Add me to the list. I just had this happen to me recently on th'Bay with a guy trying to auction off an oddball Columbia made in the UK that was one of the in-between hybrids they made of a Viva-Tonal and the older Grafonolas.
The seller was asking a little too high for the piece so I asked him if he would consider selling it for slightly less but ONLY IF it did not sell for his price (or more) during his auction. I wasn't lowballing him to end his auction and prevent him from riding out the last second bidding war he was hoping for. It was only if it didn't sell. I was offering him a safe "plan B." He basically replied that if he couldn't get his price, which was as low as he would ever go, he would chop it up and sell it for parts and make more. I wanted to congratulate him then and there for his confidence in recognizing how the vast silent numbers of US buyers of obscure UK machine parts on a US-only eBay item, were only waiting for him to part it out, but I didn't. I was dumbfounded at the naked greed, ignorance, and impatience behind the sentiment, which as everyone so far has pointed out, is all too prevalent. I know this Viva-Tonal wasn't as rare a gem as the Edison's you guys have been justly mourning, and he was probably trying to get me to bid, but it's the same stupid, impatient M.O.: Can't make a buck selling it whole? Chop it up and (maybe) make more! I realize times are tough and that the majority of sellers on eBay aren't selling because they are suffering from abundance of funds, space, or time, but apparently you can add respect and intelligence as well. eBay was founded on the premise that one man's junk is another man's treasure. That said, have some respect for the item you're selling. Do your homework. Sometimes the sum of the parts are less than the whole. Arvin On 3/22/13 2:22 AM, "chuck richards" <chuc...@all2easy.net> wrote: >Thank you for posting that Al! > >This is just yet another example of the widespread >ignorance and greed in which we find ourselves immersed. > >This kind of stuff happens all of the time, unfortunately. > >A similar situation happened recently involving >a nicely working recorder/reproducer for a Dictaphone >model 12 machine. Someone on the TMF list had a mysterious >recorder/reproducer pictured, and he was asking what >it is. Columbia or Edison? > >I recognized it as the one for my working model 12 >Dictaphone. He had offered to sell it or trade for >it. But...guess what? ...By the time I got to >asking him for a trade so I could obtain it and have >a working spare for my model 12 machine, the reply I got >back was: "I had no use for it so I scrapped it" > >So, there you go. Only in this case there was not even any >monetary gain, nor greed, nor any reason other than >ignorance that caused the untimely death of this perfectly >fine working unit. Some people are just destructive. > >One less Amberola lll in the universe, and one less >recorder/reproducer for a Dictaphone model 12. > >Karma. There is still Karma. >And a good Karma can easily run over any Dogma. > >Chuck Richards >> >> >>---- Original Message ---- >>From: clockworkh...@aol.com >>To: phono-l@oldcrank.org >>Subject: RE: [Phono-L] The Death of Amberola III SN304 >>Date: Fri, 22 Mar 2013 01:55:04 -0400 (EDT) >> >>> >>> >>>It is with great sadness that I note the death of a fine and rare >>example of an Amberola III. The III wasn't even sick. It played >>until the bitter end. It's death came at the hands of someone on >>eBay who decided to part it out. The cabinet, rear inspection door, >>motor, Diamond A Reproducer, and other parts were drawn and quartered >>because someone figured they would sell for more than the whole >>machine. I believe only about 1,200 of these machines were made. >>They are only rarely found in such nice condition as 304 was. We >>Edison fanatics will miss her. >>> >>>Best wishes to a very quiet list, >>> >>>Al >>> >>> >>> >>>-----Original Message----- >>>From: Steven Medved <steve_nor...@msn.com> >>>To: phonolist <phonol...@yahoogroups.com>; phono-l >><phono-l@oldcrank.org> >>>Sent: Thu, Mar 21, 2013 6:15 pm >>>Subject: [Phono-L] For sale square box Combination attachment for >>Edison Standard Phonograph Model B $27.00 >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>>Hello, I have photos, $27.00 includes priority mail shipping in a >>7x7x6 box. >>>The box is excellent, it does show age the label is brown but all >>there. It has >>>the smaller box cemented inside with the holder for the Model H >>reproducer. I >>>have photos if anyone is interested. I paid $20 or $25 for it >>years ago, with >>>shipping I will about break even. Steve >>>_______________________________________________ >>>Phono-L mailing list >>>http://phono-l.org >>> >>> >>>_______________________________________________ >>>Phono-L mailing list >>>http://phono-l.org >>> > > > >$4.95/mo. National Dialup, Anti-Spam, Anti-Virus, 5mb personal web space. >5x faster dialup for only $9.95/mo. No contracts, No fees, No Kidding! >See http://www.All2Easy.net for more details! > >_______________________________________________ >Phono-L mailing list >http://phono-l.org _______________________________________________ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org
