Post by Moooperator on Mar 24, 2009 16:42:34 GMT -6
Today we are starting a new focus on the collector. Each week we hope to have one of our members answer these same questions and submit a few photographs to get to know you better. These posts are to reacquaint old friends and also to make new ones.
I'll go first and I think Jim Cannon is working on one. Please email me your profile in the future with some photos and we'll have plenty to keep us posting a new profile each week. I think this will be fun and help put a face with a name. (good or bad) ;D
So... Meet The Collector!
Board name: Moooperator
Real name: Jeff
Age: 43
Married/kids? My wife Robin and I have been married 22 years and have 4 children
Location: Tupelo, Mississippi
How about a photo of you?
Q. When did you first become involved in collecting phonographs?
A. When I married in 1987 we started collecting old “antiques” and I picked up a Victrola or two but I didn’t really get serious about collecting until around 1999.
Q.Do you specialize in or favor certain brands/types of machines and if so, why?
A.I have no rhyme or reason to my collection. I just buy anything I like. I am partial to the “off the beaten” path machines like the Actuelle and the odd size spindled machines. I think their reason for being is kind of gimmicky and since I’m in advertising I guess we are a kindred spirit.
Q.Was there someone that mentored you or feed your enthusiasm for collecting?
A.I met a collector around 1989 or so named Ed Benoitt that lived about 50 miles from me. When I went to buy my first “real” machine from him, a fireside with fireside horn, I was floored by his machines. Until I talked to him I had no idea that there was a whole community of collectors with societies, newsletters and shows. My collecting “bud” I guess is Wes (downsouth) in Birmingham. We talk on the phone about once a week and more if we get in to some great find.
Q.Do you do most of your own restoration work? What’s your best tip?
A.Other than a pesky motor that George at Great Lakes repaired for me I’ve done everything from cabinet restorations, spring replacements - the works. I really enjoy getting a machine with one foot in the grave and bringing it back to suitable display. My best tip overall would be to be constraint in what you do to a machine and research and ask questions if you don’t know – with this board there is no reason to go at a project blindly.
Q.How does your family/spouse/partner feel about your addiction?
A.My wife is so very understanding and other than a jab now in then to keep me in my place she supports my collecting. My kids like the fact there is a cool room to show their friends but none have fallen in love with the machines or music.
Q.What’s the most exciting find you ever had while hunting?
A.Well, finding the idelia last year at a live auction was a thrill and although I was the runner up bidder I just know it would have been mine if some clown in Ohio had not alerted the auctioneer to what he had and he added more search words and photos to his auction website. The best find I actually landed would be the HMV Automatic that I’ve bored you guys to death over.
Q.Do you buy strictly A-1 condition examples or do you like to buy rough machines and breath new life in them?
A.It’s nice to sometime get a machine you just have to dust and put on the shelf but I’m up for anything. You have to be when you live down here in the off brand phonograph wasteland.
Q.Where do you get most of your machines from? Shows, ebay, fellow collectors or in the wild?
A.About 1/3 ebay (doing less of that now) 1/3 from shows and 1/3 from out in the wild finds.
Q.What’s the dumbest thing you ever did in this hobby?
A.I bought a crap-o-phone about 12 years ago in New Orleans for $500. In my defense though I never saw it up close, just through a closed antiques store window and it was the one that most favors a real machine… I later contacted the store and had them mail it to me. I sold it at auction a few years ago and was never so glad to get rid of something in my life including that rash I got back in the Navy! ;D
Q.Do you consider the recordings an integrate part of your collection or are they just fodder for the machines to play?
A.I like the music so the playing of them is a big part to me. Besides, a cylinder machine looks so much better with a few decorative boxes displayed with it!
Q.If you could only keep one of your current machines, which one would it be and why?
A.Victor 10-50… it is just so fun to play a stack of records.
Q.If you had an extra $5000 to spend today on one machine, what machine would you buy and why?
A.It would have to be an Opera because Wes has one and dang it… it just ain’t fair!
Q.Like the question asked of celebrities – we have a twist – rather than “If you where a tree, what kind of tree would you be and why?” WE ASK “If you where a phonograph, what kind of phonograph would you be? And why?”
A.I’d be some big old hunkin’ Victrola 8-30 with a nice potmetal reproducer… common as heck but still bringing joy to those within ear shot! That’s me… one BIG bundle of joy! My mama said so anyway.
Q.Could you share a few photos of your collection?
I'll go first and I think Jim Cannon is working on one. Please email me your profile in the future with some photos and we'll have plenty to keep us posting a new profile each week. I think this will be fun and help put a face with a name. (good or bad) ;D
So... Meet The Collector!
Board name: Moooperator
Real name: Jeff
Age: 43
Married/kids? My wife Robin and I have been married 22 years and have 4 children
Location: Tupelo, Mississippi
How about a photo of you?
Q. When did you first become involved in collecting phonographs?
A. When I married in 1987 we started collecting old “antiques” and I picked up a Victrola or two but I didn’t really get serious about collecting until around 1999.
Q.Do you specialize in or favor certain brands/types of machines and if so, why?
A.I have no rhyme or reason to my collection. I just buy anything I like. I am partial to the “off the beaten” path machines like the Actuelle and the odd size spindled machines. I think their reason for being is kind of gimmicky and since I’m in advertising I guess we are a kindred spirit.
Q.Was there someone that mentored you or feed your enthusiasm for collecting?
A.I met a collector around 1989 or so named Ed Benoitt that lived about 50 miles from me. When I went to buy my first “real” machine from him, a fireside with fireside horn, I was floored by his machines. Until I talked to him I had no idea that there was a whole community of collectors with societies, newsletters and shows. My collecting “bud” I guess is Wes (downsouth) in Birmingham. We talk on the phone about once a week and more if we get in to some great find.
Q.Do you do most of your own restoration work? What’s your best tip?
A.Other than a pesky motor that George at Great Lakes repaired for me I’ve done everything from cabinet restorations, spring replacements - the works. I really enjoy getting a machine with one foot in the grave and bringing it back to suitable display. My best tip overall would be to be constraint in what you do to a machine and research and ask questions if you don’t know – with this board there is no reason to go at a project blindly.
Q.How does your family/spouse/partner feel about your addiction?
A.My wife is so very understanding and other than a jab now in then to keep me in my place she supports my collecting. My kids like the fact there is a cool room to show their friends but none have fallen in love with the machines or music.
Q.What’s the most exciting find you ever had while hunting?
A.Well, finding the idelia last year at a live auction was a thrill and although I was the runner up bidder I just know it would have been mine if some clown in Ohio had not alerted the auctioneer to what he had and he added more search words and photos to his auction website. The best find I actually landed would be the HMV Automatic that I’ve bored you guys to death over.
Q.Do you buy strictly A-1 condition examples or do you like to buy rough machines and breath new life in them?
A.It’s nice to sometime get a machine you just have to dust and put on the shelf but I’m up for anything. You have to be when you live down here in the off brand phonograph wasteland.
Q.Where do you get most of your machines from? Shows, ebay, fellow collectors or in the wild?
A.About 1/3 ebay (doing less of that now) 1/3 from shows and 1/3 from out in the wild finds.
Q.What’s the dumbest thing you ever did in this hobby?
A.I bought a crap-o-phone about 12 years ago in New Orleans for $500. In my defense though I never saw it up close, just through a closed antiques store window and it was the one that most favors a real machine… I later contacted the store and had them mail it to me. I sold it at auction a few years ago and was never so glad to get rid of something in my life including that rash I got back in the Navy! ;D
Q.Do you consider the recordings an integrate part of your collection or are they just fodder for the machines to play?
A.I like the music so the playing of them is a big part to me. Besides, a cylinder machine looks so much better with a few decorative boxes displayed with it!
Q.If you could only keep one of your current machines, which one would it be and why?
A.Victor 10-50… it is just so fun to play a stack of records.
Q.If you had an extra $5000 to spend today on one machine, what machine would you buy and why?
A.It would have to be an Opera because Wes has one and dang it… it just ain’t fair!
Q.Like the question asked of celebrities – we have a twist – rather than “If you where a tree, what kind of tree would you be and why?” WE ASK “If you where a phonograph, what kind of phonograph would you be? And why?”
A.I’d be some big old hunkin’ Victrola 8-30 with a nice potmetal reproducer… common as heck but still bringing joy to those within ear shot! That’s me… one BIG bundle of joy! My mama said so anyway.
Q.Could you share a few photos of your collection?