Up for sale soon: HMV 202 gramophone

[Garret]

The price seems a bit ambitious, but time will tell. Looks like it previously sold at Bonham's about 20 years ago.

Garret

https://www.the-saleroom.com/de-de/auct ... f300afdad2

[Steve]

Why ambitious? It really ought to make at least £5000 plus commission but I agree it probably won't due to where it is. It sold 15 years ago after the collapse of the very high prices these made in the 1990's AND the more general fall in gramophone prices due to a declining market. With that said, these seem to be getting rarer on the market now so if anybody wants one this is as good as any time to get it.

[CarlosV]

I agree with Steve: 4000 pounds for a 202 in nice condition is a quite reasonable price even today (unless the auctioneer markup is 100%) . These machines are rare, they did not sell in large numbers to begin with, and most were destroyed or converted into drink cabinets.

[epigramophone]

As Steve says, the Guernsey location will be a disincentive to potential bidders. I would not spend that kind of money without viewing the machine in person, and as for the cost of repatriating it to the UK.....

It is, however, an early and original example with the single lid stay and No.5 soundbox.
An unusually well preserved No.5 sold a few days ago on eBay for £290.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/205531721865 ... R4Cl99zrZQ

[Watanabehi]

The price seems a bit ambitious, but time will tell. Looks like it previously sold at Bonham's about 20 years ago.

Garret

https://www.the-saleroom.com/de-de/auct ... f300afdad2

This is an amazing instrument. I have my own, for which I paid almost similar amount of US Dollars.

[EKzono]

It is a reasonable price.

I bought one this year for 6000 Euros.

[Steve]

It is a reasonable price.

I bought one this year for 6000 Euros.

I bought mine over 20 years ago for more than that but even with 3 large EMG / Expert machines, I would never think of selling it. To my mind the 202/203 represents the very best and absolute apex of acoustic sound reproduction that was available at the time and into the 1930's before electrical amplification effectively took over. It's worth noting that the 202/203 model existed in 1927, at a time when Expert didn't exist and EMG's best machine was the Wilson Horn model! Yes, Expert and later on, EMG, easily surpassed the 202/3, but not before the 1930's, by which time comparisons should be made with an electrical device, not an acoustic one, as that was what the mainstream market was offering by then. Only EMG / Expert were still continuing to plough the all-acoustic furrow for the diehard "audiophiles" of the day - their market was effectively a very niche one.

[EKzono]

I couldn’t agree more!