The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

A few minutes ago, I was about to order a Blind Boy Fuller 78 in VG condition for $50 . . . Only to find that it had sold sometime in the past few days. I’d procrastinated for months.

So what are some of your big fish that got away?

I felt so bad that a while ago there was a couple of Edison 2 minute 10134, Shine On Harvest Moon.I was so mad because someone beat me to it.I have found another copy since then! edisonplayer.

Some things are not meant to be. Very often, when we miss out, we find that something even better often comes along, making it all for the best. I often thank goodness for unanswered prayers/wishes/hopes.

JerryVan wrote: Fri Aug 30, 2024 8:09 pm Some things are not meant to be. Very often, when we miss out, we find that something even better often comes along, making it all for the best. I often thank goodness for unanswered prayers/wishes/hopes.

Agreed, Jerry. I searched high and low for years for a (affordable to me) copy of Victor V-38137, "Rhythm Club Stomp," by King Oliver and his orchestra. It was sort of a "holy grail-ish" record for me. Every time a copy would pop up, which wasn't often, it would go for between $300 to over $500. Luck smiled on me a few months back when I snagged a copy off eBay for $80. No, it isn't pristine, but still nice and playable. I guess nobody was paying attention and/or looking that day.

Not exactly a record, but a piano roll featuring a 1926 song title I collect. It doesn't appear to be a very "common" roll, and it popped up on eBay at about 11PM sharp one night. I added it to my watchlist, and about 10 minutes later, told myself "it'll probably sell soon, so I'll just get it now before someone else finds it." I hopped back on eBay and bam! it was gone! I was stunned, but alas, I am young yet and it probably won't be the last time I see the title.

JerryVan wrote: Fri Aug 30, 2024 8:09 pm Some things are not meant to be. Very often, when we miss out, we find that something even better often comes along, making it all for the best. I often thank goodness for unanswered prayers/wishes/hopes.

Oh, I agree with this.

I have a wealthy acquaintance who is able to obtain pretty much every item he wants to “collect,” though much of it never comes out of storage. Thus, he doesn’t really get to enjoy most of it. I hesitate even to call it collecting. More like amassing.

Having said that, it’s fun to trade stories about the one that got away.

On a second-hand products app I found a perfectly working Edison Home+matching horn for $100, I just had to walk a 10min distance
I just forgot these apps exist and arrived 2 hours late to the listing

This story concerns a machine, not a record, but it is worth repeating.
In 1971 I got a promotion (good) which meant accepting a change of residence transfer (bad).
While house hunting in the new location I came upon an antique shop. In the window was a Columbia Disc Graphophone with a large brass horn and a Ragtime Rastus dancing toy. The price was £50 (£885 today) which was more than I could afford at the time. I can still picture it now, and wonder what became of it.

about a month ago there was an auction on ebay for some predog victors, early zon-o-phones, and a few others, sold for much less than it was worth and i wasnt the highest bid.

Just after having acquired a portable hmv101 in black, and few days after that, an incredible Aeolian Vocalion period model consolette, I was looking for records, and I was offered a couple more 101s for less than the price of one, and i declined buying them... I still remember it! The man saying to me take them two, you'll never have a chance like this...