inherited phonograph & know nothing about rhe

[Mina]

Hello all !

My family purchased a phonograph 20 years ago at an antique store and it’s been sitting in our house as a piece of furniture since.

My mom wants to get rid of it and asked me to put it on Facebook marketplace or donate it but I couldn’t find any info on how to price but also if it’s anything significant, I would rather it end up in the home of someone who would appreciate it 

 

I don’t know much (or anything) about phonographs but thought this could be a starting point to find out more!

 

Thank you to anyone that can help me out in any way!

[phonogfp]

Hello Mina,

 

Your Pooley phonograph falls into the category of what we collectors call "off brands" of the teens and early twenties.  Starting around 1916, as many basic patents held by Victor and Columbia were expiring, enterprising businessmen were starting their own talking machine firms.  Most of the time, this involved having cabinets made up by a local furniture company or cabinet maker and ordering generic motors, tone arms, and other hardware from one of the several large companies that sprang up at around the same time.  These small off brand firms proliferated like weeds in the economic boom of the 1916-1921 period, but most quickly succumbed to the recession of the early 1920s.  There's no way of knowing how many of these small operations existed during the period, but research conducted by R.J. Wakeman suggests there were at least 450.  Probably many more than that couldn't afford to advertise beyond local newspapers, so are currently undocumented.  Mr. Wakeman's article on "off-brand" phonographs is on the APS website in the "Introductory" category:

http://www.antiquephono.org/brand-talking-machines-r-j-wakeman/

 

Your Pooley has the distinction of having been manufactured by the well-known Pooley Furniture Company, which had earlier manufactured high-quality cabinets for Edison and Victor.  Pooley would also supply some cabinets to Sears, Roebuck for its Silvertone phonographs.  In the article I referenced above, the Pooley phonograph appears as #305 in the list of firms that advertised in The Talking Machine World.
 

Unfortunately, among off brands, "rarity is common."  There are so many of these off brands - - many undocumented - - that finding an off brand is relatively easy.  (Of course, finding a particular off brand can be almost impossible!)  Among collectors, there is only marginal interest in off brands unless the machine has something distinctive to offer, such as an unusually ornate or beautiful cabinet, unique mechanics, or a strange feature (one off brand used a real conch shell for a horn!).  Your Pooley has an attractive cabinet, but it is a console style - which many collectors shy away from because of their relatively large footprint. 

 

If you're a Facebook user, feel free to post your Pooley on the APS Facbook Group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/phonograph/

 

Be sure to include your general location, since this machine cannot be economically shipped. 

 

Best of luck,

George P.

[Mina]

Thank you so much George !

[BenL]

I made a comment on your Facebook post, but for those who don't use it or for future reference.

It's a model 190 likely made between 1922-1924, this was Pooley's house brand to sell through their furniture dealers. 

Hope you're able to get it cleaned up and working again. 

 

Edited April 15, 2022 by BenL

[phonogfp]

You're very welcome!

 

George P.