The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

There was talk about repro machines on the forum, and here is one. A Berliner made in Japan in the 1980's. I was just curious what these sell for. They look nice, but I know they aren't really valued by collectors. Am I right? Is it acutally a true copy or are there problems with this one?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 882wt_1141

Its on ebay.

Wow, I remember these, they used to be $500 in the 80s, probably around '86 or '87, I was barely a teenager then and couldn't afford one but these are (were) really nice machines for what they were at the time and I suspect they're becoming collector's items now in their own right. At least Charley isn't pawning it off as an original.

Sean

I remember when they came out. They were about the same price as a nice Vic R. I would rather have purchased a nice Vic R then and now. My opinion only. It will be interesting to see what it sells for. I purchased a Ray Phillips tinfoil machine about a year ago so I'm not against reproductions. Jerry Blais

I just checked out the ebay listing and it looks very nice. If you think you'll never have the opportunity to own an original Berliner, go for it. If you think an original is a possibility, I would pass on it. That was my logic on buying the reproduction tinfoil machine. Jerry

It definitely looks nice for a replica, because that's what it is. It is a virtually literal copy. It's not 'made in the style of...'. It's made using the same materials and as faithful as can be.

These actually go back a bit further. They were first announced for sale in the March 1976 issue of The Antique Phonograph Monthly, and one was pictured in the May issue. Original selling price was $425, which was about half of what a real Berliner was selling for at the time.

They are very close copies, but I think I recall the threads being metric. The "decal" was really a paper sticker which bore only a passing resemblance to the genuine marking...thank goodness. I've seen a few Berliners being offered as genuine - complete with slightly rusty hardware and dirty cabinets - but the sticker will always give it away.

George P.

Yes, the threading's are metric and all the spring cases,reproducers are stamped with the same serial numbers......thank goodness . I have seen many Clark-Johnson reproducers from these passed off as original on a real Berliner .

This is really quite interesting.