Thursday, November 08, 2007
Dumb Blog
Maybe it's just how I perceive things, but the last blog about the RCA record player sort of tops it in the rewards department for dumb things said on this forum - well, maybe not the whole thing, but I didn't exactly wrap it up with a snappy ending or pithy moral, did I???
Saturday, November 03, 2007
The RCA Record Player Story
It sure is funny how things get away from you, mostly time.
Back in the 70s I picked up an old RCA Victor 45 rpm record player at a garage sale - it would play a while, static and feedback would invade the speakers, and whatever you happened to be listening to was lost to then 25-year old technology. Rather than having the thing fixed, I tossed it (or did I give it away???). Memories fade - at any rate, out in went along with a few 45s that really didn't make any difference to me one way or the other.
Last year, in a fit of 1950s nostalgia, I went looking for one - didn't happen - these things were getting in demand again and I didn't want to shell out the cash to get something I thought might sit around gathering fodder for a can of Pledge furniture polish. Well, guess what happened?
I found one on an online auction site, and having a few bucks to spend decided to give it a go, regardless of the 24 other bidders who had driven the price up to about $69, which isn't all that much when you consider these things can fetch three or four hundred dollars. I also had one hour and 30 minutes to make my move - a great idea was hatched and I waited until one minute before the auction closed. . .it paid off and I was the proud owner of a 1950s era RCA Victor fully automatic record player. When it arrived, as I suspected, it needed some attention - it didn't have any sound and there were some issues with the reject cycle. Least of all was the electrical cord - it was frayed after many years of (dis)use and needed replaced. So, off to the audio and video specialist 25 miles away where it languished for three months while parts were tracked down, shipped, and eventually replaced. Okay, this record player doesn't have stereo soound, and these original pressing records have had some wear, but then, they're 50 years old, some older. So, needless to say I was prepared for some the effects of some wear. What a conversation piece - photos leave a lot to the imagination, but here it is in all its glory, providing some musical backdrop to our home. It was worth the wait and worth the investment.
Back in the 70s I picked up an old RCA Victor 45 rpm record player at a garage sale - it would play a while, static and feedback would invade the speakers, and whatever you happened to be listening to was lost to then 25-year old technology. Rather than having the thing fixed, I tossed it (or did I give it away???). Memories fade - at any rate, out in went along with a few 45s that really didn't make any difference to me one way or the other.
Last year, in a fit of 1950s nostalgia, I went looking for one - didn't happen - these things were getting in demand again and I didn't want to shell out the cash to get something I thought might sit around gathering fodder for a can of Pledge furniture polish. Well, guess what happened?
I found one on an online auction site, and having a few bucks to spend decided to give it a go, regardless of the 24 other bidders who had driven the price up to about $69, which isn't all that much when you consider these things can fetch three or four hundred dollars. I also had one hour and 30 minutes to make my move - a great idea was hatched and I waited until one minute before the auction closed. . .it paid off and I was the proud owner of a 1950s era RCA Victor fully automatic record player. When it arrived, as I suspected, it needed some attention - it didn't have any sound and there were some issues with the reject cycle. Least of all was the electrical cord - it was frayed after many years of (dis)use and needed replaced. So, off to the audio and video specialist 25 miles away where it languished for three months while parts were tracked down, shipped, and eventually replaced. Okay, this record player doesn't have stereo soound, and these original pressing records have had some wear, but then, they're 50 years old, some older. So, needless to say I was prepared for some the effects of some wear. What a conversation piece - photos leave a lot to the imagination, but here it is in all its glory, providing some musical backdrop to our home. It was worth the wait and worth the investment.
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