The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

OK....I know brass orthophonic reproducers aren't cheap, and neither is having them rebuilt....but $720?!?!?!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... MEDWX%3AIT

I thought people were paying too much at $400, but this is just plain silly (I even had trouble justifying purchasing mine for $200....particularly since it was just to sit in a reproducer collection...I don't actually own an orthophonic machine).

Yes thats alot of money, but they are hard to find and being rebuilt there is no worries just put it on and its all set for another 80 years. I know the guy that sold that, and he does good work.
I have 3 of those in my 15 years of collecting and some pot metal ones to. Those come up more than the brass ones do.
I guess like anything else, if someone wants it they will pay it, something is only worth what a person is willing to pay. The person who bought it obviously needed it

It's worth what someone will pay for it. Lately I've seen excellent potmetal ones selling for over $100.00. I wouldn't sell a brass one for less than $500.00.

jim

i agree jim 100%, it took me close to 15 years to find the 3 brass ones i have, 1 i rebuilt the other 2 are oroginal and fine, i wouldnt take 800 a pice for them, just dont come up that often to justify selling them

as uncommon as they may be, these brass ortho reproducers - even gold-plated ones - show up often enough on ebay and seem to sell for 300 to 500 (although I haven't seen one sell for that much lately until the one that recently sold for 700+). and a decent rebuild by someone who knows how, like frank tucker or walt somers for example, typically costs a good deal less than a hundred. so, I agree about "worth" being whatever a buyer (or buyers) are willing to pay, but nevertheless...

It's testimony to a convincingly written ad.

If this is truly what this hobby is coming to, then I'll give it up. This is insane.

If you are willing to wait, you can still find a bargain or two out there. One of my brass reproducers came off of a Borgia which someone had partially chopped up but left the motor, tone arm and brass reproducer intact; $110.00 at auction and I sold the remains of the cabinet for $100.00. Another one is a nickel plated one which had been in water and the bearing block was almost rusted out but I was able to save it. The plating is beautiful and with parts from a junker potmetal unit, I did a restoration which both looks and sounds great. I traded a restored Edison Model K for it and several years later I'm still happy about the deal. I had $125.00 in the K, so I feel it was a good deal for me even with all the work involved.
I think one of the reasons the brass reproducers are maintaining their value so well is that no one is making exact reproductionss like Paul Baker has done for Edisons. All repros I have seen follow the design of the potmetal style. That and the fact that original brass ones were made for such a short time, just like the brass No. 4s.
Once again, though, it all comes down to not what the seller is asking but what two or more people are willing to pay.

Jim

Also Jim the Brass ones can be rebuilt, 80% id say of pot metal ones cant, plus they only made brass ones in 1925, after that they went to pot metal. That could be another factor as to why they go for big money as well.

Also Jim the Brass ones can be rebuilt, 80% id say of pot metal ones cant, plus they only made brass ones in 1925, after that they went to pot metal. That could be another factor as to why they go for big money as well.