1898 Edison Home Phonograph W/Brass Mandrel, Badged Crank, Orig. Brass Horn, Etc
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:44043045 |
If you're an uncompromising collector of antique technology, make sure to check out all my listings after you look at this one. I don't think you'll find a better, broader or more balanced assortment of technical antiques anywhere -- hundreds of no-reserve auctions each year, almost all of them featuring eye-popping "gee whiz" gadgetry in exceptional original condition. And don't forget, you can 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 an early Edison Home with a brass mandrel, a badged crank, an Automatic reproducer, a shaving assembly, and an all-brass horn. The machine's 4-digit serial number indicates it was manufactured in the summer of 1898, when the factory was producing just a few dozen Home Phonographs each week and its design was still evolving.
Condition is excellent. Cabinet finish is original, and the original cabinet decal is still clean, crisp and colorful. Tight tongue-in-groove joints everywhere, with no damage to the base molding. Bedplate enamel is likewise original, and it's pristine, about as nice as you'll find on an any early Home. The pinstriping is original and it's nearly perfect, with a bold Edison signature on the casting. The brass mandrel has no dings, no dents, just a beautiful caramel patina.
The lower mechanism and motor are clean and correct. The motor is still robust, and the machine has no trouble making it all the way through a cylinder without the need for re-winding. The early Automatic reproducer has a good stylus and plays well given its sonic limitations.
The 15" all-brass, flat seam horn is original, and it's in excellent condition.
Comes with an early brown wax cylinder (ca. 1896-1898) and will be ready to display or play as soon as it arrives.
Shipping weight will be approximately 45 lb.
I'm one of ebay's best known, most highly regarded sellers of collector quality phonographs. I've been selling and shipping them for more than 25 years. When you purchase an antique phonograph from me, you'll receive a phonograph that arrives safely because it's been carefully packed (by me, not by some well-intentioned but nonetheless confounded, doe-eyed teenager working at the UPS store who wouldn't know a phonograph from a farm tool), and you'll receive a phonograph that includes thorough but easy-to-understand set-up and operating instructions, so you won't be left scratching your head, trying to figure out how it works. Sure, you can probably get a lower price from Joe and Janet Barn-Find, but when your "bargain" arrives broken, and without any hint of how it works or how you might be able to put it back together, you'll realize that you really do get exactly what you pay for.
When you've finished checking out my ebay listings this week, take a look at my TechnoGallerie website, where you can buy hard-to-find antique phonographs, antique radios, antique cameras and other antique gadgets you're not likely to see anywhere else. New arrivals include an exceptionally rare Bettini Micro-Standard phonograph with an original Bettini horn. Just type TechnoGallerie in the address line of your web browser and hit the enter key. TechnoGallerie has a newsletter, too, and if you take a second to sign up for it, you'll receive an email update whenever I list something new on the site -- typically once a week.
That's about it. Overseas bidders should contact me in advance for a shipping quote. Bidders with no prior feedback, and bidders with hidden feedback, should contact me before placing a bid. Buyer prepays and includes shipping. Paypal okay.
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