At The Auction
by Mark Caruana-Dingli
Two Bettini cylinder boxes
|
|
Considering that I haven't spent that much time on
Ebay lately, I've come up with quite a selection of
items this time that I may not get to them all.
Hiller Talking Clock
|
|
In the category of recording media I came across
three auctions for Bettini cylinder boxes. Phonograph
pioneer Gianni Bettini, whose Micro-Phonograph
recorders and reproducers are considered highly
collectable, marketed these rare cylinders. The first
cylinder box which sold for $169.50 (all prices
in $US) was the highly illustrated style and came
with a cylinder that was not, as I gathered, a Bettini
cylinder. The other two boxes were the more familiar
and desirable solid red container with black writing
and each sold in the neighborhood of $250.00. If
only these boxes had their cylinders!
Wurlitzer Debutante Jukebox Prototype
|
|
If you really have some money to splurge, consider bidding on some of the later 5000 series Blue Amberols, one of which, # 5716 titled Kansas City
Kitty by Billy Murray and His Merry Melody Men,
recently sold for $2,525.00. You unfortunately missed
some Columbia 6 inch cylinders, which sold as a
lot with a few Edison Gold molded cylinders for an
outstanding $2,225.00.
If you would like to move up into the 1940’s and
collect something that is still affordable, a few
good deals can be had similar to the cerise (orange)
coloured 45 RCA record Arthur Big Boy Crudup’s
That’s all Right Mama which sold for a reasonable
$148.50.
Regina music box with rare outside horn
|
|
Getting to the really rare and good stuff, I found a
Hiller Talking Clock from about 1911 which sold
for $3,700.00. As with all the examples I have heard
about, the celluloid tape that contains the recording
was missing. Other unusual items were a Regina
music box with the rare Reginaphone outside horn
feature that adapts it to play 78 RPM records. This
item went unsold with an opening bid of $6,200.00.
The final item I can fit in this month is a Wurlitzer
Debutante Jukebox Prototype from around 1932.
This model design was purchased by the Wurlitzer
Company to be utilized as a test model for the
marketability of jukeboxes. This one, which the
seller believes may be one of only two known
examples, sold for $4,400.00 plus 15% buyers
premium (for live auctions).
|