Post by kieranmd on Sept 28, 2009 18:44:39 GMT -5
Hello,
I'm new to these boards and happened here when researching what I now know to be a Edison Amberola 30 when I happened on the curious device at the Estate sale of a friend. I've always been interested in Phonographs and Gramophones, especially those with the large ornate painted metal horns. At any rate when I saw this Amberola 30 with over 300 cylinders going for a price my glamorous student income could actually afford I took the plunge and bought the machine. I was also heavily motivated by the fact that the people running the sale said what ever wasn't sold would be thrown away. I couldn't let that happen!
In hindsight after perusing the internet about these machines, I took a pretty big risk in buying something I knew little about when phonographs can have so much wrong with them. Thankfully luck was on my side that day and my machine appears to be in perfect condition. I can't find anything wrong with it, even cosmetically! I feel like I really lucked out after reading what quite a few members on this board are facing with their Amberola 30 in getting parts and repairing it.
Anyway, I've been going through the 6 cylinder stuffed boxes and have been archiving the titles etc. There are a lot of them! However not all of them are unique or are even playable by my machine! I'm glad I read the bold print about the Amberola's Nickle Diamond C reproducer being unable to play anything but the "indestructible" blue celluloid cylinders. A number of them are of the black/brown wax variety which would have been eaten alive by my little machine (phew!). I suppose now I need to find an older version which can play the old 2 minute wax cylinders.
Why I'm posting on these forums is a dual purpose phenomenon. One I enjoy reading about these relics of the past and seeing and learning how they work and about their history. (I can't believe HMV stands for the old "His Master's Voice" company!!) Secondly, not all of these cylinders are unique and I have duplicates of many. Some of the wax ones I am unable to play deserve a good home, at least until I can find a phonograph that can play them that is
.
So here's the deal. I want these duplicate cylinders to go to good homes to people who will appreciate and love them. I don't really need 300 cylinders and want to keep about 30 or so of my favorites (That number may grow as I find I like pretty much all of them so far) and would like to give those here, who live and breath phonographs first choice. I'm not sure how I'd go about selling these nor do I know the market and so I thought this might be a fun way of doing it. I'm sure people here would be able to tell me the value of some of these cylinders and their histories. This way I get to learn about this little piece of history and maybe make back the purchase price of the machine - (Which would help me as a student!) as well as sharing with those interested in these little marvels. I'll be cataloging over the next few weeks in my spare time (classes permitting :
what I have and it's condition etc. I'd really appreciate if you have any information about them and if you're interested in buying it. I'm going to have to rely on this community in the ways of price. From what I've seen the average looks to be ~5$ a cylinder but please correct me if I'm wrong! At any rate, I'm not looking to gouge anyone, so in the end the price will be whatever people feel is fair.
If anyone is interested in pictures of the cylinders or even the Amberola 30 itself, you need only ask.
See you online!
Kieran
The Catalogue: (edisonphonos.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=swapshop&thread=1002
I'm new to these boards and happened here when researching what I now know to be a Edison Amberola 30 when I happened on the curious device at the Estate sale of a friend. I've always been interested in Phonographs and Gramophones, especially those with the large ornate painted metal horns. At any rate when I saw this Amberola 30 with over 300 cylinders going for a price my glamorous student income could actually afford I took the plunge and bought the machine. I was also heavily motivated by the fact that the people running the sale said what ever wasn't sold would be thrown away. I couldn't let that happen!
In hindsight after perusing the internet about these machines, I took a pretty big risk in buying something I knew little about when phonographs can have so much wrong with them. Thankfully luck was on my side that day and my machine appears to be in perfect condition. I can't find anything wrong with it, even cosmetically! I feel like I really lucked out after reading what quite a few members on this board are facing with their Amberola 30 in getting parts and repairing it.
Anyway, I've been going through the 6 cylinder stuffed boxes and have been archiving the titles etc. There are a lot of them! However not all of them are unique or are even playable by my machine! I'm glad I read the bold print about the Amberola's Nickle Diamond C reproducer being unable to play anything but the "indestructible" blue celluloid cylinders. A number of them are of the black/brown wax variety which would have been eaten alive by my little machine (phew!). I suppose now I need to find an older version which can play the old 2 minute wax cylinders.
Why I'm posting on these forums is a dual purpose phenomenon. One I enjoy reading about these relics of the past and seeing and learning how they work and about their history. (I can't believe HMV stands for the old "His Master's Voice" company!!) Secondly, not all of these cylinders are unique and I have duplicates of many. Some of the wax ones I am unable to play deserve a good home, at least until I can find a phonograph that can play them that is
.So here's the deal. I want these duplicate cylinders to go to good homes to people who will appreciate and love them. I don't really need 300 cylinders and want to keep about 30 or so of my favorites (That number may grow as I find I like pretty much all of them so far) and would like to give those here, who live and breath phonographs first choice. I'm not sure how I'd go about selling these nor do I know the market and so I thought this might be a fun way of doing it. I'm sure people here would be able to tell me the value of some of these cylinders and their histories. This way I get to learn about this little piece of history and maybe make back the purchase price of the machine - (Which would help me as a student!) as well as sharing with those interested in these little marvels. I'll be cataloging over the next few weeks in my spare time (classes permitting :
what I have and it's condition etc. I'd really appreciate if you have any information about them and if you're interested in buying it. I'm going to have to rely on this community in the ways of price. From what I've seen the average looks to be ~5$ a cylinder but please correct me if I'm wrong! At any rate, I'm not looking to gouge anyone, so in the end the price will be whatever people feel is fair.If anyone is interested in pictures of the cylinders or even the Amberola 30 itself, you need only ask.
See you online!
Kieran
The Catalogue: (edisonphonos.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=swapshop&thread=1002
I enjoyed restoring my Amberola 30 and listening to the old tunes, as I'm sure you do with yours.