[Phono-L] Never thought it would happen to me
Kat Hall
kathall21 at gmail.com
Mon Oct 19 20:42:37 PDT 2009
Congratulations. You never know when you will find a gem. The thrill of
finding something that you collect is exhilarating.
>From the Desk of
Kat Hall
Executive Assistant to Ms. Smith (Publisher)
Review Coordinator
Author Liaison
www.champagnebooks.com
www.carnalpassions.com
www.thewritersvineyard.com
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From: "Andrew Baron" <andy at popyrus.com>
Sent: Monday, October 19, 2009 5:45 PM
To: "Antique Phonograph List" <phono-l at oldcrank.org>
Subject: [Phono-L] Never thought it would happen to me
> From time to time, I've derived vicarious pleasure from reading of some
> of the phono-L members' coincidental discovery and acquisition of a
> particularly sought-after or scarce phonograph.
>
> In general, most of the membership are in areas that are either more
> populated, or nearer to denser metropolitan areas than here in Santa Fe,
> NM. Roll back the calendar a few decades, and my region is pretty
> sparsely populated, with more ranching than any kind of manufacturing or
> other work that would draw a larger population.
>
> Fewer people = fewer manufactured goods, including phonographs. Add to
> this the budget for a machine that most New Mexicans had (or prioritized
> for music) a century or so ago, and you have relatively few phonographs
> to begin with, and most of those in the low-to-middle cost range. Edison
> Standards, Victrola IV's, X's and XI's, and low- end Columbias are
> inevitably the models that turn up, and usually in none too good a
> condition if not out of a collection. Naturally some desirable machines
> were brought here later on, but by and large this hasn't amounted to
> anything significant, and there isn't much of a collecting community
> here.
>
> So opportunities to build a collection are rather limited. That being
> said, I started collecting in 1974, when I was 12, and my Victor 8-30X,
> Edison maroon Gem, Edison early A-250 and a Zonophone Grand Opera were
> all acquired here in Santa Fe, current population 72,000. Not exactly a
> small town, but outside of Albuquerque, we are geographically isolated
> from the big population centers. The Zonophone was brought here from New
> England in the '70s, when its past owner moved here.
>
> To the subject at hand:
> Two days ago, a big local consignment shop was having their annual Fall
> sale; everything 30% off. This event draws what seems like half of Santa
> Fe, and while my wife and I usually attend it, we generally wait until
> late in the day to avoid the pressing crowds. Anyway, most of what the
> shop sells is vintage furniture, rugs, artwork, etc., some of it quite
> nice, but rarely anything of particular interest to a phonograph
> collector, so no penalty for arriving when convenient.
>
> We had been browsing around for about a quarter of an hour when the
> proprietor let me know that there were "a couple of Victrolas" in the
> next room. We continued looking around in the part of the store where we
> currently were, and after about ten minutes more, I finally said that I'd
> like to take a look and see what the phonographs were. We headed
> casually across the distance, through the crowds of people and things
> toward the next room. No sooner had I uttered the words "These machines
> are going to be examples of the most common models, and probably
> overpriced", than I could see the unmistakable silhouette of Victor XVII
> or XVIII, just sticking out beyond the wall separating the rooms.
>
> Quickening my pace (they were still 20 feet away), I prepared my mind to
> see a Victor XVII, the alternative possibility being somewhat beyond my
> powers of imagination. Still, a Victor XVII would be a great find
> although I already own one (courtesy of a very kind tip from a thoughtful
> phono-L member, $200, and a 125 mile round-trip to Albuquerque).
>
> Coming up alongside the curvy machine, I noticed first that the top curl
> of the rear corner post was mostly missing -- a clean break from bashing
> the machine into a wall or truck bed, no doubt. I also noticed the fine,
> expressive trim on the cabinet side and the chevron- shaped veneer pattern
> and practically leapt the last couple of feet so I could see the front of
> the machine, which left no doubt.
>
> There's something unbelievable about finding a top-end machine in New
> Mexico, and even though I have the XVII, and was already well aware of
> the differences, I had to see the VV-XVIII on the ID plate with my own
> eyes. The 3-digit serial number was also a strange thing to behold on a
> New Mexico Victrola. This was a dirty, dusty machine, with some of its
> edges and trim scraped up from careless handling, but at a glance, in
> generally good and very solid shape except for a few scrapes and that
> broken-off upper rear corner piece. Definitely not something out of
> someone's phonograph collection, and just as you like to find them --
> clearly untouched for decades.
>
> A quick appraisal of what it had to offer revealed:
> Original gold V key;
> Gold needle cup, all original casters, all correct knobs, front and back;
> Large, gold crank escutcheon detached and screws missing, but still
> sitting on the crank about a half-inch out from the side of the cabinet;
> Near perfect felt on the platter;
> Almost certainly the original gold Exhibition soundbox, Ser. #87347B,
> never rebuilt;
> Very, very dirty under the lid and in general (what is this greasy, black
> stuff?);
> Most of the record storage area filled with (non-Victor) matched albums
> full of classical records, and otherwise stuffed to the gills with sheet
> music;
> Missing the lower key escutcheon and motor lift knob (and that
> maddeningly absent corner curl).
>
> Price, $650, minus 30%.
>
> Sold!
>
> It's home now, and I'm having fun cleaning it up and getting more
> intimately familiar with its exquisite details, and learning why this
> model is so prized. It's going to be quite nice, ultimately, with a
> respectable original finish, after a many hours of carefully applied
> elbow grease and the appropriate preparations. The fancy work and doors
> on the back with their gold-plated hardware, concealing a nice
> compartment came as a complete surprise. You never see this view in the
> books. The motor is relatively clean (very little of the usual greasy
> build-up, just a yellowed film of old hard residue). A couple drops of
> oil in all the pertinent places, and a light coat of fresh grease on the
> governor worm, and it runs very quietly and evenly. Even the speed
> indicator works. The main springs thud something awful when winding down
> though, so I'll treat the motor to a proper tear- down and rebuild when I
> attend to those noisy springs.
>
> Comparing the total production of the spring-motor XVIII to the number of
> Victrolas produced puts it at something like 0.0004 of the total 1906 -
> 1929 production, and .0009 of the 1906-1920 production total (Roman
> numeral model-number era). This equates to less than one-tenth of one
> percent of the total production of the early Victrola era, and less than
> half of that when considering the total Victrola era, if I did my math
> right.
>
> Finally (for those who've had the patience to read this far), the gold-
> plated motor lift knob was found in the needle cup, and the broken-off
> upper-rear corner was found otherwise undamaged, in a recess of the
> cabinet. It proved a seamless fit to the fracture surface. Anyone got a
> key escutcheon?
>
> I hope you've enjoyed this story, still fresh from the event and
> accurately conveyed, and I wish similarly exciting phonograph discoveries
> for those of you who have not yet had the pleasure.
>
> Kindest regards,
> Andy Baron
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