I've had my VV-XVIII for about 25 years. It took a moment to realize just what I was looking at, but $120.00 was a reasonable price, regardless of condition. Everything was there, except the storage albums. One spring was broken at the outer end, and was quicly repaired. A going over with Go-Jo made it clean as new. I know just how you feel, Andy!
> [Original Message] > From: Mobility Scooters <[email protected]> > To: Antique Phonograph List <[email protected]> > Date: 10/21/2009 1:26:44 AM > Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Never thought it would happen to me > > Andy > Great story! > Well done that is just fantastic and to think of how many people must of > seen it before you did in the afternoon. > I would say it was waiting for you. > There will be no stopping you going shopping with your wife for the rest of > your life. ha ha > All the very best > Tony > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]on > Behalf Of Ken and Brenda Brekke > Sent: Tuesday, 20 October 2009 12:57 p.m. > To: 'Antique Phonograph List' > Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Never thought it would happen to me > > 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 > _______________________________________________ > Phono-L mailing list > http://phono-l.oldcrank.org > > _______________________________________________ > Phono-L mailing list > http://phono-l.oldcrank.org > > _______________________________________________ > Phono-L mailing list > http://phono-l.oldcrank.org _______________________________________________ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.oldcrank.org
