I've judged many a vintage car in meets over the ast 30+ years. If the meet has provision for original unrestored cars, watch the liars swarm in. Restoration work can be identified without too much trouble, but some times, it's so well disguised the best scrutiny might miss it.
One party a;ways had a beautiful unrestored car at this meet. ( a Buick, in this case). It passed the criteria for unrestored, OK, but the chief judge and I had some heartburn about it. We were together at the award banquet, kicking it around, and quickly decided to sneak out and make a quick check. We gave it an eyeballing like you've never seen. We turned up several; too many areas where new paint had been fogged in. That much rework would, and did disqualify the job. Further checking after the banquet, showed that a total repaint had been done. It was a good job, but the condition of the paint job (maroon) was too good to be original. Time has shown us so many details on our phonographs, that give us savvy about what's right and what ain't. Yet, I suppose that as long as the world turns, and shysters might fall off, more get on, and try to fool the experts. Sometimes they're successful, often they aren't. But, damn the experts, full speed ahead. > [Original Message] > From: <ClockworkHome at aol.com> > To: <phono-l at oldcrank.org> > Date: 8/15/2008 7:45:00 PM > Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Collectibles - How's That For Originality? > > Yes, originality is the desired goal and is getting more difficult to find as > time goes by. I feel sorry for the newbies entering the hobby today who > strive for this. Just this month on eBay was a "never been played brown wax > record" in a ratty Gold Molded box and an Edison Electric Phonograph which is an M > motor base with a late Model A Triumph topworks that has craftsman added idler > pulleys to the topworks but with no pulley stanchions and a serial number on > a patent plate way to high. > > I really do miss the golden days when I would answer an ad for a phonograph > in the newspaper. One was for an Amberola DX which I still own. It read > simply Edison Amberola $275 which in 1965 was rather high but I called and went > anyway. The very old couple selling the machine had it sitting on a curved front > Hertzog matching oak record cabinet full of desirable titles of Blue > Amberols. I asked them what they wanted for the cabinet and they said nothing since > it went with the phonograph. I told them the combination was worth much more. > They simply would not take more than $275. As I was packing my new treasures > I asked what was so special about the figure $275 and they responded that was > what the vet's bill was for their cocker spaniel to get a new gold tooth! > > Regards to All and may all your finds be rare ones... > > Al > > > > **************Looking for a car that's sporty, fun and fits in your budget? > Read reviews on AOL Autos. > (http://autos.aol.com/cars-Volkswagen-Jetta-2009/expert-review?ncid=aolaut00 030000000007 ) > _______________________________________________ > Phono-L mailing list > http://phono-l.oldcrank.org
