[Phono-L] Never thought it would happen to me

[Andrew Baron]

Hi Ken ~  As timing would have it (of course), I'm on a deadline this  
week, but will try to find time within the next couple of days  
(hopefully) to post some photos and post a link in Phono-L.

I wanted to take some "before" pictures, but the urge to start  
cleaning the cabinet (with just a little Howard's Restore-A-Finish)  
won out.  Still, it's going to take quite a lot of gentle, observant  
and conscientious scrubbing to really bring out the glow that I know  
is going to be there.  So, I'll get some photos before I start on this  
in earnest.

Andy


On Oct 19, 2009, at 5:57 PM, Ken and Brenda Brekke wrote:

> Congrats!!!!  Any chance of posting pictures???
> Ken B.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: phono-l-bounces at oldcrank.org [mailto:phono-l-bounces at oldcrank.org 
> ] On
> Behalf Of Andrew Baron
> Sent: Monday, October 19, 2009 6:46 PM
> To: Antique Phonograph List
> 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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