The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I saw this yesterday and thought it was a great deal, even better at $600 it sold for, but you just can't get 'em all!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... true&rt=nc

Sean

Dunno, Sean, condition of that brightwork (note wear? on taper arm!), and the disfigured lid top, would have given me pause, even if (1) I were in the market for another machine, and (2) I lived near Lincoln, NE---unless I just HAD to have a XVII....

$600 for a regular Mahogany XVII / 130 is a decent price, in oak they're virtually unknown! Gold tonearms are easy to find (there are more than a few that would fit on eBay right now, in fact) and the damage to the top of the lid could easily be fixed. The damage on the one horn door is comletely repairable as well. If it had been closer to NY I would have grabbed it and sold my Mahogany one in a heartbeat! At least one other person had to have agreed with me, it was only on eBay for about 24 hours before someone grabbed it.

Sean

According to the serial number, 1179, it should be equipped with the early style goose-neck arm, but this looks to have the "fat" tonearm, which btw, looks nickel plated in the photo. I'm wondering if it was a replacement.

I agree, there's a lot of work to be done, but in the SF Bay area, this would probably sell for twice that amount.

Personally, I don't care for a large oak machine. I do however recognize that they can be hard to find, and this probably was a great deal. The condition issues here definitely look repairable. I've seen worse off machines that turned out just fine.

Agree with all that's been said so far. This one is by no means beyond the pale. At worst the lid would need new veneer, if those blems won't come out, and certainly the taper arm (if original) would need replating, or replacing (if not), and the whole cabinet gone over. We don't know anything about the works, so that's a question mark. I guess there's very little that couldn't be brought back to life with enough care/time/effort/money! In the end, you'd have a very presentable machine.

it looks like it sold for 800, not 600, unless I'm mistaken. but either way I'd agree that's a pretty nice buy. I've seen mahogany, walnut and circassian, but that's the first of those that I've seen in oak. and the condition issues barely seem issues at all. the correct tonearm and reproducer are easy enought to find, as well as the proper escutcheon. and the cabinet looks like it just needs the basic cleanup, tightening and repairs.

I'm sure you've heard it already about this machine, and before about others, but you should have bought it.

brianu wrote:it looks like it sold for 800, not 600, unless I'm mistaken.

eBay says:

Sold For: US $600.00

Wes, did you get two seventeens in about one week? Jerry B.

Brandon wrote:

brianu wrote:it looks like it sold for 800, not 600, unless I'm mistaken.

eBay says:

Sold For: US $600.00

Plus $150 shipping!