Isolated Blurt Thread

[oggbashan]

I would love the gramophone. It would match perfectly my typewriter, my secretary, collection of old-world maps, and my collection of pocket watches.

My wife and I have become progressively steampunk over the past year or so. Eventually, we hope to have the entire house look like something (sort of) from the Victorian era.

Unfortunately both the horn gramophone and the cabinet gramophone need attention to their motors.

The horn one runs too fast and if the speed is adjusted downwards the governor hits the casing.

The cabinet gramophone's spring is very weak. It will start slowly and build up to about 78 rpm but as soon as the needle is lowered to the record it will slow down to about 15 rpm.

There is a local dealer who services and repairs clockwork gramophones but his charges would be significant.

And do I need another gramophone? I have two fully operational portable ones, and four modern devices that play 78 rpm records (and 33 and 45).

 

[oggbashan]

The sewing machine:

http://41.media.tumblr.com/7b1aa3651c58d7a79e8f13fdf8b1a7b3/tumblr_niyc0rLojB1rpgpe2o1_1280.jpg

 

[slyc_willie]

I'm fairly decent at tinkering, so even a marginally functional gramophone would be welcome. Hmm. I might have to go looking in the King William district here in San Antonio. There are a lot of antiques and consignment shops that just may have one.

Oh, and my wife would absolutely adore the sewing machine. It's beautiful.

 

[NaokoSmith]

Patience, patience...

Well, I've heard of Patience on a monument, so why not a jardiniere!

 

[Handley_Page]

The sewing machine:

My late wife had one like that (albeit a 'Singer'), back in the day.
But she wanted an electric, so I built the electric machine into the old case.
Rather to my surprise, it worked well, even to the folding down into the body of the cabinet.
It got terminally damaged when we move house.

 

[oggbashan]

My late wife had one like that (albeit a 'Singer'), back in the day.
But she wanted an electric, so I built the electric machine into the old case.
Rather to my surprise, it worked well, even to the folding down into the body of the cabinet.
It got terminally damaged when we move house.

Last week I bought an electric Singer sewing machine in a Singer desk. It is like this but the machine is about a decade earlier:

http://neaca.com/images/Singer_M347_Maple_Desk_1_.JPG

It cost me £2.20.

I gave it to a local charity shop that I knew has a friendly electrician/handyman. He checked it electrically and serviced it. It is now on sale at £80.

 

[oggbashan]

...

Oh, and my wife would absolutely adore the sewing machine. It's beautiful.

The sewing machine is complete with its original instruction booklet.

 

[loquere]

The military acronym for Headquarters is HQ.

I've never liked that either it should be, "H."

 

[Hypoxia]

I'm rather bored with the incessant petty sniping around here. I'll be spending more time on music forums. [/me fingerpicks a maudlin tune.] Maybe I'll 'author' some more here, eventually. Y'all have fun, now.

 

[slyc_willie]

The sewing machine is complete with its original instruction booklet.

She is officially mad at you now.

 

[Handley_Page]

I've never liked that either it should be, "H."

'Fraid not. It is actually from two words 'Head' (as in chief) and 'Quarters' (as in buildings /location).
Hence HQ

 

[oggbashan]

She is officially mad at you now.

If I buy it, my wife will be mad at me too.

At one time I had fourteen sewing machines in the house, including six treadle operated ones. She kept using her mother's Singer because it was more modern than my antique ones.

She blew her top when I bought a five foot high Cobbler's sewing machine. I cleaned and serviced it. It is still in occasional use in a local shoe repair shop.

My interest started when my then girlfriend moved into an unfurnished flat which had high ceilings and no curtains. She wanted a sewing machine to make her own curtains. I had a car and took her to a shop that sold refurbished sewing machines. She bought a Wheeler and Wilson treadle machine for two pounds and ten shillings (that dates the purchase as 1960s).

It was so cheap because it was a semi-industrial machine. The treadle only worked fast - ideal for curtains, not not for dressmaking. She made her curtains and started making curtains for friends and family.

She paid off the capital cost of the machine within a month and was earning about ten pounds a month from making curtains. Her pay from her fulltime employment was sixty pounds a month, so ten pounds a month extra was welcome.

 

[oggbashan]

Auction update

The Stoewer Sewing Machine sold for £33 including buyer's premium.

The Cabinet Gramophone sold for £31. The Gramophone with horn sold for £83.

Neither gramophone was working properly, but the sewing machine was in great condition.

 

[oggbashan]

...

In our auction tomorrow is a two foot high Gold Cupid holding up a torch (Statue of Liberty type torch). His body and plinth are studded with stick-on fake jewels probably from a child's nail make-up set.

He didn't sell last week with a reserve of £5. Maybe, just maybe, I might get him for £3 or even £2.

I bought it for £3.30 but I don't think my wife will approve. It is uglier than the Jardiniere. Photos tomorrow, perhaps.

 

[SweetMaj]

Hello from the country:

I left Copenhagen two days ago, and I'm staying here in "Nykøbing Sjælland" until Monday.

 

[Tio_Narratore]

Have a good time, Maj . See you when you're back?

 

[SweetMaj]

Have a good time, Maj . See you when you're back?

I love it when you're talking about my back, Tio!



(You won't miss me when I return.)

 

[Tio_Narratore]

I love it when you're talking about my back, Tio!



(You won't miss me when I return.)

But I'll miss you while you're gone...

 

[SweetMaj]

But I'll miss you while you're gone...

I'll miss you too, Tio.

 

[loquere]

Blurt

 

[slyc_willie]

The Stoewer Sewing Machine sold for £33 including buyer's premium.

You have got to be kidding. That's about $50 US. I would have paid for the shipping costs to send it over here and still gotten a bargain.

Sometimes, life just isn't kind . . . .

 

[Handley_Page]

But I'll miss you while you're gone...

Won't we all ?

 

[oggbashan]

You have got to be kidding. That's about $50 US. I would have paid for the shipping costs to send it over here and still gotten a bargain.

Sometimes, life just isn't kind . . . .

It is a VERY cheap auction, mainly frequented by marginal junk dealers. The minimum bid is £3 on top of which the buyer pays 30 pence Buyer's Premium (of 10%).

About a quarter of the lots are unsold, with no one bidding £3, or even, if the auctioneer/seller is desperate to shift it - £2. But some of the lots should have been put into a dumpster, not an auction.

The Sewing Machine was among a couple of dozen lots that sold for more than £10. I bought seven items and paid a total, including the 10% of less than £40. The main expense was a fish tank for my grandson which included the pump, filter, over-tank light and instructions - £13.20.

I sold 11 of my 12 lots I entered. I pay £1 per sold lot plus 15% of the hammer price but nothing for unsold lots. My gross takings were about £110 - a considerable amount for this auction - minus 15% and minus £11.

The next nearest auction is far more upmarket BUT they won't accept lots with an estimated hammer price of less than £100 and charge a minimum sale fee of £25 or 25% whichever is the higher, plus an entry fee of £10 per lot, sold or not.

P.S. This week and last there were lots of four genuine, new, Lacoste Polo shirts. Unfortunately they weren't in my size. They sold for £12 (£13.20 inc premium) for the set of four.

 

[glynndah]

You have got to be kidding. That's about $50 US. I would have paid for the shipping costs to send it over here and still gotten a bargain.

Sometimes, life just isn't kind . . . .

I have one very much like that one which I'm really not using. Interested?

 

[NaokoSmith]

I have spent the whole day chasing pussy . The black cat Lakhi (the mother cat) was supposed to go to the vet at 10.30 - just for a measly check-up since we moved and registered them at a new vet's. At 9.50, she was wandering around sniffing at breakfast. Then at 10.00, she wasn't! I had to phone the vet, they were very kind and said it happens all the time. We agreed I would bring her in at 14.50, although if she turned up they might be able to squeeze me in at 11.30.

11 am - the little minx strolled in looking like butter wouldn't melt , so I phoned the vet but the 11.30 slot had gone.

And at 14.00, I swear she was hovering by the catflap! I craftily lured her away with snack treats and locked it.

At the vet's she demonstrated her general health and wellbeing by leaping off the table, scooting nonchalently all over the room and scratching my hand when I tried to pick her up to put her back in the cat carrier. I am grateful! it was a much lesser injury than she inflicted on our previous vet, who tried to give her an injection one time.

Anyway, both cats have been pronounced healthy and flea and worm-free, to my surprise. I thought living by a park they would be riddled with extra little friends at this time of year.

They really love it here. They spend a lot of time sitting in the window-sills watching the birds, or lying on their backs with their furry tummies in a pool of sunshine, or out in the garden pretending they don't care when the squirrels make rude noises at them. They have demonstrated their gratitude and affection by presenting us with two little dead mice so far - ugh.