Hello all ~ I've just purchased a rare Victor Theremin (1929 Radio-victor), with the standard RCA cabinet but with chassis custom-built by Theremin himself. There are only about 40 documented surviving examples of the original Victor Theremin (total production run 500 units). Standard production Victor Theremins typically bring $8,000 to $10,000 on the open market. This one is quite a bit rarer. The seller is packing and shipping the inside works to me separately, but I need to arrange transportation of the empty cabinet, which is sized and shaped like a small lectern on tall legs.
I'm in Santa Fe, NM, but have a friend in the Denver area who could take possession of it if I can get it that far. The seller (a well known Atwater Kent collector) is in the northern suburbs of Chicago -- Evanston area. Total size is 19" W x 12" D x 47" H, and the total weight would probably be about 45 lbs. I would love to find someone who has the appropriate sensitivity to handle the cabinet with the care it requires. Anyone traveling from that area to the West? Thanks, Andy Baron From [email protected] Mon Oct 1 10:23:10 2007 From: [email protected] (Andrew Baron) Date: Mon Oct 1 10:29:21 2007 Subject: [Phono-L] Victor Theremin-Chicago area-transportation inquiry Message-ID: <[email protected]> Hello all ~ I've just purchased a rare Victor Theremin (1929 Radio-victor), with the standard RCA cabinet but with chassis custom-built by Theremin himself. There are only about 40 documented surviving examples of the original Victor Theremin (total production run 500 units). Standard production Victor Theremins typically bring $8,000 to $10,000 on the open market. This one is quite a bit rarer. The seller is packing and shipping the inside works to me separately, but I need to arrange transportation of the empty cabinet, which is sized and shaped like a small lectern on tall legs. I'm in Santa Fe, NM, but have a friend in the Denver area who could take possession of it if I can get it that far. The seller (a well known Atwater Kent collector) is in the northern suburbs of Chicago -- Evanston area. Total size is 19" W x 12" D x 47" H, and the total weight would probably be about 45 lbs. I would love to find someone who has the appropriate sensitivity to handle the cabinet with the care it requires. Anyone traveling from that area to the West? Thanks, Andy Baron From [email protected] Mon Oct 1 11:19:35 2007 From: [email protected] (Walt) Date: Mon Oct 1 11:16:29 2007 Subject: [Phono-L] Victor Theremin-Chicago area-transportation inquiry In-Reply-To: <[email protected]> Message-ID: <008101c80457$9f5039c0$0201a...@daddell> Andy, If the chassis and other removable parts, especially anything made of iron, are going to be shipped separately, ask your seller to make sure that the tubes (assuming it has them) are removed and individually packed. And, as you think to ship the cabinet (and this assumes that it is without a chassis or any of the larger iron frame parts), you might consider having a crate constructed and then shipping it upside down. Yes, crazy I know... As unconventional as that may sound (and the first time I was told this it seemed silly) it is potentially a much safer means to ship. The Theremin cabinets are very much like the Radiola cabinets of the day except they have incredibly tall and slim spindly stiletto legs that are more precarious then my Victor Revere. The other way to ship it safely if you don't want to invert the empty cabinet is to have a wooden frame built that is about 1/2" taller then the legs, which would be mounted to the crate base and ultimately bear the weight of the unit by supporting the underside of the cabinet directly. I use a this technique all of the time when shipping many upright Victrolas (although the Victrola cabinets I make them for are much nearer to the ground) and it has virtually eliminated broken legs or cabinet frame damage from splitting. It has always been worth the effort in my work. If you ship the Theremin cabinet standing on its legs you have a puny total of 4 or 5 square inches of area to support the whole structure. By building a frame with a platform top upon which the cabinet underside can rest you increase the area of support a hundredfold and totally relieve the legs of having to support anything except their individual weight. I have worked with some collectors on the restorations of original RCA Theremins in the past and the actual numbers of surviving units seems to be greater than the widely rumored statistics floating about the internet. I can't prove it, but based on the relatively active number of collectors I have encountered it would seem to be more in the hundred plus range just as a feeling goes. But they are rare - for sure. However, the fact that 500 were made seems to be accurate based on the serial numbers of I have seen. I would have to do some serious digging, but if you want, I would be happy to forward any email addresses that I have from the guys I worked worth. They are some of the most helpful collectors of anything that I have ever encountered so far. So.......Will we be the first to hear your RCA Theremin music once it is altogether again? Walt -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Andrew Baron Sent: Monday, October 01, 2007 1:23 PM To: Antique Phonograph List Subject: [Phono-L] Victor Theremin-Chicago area-transportation inquiry Hello all ~ I've just purchased a rare Victor Theremin (1929 Radio-victor), with the standard RCA cabinet but with chassis custom-built by Theremin himself. There are only about 40 documented surviving examples of the original Victor Theremin (total production run 500 units). Standard production Victor Theremins typically bring $8,000 to $10,000 on the open market. This one is quite a bit rarer. The seller is packing and shipping the inside works to me separately, but I need to arrange transportation of the empty cabinet, which is sized and shaped like a small lectern on tall legs. I'm in Santa Fe, NM, but have a friend in the Denver area who could take possession of it if I can get it that far. The seller (a well known Atwater Kent collector) is in the northern suburbs of Chicago -- Evanston area. Total size is 19" W x 12" D x 47" H, and the total weight would probably be about 45 lbs. I would love to find someone who has the appropriate sensitivity to handle the cabinet with the care it requires. Anyone traveling from that area to the West? Thanks, Andy Baron _______________________________________________ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.oldcrank.org No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.488 / Virus Database: 269.13.35/1040 - Release Date: 9/30/2007 9:01 PM
