The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Good very-early morning from Beijing.

In my last post I talked about seeing a phonograph for sale at a night market. I went back out to investigate it. The woman behind the table only wanted ¥11 for it.

It appears to not be a phonograph, but a carrying case for phonograph cylinders.

There were 2 cylinder containers inside, 1 has a cylinder in it. The first container reads "Song 1" and also "Edison Records". The second container reads "People Two"- both are sloppily written. I think the second one is incorrect.

There was also a damp paper inside one of the containers reading "A message to the Chinese People", along with a 分2 coin lodged in the lid.

The woman also threw in a booklet with a note written on it- but it doesn't appear to match up at least from the pictures.

So what did I find? I'd like to know more.

I also made a donation of ¥144, as this forum has been a wonderful resource. Thank you friends.

Are these Chinese Edison cylinders? They are super rare, extremely sought after by collectors and cost 500 to 1000 USD or more, depending on their condition.

Sacrificing my sleep for these records!

I'm not sure- I only have started collecting phonographs recently.

That's not a case for cylinders; it's the case for an Edison phonograph, stripped of the works. At a guess, I'd say it was probably an Edison Standard.

Photos of the cylinders themselves would be useful to show condition; if they have mold, as is quite common for the wax ones, they are basically worthless.

Treat the cylinders gently. Wax cylinders are fragile, painfully easy to break. Handle by spreading two fingers inside the cylinder; don't touch the playing surface. Like this (not my photo):

Good morning.

I see. Only one case has a cylinder.