Congrats!!!! Any chance of posting pictures???
Ken B.
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]
] 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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