I have a slightly different take. I have been collecting since I was in my 20's and could barely afford a standard and a few cylinders (even at those prices back then). Then in the 80's when things got so expensive I sold most of it and collected other things. Now that I am older and financially better off, I can afford to have phonographs in my collection I could only dream about before. The fact most of them have stayed around the same price while my income has gone up has allowed me to get them. I have a player piano that was $25K in the 80s and I got it for $5K now. I am very glad I didn't spend the money back then, but because of the slump I get to have one.
I collect them to play and have fun with. People tell me that I would be better off selling all the small stuff and get a few nice ones. But that is not nearly as much fun. Having a variety and number of differing things is why I collect. Looking at the same 2 nice phonos is not as much fun as shopping and turning over and repairing many. I don't do it as an investment, but if I spent my time eating out or buying cloths, I would have nothing of any value when I was done, at least a phono is worth something when I get tired of it and move on to another. I make the investment profit by buying smartly and being able to repair what I get and improve it for the next owner. -Barry [email protected] wrote: > hi rene et al > well said!!!!!!! > you are far better off to have one or two super machine than a dozen > mediocre ones. > If you had a polyphone, class m, zonophone grand opera, or edison idelia or > any of that caliber you would find a demand for them and prices that go with > it. > Most edison , victor, and columbia machines have not changed much in price. > As a good friend of mine once said ''buy the best you can afford and enjoy > it, its not the number you get but the quality that pays the dividends." > best to all > zono > _______________________________________________ > Phono-L mailing list > [email protected] > > Phono-L Archive > http://www.oldcrank.org/pipermail/phono-l/
