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I was paying close attention, but this is way beyond my scope, other than the fact that this was a Polyphone attachment and a nice early spring motor machine, what made it bring over 15K?

Inquiring minds and all that...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 379wt_1165

Sean

It has a lot going for it: Edison Spring Motor with Polyphone, plus a neat Hawthorn & Sheble decal, plus a speaking tube. I don't know if this ads up to 15K, but it's great.

This machine had a lot of goodies!

Spring Motor W/ Class M Upper Works
Brass Mandrel
Very neat H&S Transfer on lower bed plate next to Spring Motor Patent Plate
Polyphone carriage w/ linked automatic reproducers
Extra Automatic Reproducer
Extra Standard Speaker Reproducer
Extra Class M/ Spring Motor Carriage
United States Talking Machine Paper Label underneath lid
Flexible tube that connected reproducer to case mounted hearing tubes
Condition was superb!

I think there are less than 8 Spring Motor Polyphones known to exist.

I took a crack at it but was unsuccessful.

Steve

...And it was still all together after 115 years! To find an untouched "outfit" like this, built around such an exceptional machine, is becoming nearly impossible. I hope the new owner keeps everything together.

The gilt decoration on this Spring Motor was outstanding, and I've seen that Hawthorne & Sheble decal only once before (on an 1897 aluminum Chicago-Motor machine with a Class M upper works).

You know, 20 years ago an attic find like this would probably have ended up in an antique shop and some lucky collector would have ended up with it for 3 figures...

Great machine!

George P.

The only Polyphone rarer than this is the Gem. I wasn't the least bit surprised by the price. It was utterly outstanding for all the reasons already mentioned. The seller obviously didn't know what he had, he must be very happy tonight.

Thanks everyone for the input, as I stated before, I knew it was special, but I honestly thought it would have gone for around 7-8k, I bet the seller is happy! I also admire his / her desire to let the auction run and refuse buy it now offers so everyone got a fair chance at this really cool and rare machine.

Sean