Antique phonographs are fun, functional machines! Are you thinking of starting a phonograph collection? Did you just find one at a shop, online, or in your garage, and are trying to make sense of what it is? Have you had one in your home for some time and trying to learn more about it? Where to begin? This guide is intended as advice to those building a collection and looking for straightforward tips on how to judge the quality of an antique musical machine for the most value and enjoyment. My suggestions are focused on phonographs from the acoustic era: that is, machines produced from the 1890s to the 1920s, spring-operated (not electric) and playing either cylinder records or 78 rpm disc records.

Electric phonographs and modern wind-up reproduction phonographs are beyond the scope of this advice. Many individuals wish to acquire a phonograph in order to use it, meaning for playing actual vintage records. Others collect one or more phonographs as vintage decorative items. Still others are particularly interested in the historical and technological aspects, and attempt to amass a variety of phonographs to represent the progression of the talking machine through different eras and styles. This guide is useful for all the above cases. This is an Edison Standard Phonograph, playing cylinder records. This is a Victor P phonograph, a premium model used primarily as an incentive to customers buying many 78 rpm discs.

This is an Edison Standard Phonograph. Information on release date and factory serial number. Phonographs with the model names Triumph, Home. Edison Triumph Phonograph w/ Cygnet Horn. Signed on a metal tag ‘Edison Triumph Phonograph” with serial number. Edison Edison Triumph Edison Triumph. Edison Triumph Phonograph w/ Cygnet Horn. Signed on a metal tag ‘Edison Triumph Phonograph” with serial number. Edison Edison Triumph Edison Triumph. Big Finish Sapphire Steel. I would like to construct a data base with serial number vs model and patent data info for disc players - anyone who can or would like to give me serial number.