Phonoland

Hi, I bought this off this older man from a Craigslist listing. I'm very curious as to what kind it is and also how much its worth out on the market today. Here are a few pictures, thank you in advance.

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/JakeKos/phonograph/DSC00286.jpg[/IMG]
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[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/JakeKos/phonograph/DSC00289.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/JakeKos/phonograph/DSC00290.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/JakeKos/phonograph/DSC00291.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/JakeKos/phonograph/DSC00292.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/JakeKos/phonograph/DSC00293.jpg[/IMG]

Hi Jake:

I believe you have to be a registered member to post or embed photos.

I've copied and re-posted your photos so they appear:









This looks like a standard Sears Silvertone table model--probably from the early 1920s. Every model was given a name, but to find that out, you'd have to hunt down some old copies of Sears catalogs.

The model you have is equipped with a universal type tonearm that originally came with a small Z-shaped adapter that would position the sound box (reproducer) so that the mica faced the front of the cabinet. That was for playing Edison or Pathe' records. The adapter, itself, fit into that cup labeled "Edison ... Pathe." (In it's current position, the sound box will play any standard type of 78 rpm record.)

While these were well-made phonographs, the early Silvertone models don't quite have the following as the name brand Victor Talking Machines, so they normally sell for less. Typically, a similar size table model Victrola would probably sell for about $250-350+ depending on the overall condition of the cabinet, motor, plating, and other parts.

The Silvertone phonograph you have seems to be in excellent cosmetic condition. If this is the original finish on the cabinet, and the motor runs quietly and smoothly, I'd say it would probably be worth at least about $250-$300, depending. Keep in mind, in the current economy, the antiques market is pretty flat right now, and phonographs/gramophones are no exception.

One thing I'm wondering about is the crank. It looks too long for the case, and I suspect that it may be a replacement.

In any event Silvertone phonographs come up for sale quite often on eBay. You may want to do an occasional search for Silvertone Phonograph or Silvertone Victrola (make sure you search both the title and description) and if you spot anything that looks similar to what you have, track the auction to completion.

HTH,
Joe_DS

Thank you. The finish is definitely original. I did notice how the handle was unusually long, but seems to still be period correct.

The problem that I have is it won't play As I turn the crank with it in the brake position, it doesnt seem to wind. When I release the brake, it doesn't move. Could it be the spring is worn out? I opened it up and checked; everything is properly greesed, the cylinders move but not the other little gears involving the turntable movement. I don't know much about these things. What do you thinkn it is?

Jakephono wrote:The problem that I have is it won't play As I turn the crank with it in the brake position, it doesn't seem to wind. When I release the brake, it doesn't move. Could it be the spring is worn out? I opened it up and checked; everything is properly greased, the cylinders move but not the other little gears involving the turntable movement. I don't know much about these things. What do you think it is?

Can you feel any tension build up as you are turning the crank? If not, one of the springs may be broken or detached.

Along this line, can you spin the turntable manually? If the turntable won't budge, then one of the gears is frozen--possibly the main gear or the governor.

Since you are new to antique phonographs, your best bet may be to send the motor to one of the many shops that specialize in motor repair. You can locate them by doing a Google search for Victrola Repair or "Antique Phonograph" repair.

Everything spins, no locking here. When I spin the turntable pin manually it moves everything like it normally should. When I turn with the handle to wind the cylinder moves along with a few gears, but the gears associated with the turntable arent moving. for some reason, its losing traction somewhere from the gear of the handle to the gear of the turntable.