ARTo Records

[CrackedWormgear]

Yesterday I attended a local annual flea market. Usually the first flea market of the season for me. Normally I never find anything phonograph related but this time it was definitely different. Discovered a box of records with a good batch of acoustic era ones. 
 

I’ve had ARTo Phone records before but never in mint condition including the sleeves. This is one of them.

 

Also found a good buy on a VV-VI Victrola. But I left that behind for someone else to discover. Also I already had reached my carrying capability!

 

 

[NateO]

That's a great find, especially with that original sleeve. I'd say getting a Billy Murray ARTo was a real bonus, since he was only freelancing for a brief window in 1919 or 1920.

 

I also don't find a lot of phonograph stuff in the wild anymore. Maybe I should start getting back out there...

[CrackedWormgear]

Thanks NateO!

 

I do believe more vintage stuff like this will come out of the woodwork.  The vendor was from Wisconsin but the records came from California. So they had quite a trip to get to me.

 

The small VV-VI was a pleasant surprise at a great price point. But I believe the generational change has made these not as coveted as they used to be. At this same flea market there were several portable electronic players. An Admiral portable with two stereo speakers doubling as the cover was $150. It was a tube unit so it would also need extensive recapping. And of course the changer would need rebuilding. 
 

The little Victrola being mechanical would be much easier for a Neanderthal black smith mechanic like me to understand!😜