[Phono-L] Young collectors? - A SURVEY!

[Douglas Houston]

It'spretty hard to expand on, or even amend to what George has said. Many
of the previous posts have been my story, either partially, or wholly.
Parents often have ideas about what they want their kids to be and to do.
When an infant is born, nobody will ever be able to guess how that little
mind will develop. Take a look at George Gershwin's story! My mother was
totally detached from reality. When I was around 9 years, she was
incessently harping that I didn't have a big enough "circle of friends". I
had my pals, and was content. I didn't seek more comradeship. She thought I
should. So, she "enlisted" me in the cub scouts. I had no interest in that
stuff, but there it was,: a big "circle of new friends. How splendid!!  I
endured it until age 12, when she asked me, in front of one of the cub
scout counselors, if I wanted to go into the boy scouts. I answered with a
loud NO! I knew I'd be having an option, and I exercised it. 

Mother's sister had bought a Victor Victrola (XI) new, in 1919, and it was
stored at our house.....in a dark, walk-in closet. The mechanism and the
music that came out of it fascinated me. I liked it immensely. Mother and
my Aunt said many times that they couldn't understand what I saw in all
that OLD music, and that OLD Victrola.  What the H--l, my aunt was the one
who bought it in the first place, and it was at our house for my mother to
use before they had a radio! Now, it was an object of hostility (though
mildly)..I liked the records, because I was listening to history. They
never could figure that out, but they teach history in schools, don't they? 

 My desires and interests were always met with opposition, because I should
have been interested in other things, and become something else. That
served only to toughen my ambition, and set my goals in concrete. Well, my
pig headedness paid off, and even my parents had to acknowledge that I came
out OK. Childhood can be a nightmare sometimes, but it doesn't need to be,
and it shouldn't be. 


> [Original Message]
> From: <gpaul2000 at aol.com>
> To: <phono-l at oldcrank.org>
> Date: 6/27/2009 10:53:24 AM
> Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Young collectors? - A SURVEY!
>
>
>  There's truth in the fact that people collect things (including
phonographs & records) for various reasons - - their personal insecurity
being only one of several possibilities.? As others have noted, some
collectors are focused primarily on market value; others are concerned
solely with the aesthetics of recorded performances, and/or the ability of
an 80-100 year old mechanical device to faithfully recreate those
performances.? Still others are immersed in the history of the artifacts
they find.? It's important to realize that any or all of these motivations
- as well as others - may exist in a single collector to greater or lesser
degrees.? Categorizing a group of people (broadly) may sometimes be
possible, but categorizing an individual is usually a trickier
proposition.? The larger the group, the easier they (we) are to pigeonhole. 
>
> That said, my take on this topic will be pretty safe: the worldwide
interest in generalized antiques has declined since the early 1990s.?
People in general are imitative.? When society once again decides that
antiques are desirable, trendy, cool...whatever..., we will see a renewed
interest in antique phonographs from newcomers.? Until then, those who
pursue our hobby might be thought of as the "true believers" - despite
their individual motivations.? These days, few of us are collecting to be
hip.? But there are those other reasons...!
>
> I must admit that I don't really care what happens to market values - - I
didn't/don't collect with that in mind, and I can't take it with me.? Sure,
I'd like to leave my kids a nice meatball, but if it doesn't happen, that's
out of my control.? When I started collecting at age 13, I honestly thought
I was the only one in the world interested in this stuff.? I know better
now, but that shouldn't really concern me.? Collecting for me is a personal
thing, to be shared where appropriate with like-minded individuals.? I do
love the hobby, but like religion, I approach it on my own terms.? If it
doesn't make a positive contribution, what's the point?? And I'm not
looking to convert anybody - - either they get it or they don't.
>
> I encourage each of us to enjoy what collecting brings to our lives, and
to simply be thankful.? Not everyone is so fortunate.
>
> George Paul
>
>
>  
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>  
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ronbrink at aol.com
> To: phono-l at oldcrank.org
> Sent: Sat, Jun 27, 2009 9:06 am
> Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Young collectors? - A SURVEY!
> ?
>
>
> Within the collecting ranks I note that there are those who love the 
> hobby.  There are others who everytime they speak, they need to impress 
> others by the machines they have or the number they have.  e.g. " I am 
> now playing such and such a cylinder on my Triumph with wood horn."  Ot 
> they tell you the rarity or that it was expensive.  The point of one 
> message was to state how the young (baby) liked the cylinder music, but 
> that turns into what type of mchine used down to the horn (wood). I 
> think there are those in the hobby who enjoy it.  I also think there 
> are those in the hobby that utilize their treasures as a measuring 
> stick against others almost like "I've got a bigger house....bigger 
> car...etc."?
> ?
>
> What I'm poorly expressing is that I believe the primary demographic 
> within the hobby (50-60 yrs) comes from the generation of bigger is 
> better, more is better, I need to have one (or more) of everything, I 
> need to beat the next guy, have the best, be the best, the "I'm 
> enjoying this and impressing everyone at the same time.?
> ?
>
> I used to have upwards of 100 machines.  I too at one time got caught 
> up in the hype of "enjoyment".  I saw from myself and others that the 
> enjoyment came from beating others to a great or rare machine.  Having 
> one of only 50 known machines was invigorating.  Now I have just 10 
> machines.  I won't tell you what they are.  It doesn't matter.  I love 
> them and enjoy them.  The irony is that the more I don't push them on 
> people like I used to or ignore their presence in the house when folks 
> come to visit, the more questions I get.  I recently spent 3 hours 
> talking about my simple collection with my new son in law.   I wonder 
> if some aren't worried about the hobby because they see the market for 
> their machines potentially dwindeling or the values going down. Is is 
> always a true altruistic desire for young people to love what we have 
> loved for so long or the diminishing desire for what we have??
> ?
>
> Like everything in life, its all perspective an attitude?
> ?
>
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>  
>
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