[Phono-L] Why the Hobby is aging (was MAPS going strong - )

[Douglas Houston]

Oh, indeed. Those of us who collect phonographs, and keep them, find that
they have appreciated enough to terrify us. I bought my Victrols XVIII for
120 bucks,and the guy was delighted to sell it. NOW, look at the prices!

I had a Breitling wrist watch that I had about 30 bucks in, 30 yeas ago. It
was good, and working. A very good friend asked me if I had an extra watch
that he could have, and I sold him the Breitling for the 30 bucks. He came
back a few weeks later, and saw that one like it was in some ad for 150
bucks. Was I sure that I wanted him to have it? Of course!  Recently,I
talked to a watch collector friend, and he thinks that the Breitling is now
worth $16K. Good Grief. My friend still has it, and it's one of his
treasured posessions. 

It's that way all over. I have an accumulation of high end audio gear that
I paid peanuts for, and the prices on eBay for that stuff, justify hiring
an armed guard. In 1954, I bought an RCA  pre-war TV-radio combo for $35.00
on Radio row.Today, you'll see a price tag of $7000-plus on one that m,ay
not work (Mine does). 

It's insane, I tell ya!!

Doug. Houston
 

> [Original Message]
> From: <Srsells1 at aol.com>
> To: <phono-l at oldcrank.org>
> Date: 6/22/2009 10:03:05 PM
> Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Why the Hobby is aging (was MAPS going strong - )
>
>  
> In a message dated 6/22/2009 9:26:19 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
> cdh041 at earthlink.net writes:
>
>
> It  never was that way in the thirties and forties. There were radios,  
> phonographs, clocks, and cars that I drooled over, wishing I could have
"one  
> of them-there". Time passed, and I bought an old car to restore. I bought

> radios and phonographs that I lusted for. I bought armloads of records
that  
> appealed to me.At last, I would have what I admired when I was a kid.
That  
> story is that of most of us, I'll bet.
>
>
>
> Doug. one reason is price and availability. When I started collecting  
> Phonos and  cylinders in early 70s (late) they were plentiful. Every 
country 
> house auctioon had one or two or five and cylinders were going for a 
buck 
> each tops!
>  
> Now ANY phono is considered an ANTIQUE! and there are basically no
country  
> house auctions with phonos. Where did they all go? Well, visit the
average 
> phono  collector and you will see 5 or 6 or even 25 phonos in their 
> collection! Go to  Union (though I haven't been to that one) and you will
see many 
> "dealers" who  aren't collectors but doing this solely for a business.
(No 
> not all but some.).  Now what if you were 15 or 18 and might buy a fixer
upper 
> or - like me  (technically challenged) just wanted to buy an phonograph 
> which would play.  Where would you find one at a cheap enough price? Not
as 
> easy I might add.
>  
> I collect phono ephemera and I have to say I haven't bought ANYTHING in  
> about 6 years. Ebay made prices go too high and there are no longer those

> country auctions. Now they are all "estate sales" with high prices!
>  
> Just an opinion.
>  
> Steve Ramm
>  
>  
> **************Make your summer sizzle with fast and easy recipes for the 
> grill. (http://food.aol.com/grilling?ncid=emlcntusfood00000004)
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