Yet another Hardy tinfoil

[Tinfoilphono]

It's incredible that two Hardy tinfoils turned up at auction in Paris in one week: one on eBay France last week, and one at a conventional auction today. The first one lacked a patent plate and serial number, as discussed in another thread. That sold for €26,050, or about $30,800 without sales tax (charged to many American buyers). The machine sold today came from the collection of Daniel Marty, who wrote the first 'coffee table' book about phonographs (large format, color photos) almost 40 years ago. The hammer price was €23,000, or $27,025. However, there were substantial buyer's fees added to the hammer price -- 30% for floor bidders, 33% for online bidders. Assuming it sold over the internet, that comes to $36,000. That is, if it went to a foreign buyer. French buyers must add VAT of another 20%, which raises it to $43,000.

So I guess that answers the question in the other thread about how much the lack of a patent plate affects the value -- about $5,000 it would seem.

 

It is astonishing that two would appear on the market so close together, and at auction. Normally you might expect one to turn up maybe every five years or so, and to change hands privately. The last time I can remember seeing one at auction (eBay) was 15 years ago.

Edited October 14, 2020 by Tinfoilphono

[melvind]

OMG... How many of these are there? A fun coincidence I assume. And, it looks like the tag is on this one.

[Valecnik]

Wow those prices are more than I paid for my last three cars combined...?

[Tinfoilphono]

On 10/14/2020 at 2:56 PM, melvind said:

OMG... How many of these are there?

 

I've updated my census of known surviving Hardy tinfoils to 30. Of those, 14 are in museums so there are 16 known in private hands. The one sold last week on eBay was reportedly found recently at a flea market, so  there's always a chance more will turn up.