrope, I didn’t complain.

Forty years ago I used to haunt Dave's shop next door to Hendon Central Underground (subway) station in north-west London. I bought my first Berliners from him (for between £10 and £20, I think), as well as an Edison Standard combination attachment, a Model R reproducer, and some early Yiddish records. Half a lifetime later, when I realised that 'thetalkingmachine' on eBay was the same man, it was like travelling back in time. the result was two more Model Rs, a serviceable and well-preserved Columbia Q lacking only a horn, and several batches of operatic records, one of which included some early John McCormack Odeons. His descriptions were minimal and his photographs were indecipherable, but his prices were not extravagant and I never had reason to regret any of my purchases from him.

Oliver Mundy.