Re: [ARSCLIST] information requested about antique portabe phono

[Michael Biel <mbiel@xxxxxxxxx>]

Joel Ackerman wrote:
> try these.

(To the rest of the list, Joel sent me two photo's of the machine.)  
Ooh, this is one of those cute little cameraphones, not one of the more 
common suitcase portables.  Note that a suitcase type is pictured in the 
lid decal.  I don't see any GOST number (looks like roct in cyrillic) 
which is the  government industrial manufacturing standard number, such 
as seen on most Soviet products including records after 1950.  That 
could mean it is pre-1950.  As you mentioned, the company name includes 
the word "Patephonni" which has its background in the pre-revolutionary 
era when Pathe had a dominance and became the generic name there rather 
than Gramophone.  While I think that the later machines this factory 
made still had this decal, I tend to think that this might be from 
before 1950 unless you find a GOST number inside it somewhere.  These 
usually sell for more than a suitcase type.

Mike Biel  mbiel@xxxxxxxxx 

> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Michael Biel" <mbiel@xxxxxxxxx>
> To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Friday, February 20, 2009 8:34 PM
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] information requested about antique portabe phono
>
>
> > Joel Ackerman wrote:
> > > My wife has inherited what seems to be an antique Russian portable 
> > > phonograph.  The label inside reads Moskovskii Patephonii Zavod ( 
> > > Moscow Phonograph Factory).  Can anyone identify it?  Don't seem to 
> > > be able tom post photos here but will happily send some to anyone 
> > > who can help.
> > > Approximate date? 1930s? Value?
> > In the 1990s these were selling in Russia for $25 to $75 and were all 
> > over the place, but I always already had too much luggage to think of 
> > adding the hassle of taking one of these home.  Then the USA mail 
> > order Russian souvenir company was selling these for $125 and I 
> > should have bought one. There are a number of different factories 
> > which made these things as late as the late 50s, so they are not 
> > necessarily very old.  Remember, the Soviets continued to press 78s 
> > into around 1964.  In my other computer I have links to the Russian 
> > version of Ebay which has these machines on it all the time, and 
> > might be able to find a match.  Send me a photo off-list.
> >
> > Mike Biel  mbiel@xxxxxxxxx