Near 1907 Victor II Phonograph W/Spear Tip Wood Horn Gorgeous
Item History & Price
Reference Number: Avaluer:4376092 |
Not even officially summer, and already it's 98° in the shade. Man, it's steamy here. Hand me another mojito, Bertrand. If I'm going to pass out, I don't want it to be from the heat.
Well, it's Memorial Day weekend here in the USA, so I'm firing up the grill and bidding farewell to cooler weather with an exceptional assortment of mechanical, technical and musical antiques. If you're like me, and you enjoy surrounding yourself with alluring, ancient and entertaining gadgetry (an...d even if you're not like me, and you don't), I suspect you'll find something in the line-up this week that you can't live without. You can also click this link to quickly add and then save me to your favorite seller list and Ebay will automatically send you updates when I put similar new auctions online.
Here's a near mint, original Victor II disc phonograph manufactured in Camden, New Jersey ca. 1907-8. The phonograph has its original D.S. Johnston Co. dealer's tag (Tacoma & Seattle, Washington) and a superb 17" diameter Spear Tip oak horn handmade in northern Ohio by Don Gfell.
Condition is outstanding, as you can see in the photographs. Super clean original nickel-plating; perfectly formed original horn elbow; superb original turntable felt with no needle digs or insect damage; pristine original enamel on the back bracket and nearly perfect original decorations, too.
The cabinet finish is original and the cabinet itself is like new, with the original paper maintenance label inside, and the original paper license still affixed to the underside of the base. The rare, original celluloid dealer's tag is still affixed to the side of the cabinet, and it's in excellent condition, certainly worthy of the phonograph the dealer sold when new more than 110 years ago.
The Spear Tip oak horn is beautiful, too, with a finish that's as smooth as satin. Like the phonograph, the horn is in nearly flawless condition, with no issues.
The phonograph is just as nice mechanically as it is cosmetically. Clean, quiet gears, with minimal wear. Strong motor, with plenty of torque. It runs smoothly, and when fully wound, it will play two or more 10" records in their entirety.
The Victor Exhibition reproducer is in great condition; it sounds great too..
Take a look at the pictures. They tell the story better than I can.
Overall, a museum quality, 110-year-old Victor that will arrive ready to play an enjoy. If you've been biding your time, patiently waiting for the "right Victor" to place on a countertop, corner table or sideboard, well...you're looking at it.
I'll include with the phonograph an early, acoustically-recorded record, and if you get tired of listening to it, there are plenty of other titles available on ebay and elsewhere. If you're not already familiar with how to operate an early disc phonograph, don't worry. I'll provide you with simple, easy to understand set-up instructions, so you'll be able to use it within minutes after you unpack it and put it together.
That's about it. I will carefully prep everything for shipping and pack everything carefully and properly. Overseas bidders, please contact me in advance for a shipping quote and for my confirmation that I can ship it to you. The phonograph will be expensive to ship, as it will need to go out in two large packages (phonograph in one package; horn in the other). Auction participants with no prior feedback history, or with hidden feedback, should contact me before placing a bid. Buyer prepays and includes shipping.
Bidders Outside The USA Please Note: There's a glitch in ebay's USA site software that's preventing my Ebay Store from being exported to several non-USA ebay sites. Here's the workaround. If you click on my feedback score, you'll be taken to my feedback page. There, on the right side of the page, you'll see a link that allows you to "view items for sale." If you click that link, you'll see everything that I currently have listed. Alternatively, if you click my seller name, "firebottles, " you'll be taken to my seller page, where you can also view everything that I currently have listed. I apologize for the glitch. I'm trying to get it resolved with ebay.
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