Early Columbia 206?

[Orthophonix]

Hello, I have just found something strange on the internet, unfortunately it is only one picture and no really explanatory text:
"Columbia 'Viva-Tonal Grafonola'portable gramophone in black leatherette case, early 20th century. 17 cm high, 30 cm wide, 41 cm deep".

https://www.carters.com.au/index.cfm/in ... -columbia/

I know and have a "normal" 206, with the HMV 102 case, with rounded corners, as described in another post here.
Is this an early 206 model, with innards of the HMV 102 packed into the case of the Columbia 202? I have never seen that before, and I wanted to share it. Perhaps somebody has an idea about that or knows it?

[Steve]

No, it appears to be one of the earliest, so-called "prototype" 9000's, available for a very short period in black following the demise of the 206. I have one and there is at least another one known to have survived (apart from the example linked to).

[epigramophone]

I bought this one last week on eBay, where it's rarity went unrecognised, for £45.
Note the different location of the winding handle clips on these two examples pictured.

[Orthophonix]

Well, so one can learn something new every day... Thank you for your quick replies. I would also have taken that one if I had found it. Congratulations!
But isn't it strange, that this type is housed in a 202-style box, while the 206 already had the rounded corners of the HMV 102? Or had they found an old batch of unused 202 cases, or wanted to restore the typical looks of the old Columbias?

[epigramophone]

With the 206 already in production and sharing most of it's construction with the HMV102, it is difficult to imagine what EMI hoped to gain by introducing the 9000 with a totally different case. Clearly they had second thoughts and produced the 9000a instead, which was just a slightly reworked 206.
Having sold my 202 I cannot check whether it's case dimensions are identical to the "Prototype" 9000, but I think it unlikely that EMI would have introduced a new model just to use up a few 202 cases.

Why did I sell the 202? I am on a mission to collect every version of the HMV102. I already have all the catalogued colours, Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Grey, Red and Red Leather, plus the French "La Voix de son Maitre" (Blue) the German Electrola (Blue) and the Indian Teak versions. I also have the Columbia 206 (Black) , the early 9000 (only made in Black) and the 9000a (Blue).

[Steve]

I bought this one last week on eBay, where it's rarity went unrecognised, for £45.
Note the different location of the winding handle clips on these two examples pictured.

Can you please provide the link to the listing as I'm curious as to why no search in my Ebay brings it up, even post-sale "completed items" searches?

[epigramophone]

Here you are :

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/187321477620

[Steve]

Here you are :

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/187321477620

Thanks, Roger, it's always helpful to understand why we cannot always find things that others can. In this instance it's because the seller misspelt "gramophone" as gram-A-phone, a common error. I can find it now when I do the same.

[Orthophonix]

With the 206 already in production and sharing most of it's construction with the HMV102, it is difficult to imagine what EMI hoped to gain by introducing the 9000 with a totally different case. Clearly they had second thoughts and produced the 9000a instead, which was just a slightly reworked 206.
Having sold my 202 I cannot check whether it's case dimensions are identical to the "Prototype" 9000, but I think it unlikely that EMI would have introduced a new model just to use up a few 202 cases.

Why did I sell the 202? I am on a mission to collect every version of the HMV102. I already have all the catalogued colours, Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Grey, Red and Red Leather, plus the French "La Voix de son Maitre" (Blue) the German Electrola (Blue) and the Indian Teak versions. I also have the Columbia 206 (Black) , the early 9000 (only made in Black) and the 9000a (Blue).

Using up cases was more meant as a joke, but when I first saw its picture I thought it might be a direct successor to the 202, and then it could have been possible and somehow logical, that it still had the same case.

It would also be interesting to collect all variants of the 202 before its final replacement, especially strange I think is the late version with winding handle on the side and probably a HMV motor...

Collecting all variants of the HMV 102 is really a mission, especially if you go into depth there and want all with the universal brake, all with No.16 soundbox with the later autobrake and those with the 5A, all with pegs for the tray, all with the later higher motorboard etc.
Without that mission, but taking most 102s I consider as interesting and that are offered for a reasonable price, I have also gathererd a nice collection of them. I have just got a green '31 example in very good contition, have one other very early one in brown almost like new, two blue ones from the late thirties in medium condition, severval black ones from different ages, a late red one like new, a very good 114 in teak, three German Electrola 106, which are in a 102 case but inside more like the 101, with and without Dual motor (electic and windup combined), and a red Italian "La Voce del Padrone", which is probably also a later model after breaking the connection with EMI, because it has an own special Italian soundbox and an Italian motor by Veglia. And I have both a Columbia 106 and a very nice 9000a in green.
Listing that, I see that I have gathered more of them than I thought...

[epigramophone]

The Electrola 102 is uncommon, having had a short life before being replaced by the 106 with it's 101 acoustic system. The reason for this seemingly retrograde step was that the 101 horn had enough space to accommodate the dual powered motor but the 102 horn did not. Here is my very early example :