Hi all,

Christies in London held their regular sale of mechanical music last
week with fairly mixed results. There were some 29 lots of radio
equipment and the highest price of 2200 was paid for a Daily Express
(national newspaper) television kit c.1934. Followed be 2000 paid for a
Marconiphone receiver.  The highest price of 8000 was paid for an oil
painting of G.Marconi. But strictly speaking this should have ranked as
a work of art and not radio equipment.

There were nearly 70 lots of Gramophone or Phonograph related
equipment.  The highest price being 2200 paid for an HMV model 202 in
extremely poor condition. These wonderful Gramophones were produced
around 1930 and normally command prices of up to 12,000 in good
condition.

In the Pneumatic instruments section with 14 lots, I tried to buy the
Gavioli reed barrel organ but the selling price of 4200 was too much
for a reed organ.

There were 56 lots of musical boxes and the two top lots were the
Symphonion hall clock which played 13" discs at 5000 and the rare self
changing Symphonion style 100 which played on two combs and ten bells.
This item had a checkered history and went for 9500. These last two item
were both pretty good buys and were both at the lower end of
estimates.

Away from the Christies sale, there was another sale in London in which
there appeared an Ampico upright in an English Marshall & Rose piano.
This went much more to my liking and I will be collecting the piano
this Wednesday.

Brian Chesters- Isle of Man
brian@litter-boss.co.uk
http://www.litter-boss.co.uk/antique

Roses are red,
Violets are VIOLET!!!