Post by echoallovertheworld on Feb 5, 2014 16:23:24 GMT -6
I don't know how many of you remember an old time collector on the west by name of Ira Dueltgen? I believe that this man was one of the pioneers and one of the first era of antique phonograph collectors. He was a very good friend of mine back in the 70s, 80s, 90s and then we moved away from the area. I wish that he had written a book about his life as he had a multitude of stories that he gladly shared with his friends. If you will indulge me I would like to share a few with you from memory.
He started collecting in the 40s when hand crank phonos were being traded in on electric phonographs in a shop in his home town. As the clerks would take in an old phonograph in trade on a new G.E. or Columbia electric model they would remove the horns and line them up on the street just before school was out and the kids would ride by on their bikes and pick them up alleviating the necessity for the shop to dispose of them. He was soon wise to their actions so he would beat them to it watching the clerks activity right before school was out. He collected not only many horns but also made a deal with the shop to purchase the machines very inexpensively. In those days the shop keepers didn't know an Opera from a Q so he said that he obtained some exceptional machines that in later years as other collectors came into view, would prove to be out of reach of his budget as he was raising a family while working for the city. In his basement, when knew him, he probably had 100 to 200 machines and all of exceptional quality. He had pristine wooden horn machines, an Opera, an Idelia or two, Concert and coin op machines as well. He had the only pink Gem that I have seen. We just assumed that it was a specially made one for some very privileged individual in those early years. He loved to do guided tours and we collectors loved each tour. He said that in those early years every flea market had at least one hand crank phonograph. VVIVs were as common as clothing at each sale as were Victrolas. The horn machines were also not that uncommon at many sales, auctions,flea markets, and garage sales. 78s were throw aways in those days. Boxes of cylinder were a buck or two. We all laughed as he was telling us that when he would walk into a flea market and if he spotted a horn machine everything else stopped. He heard, saw,and was aware of nothing else until inspection and purchase. Last but not least he told us of the very rare machine that he saw in the paper at a farm auction. It was many miles from Portland. The day of the auction was rainy and Ira had a feeling that the auction would not be well attended. He arrived at the site after driving for hours, waded through mud and cold, completely soiling his pants and shoes but was undaunted in his quest. He was right. There was only a handful of people there. He was freezing cold but bravely stood by HIS machine until that lot came up. He knew his limit. His rent was about due and he only had X number of dollars to spend. Excitedly the auctioneer started the bidding as usual very high at first until the crowd would begin to respond to lower numbers. Much to Iras dismay the first number that the auctioneer spoke, which was far above Iras total spending limit met with about a half dozen hands. He did not even wait until the end of the bidding but stomped away in the mud mad as hell !!! He was hilarious in telling that story, one would have to know Ira !! He was a wealth of knowledge and a dear friend. He was a prince of a man and I miss Ira and I loved spending time in his basement. I just wanted to share some stories of a very early collector. I would not mind seeing other old time collectors on here with their stories.
He started collecting in the 40s when hand crank phonos were being traded in on electric phonographs in a shop in his home town. As the clerks would take in an old phonograph in trade on a new G.E. or Columbia electric model they would remove the horns and line them up on the street just before school was out and the kids would ride by on their bikes and pick them up alleviating the necessity for the shop to dispose of them. He was soon wise to their actions so he would beat them to it watching the clerks activity right before school was out. He collected not only many horns but also made a deal with the shop to purchase the machines very inexpensively. In those days the shop keepers didn't know an Opera from a Q so he said that he obtained some exceptional machines that in later years as other collectors came into view, would prove to be out of reach of his budget as he was raising a family while working for the city. In his basement, when knew him, he probably had 100 to 200 machines and all of exceptional quality. He had pristine wooden horn machines, an Opera, an Idelia or two, Concert and coin op machines as well. He had the only pink Gem that I have seen. We just assumed that it was a specially made one for some very privileged individual in those early years. He loved to do guided tours and we collectors loved each tour. He said that in those early years every flea market had at least one hand crank phonograph. VVIVs were as common as clothing at each sale as were Victrolas. The horn machines were also not that uncommon at many sales, auctions,flea markets, and garage sales. 78s were throw aways in those days. Boxes of cylinder were a buck or two. We all laughed as he was telling us that when he would walk into a flea market and if he spotted a horn machine everything else stopped. He heard, saw,and was aware of nothing else until inspection and purchase. Last but not least he told us of the very rare machine that he saw in the paper at a farm auction. It was many miles from Portland. The day of the auction was rainy and Ira had a feeling that the auction would not be well attended. He arrived at the site after driving for hours, waded through mud and cold, completely soiling his pants and shoes but was undaunted in his quest. He was right. There was only a handful of people there. He was freezing cold but bravely stood by HIS machine until that lot came up. He knew his limit. His rent was about due and he only had X number of dollars to spend. Excitedly the auctioneer started the bidding as usual very high at first until the crowd would begin to respond to lower numbers. Much to Iras dismay the first number that the auctioneer spoke, which was far above Iras total spending limit met with about a half dozen hands. He did not even wait until the end of the bidding but stomped away in the mud mad as hell !!! He was hilarious in telling that story, one would have to know Ira !! He was a wealth of knowledge and a dear friend. He was a prince of a man and I miss Ira and I loved spending time in his basement. I just wanted to share some stories of a very early collector. I would not mind seeing other old time collectors on here with their stories.