1970s Ferguson radiogram.

[Singlofty]

Originally Posted by Studio263

Try as I may, I cannot see a single redeeming feature.

nice cabinet? no
complete and in original condition? no
well respected and desirable at the time? no
easy to repair (10 minutes or less)? no
easy to sell? heavens no
profit potential: zero (if you are lucky!)

My vote is for "bin it".

Isn't it the eye of the beholder though. I bought this for 12 quid and after the usual clean up and service the boss was so impressed she insisted on moving it into the lounge. I think it was the "looks like Leonard Cohen having a haircut " bookmatched veneer that swung it.

[Lloyd 1985]

I have the same problem in my workshop! I’m currently looking for a Dremmel type thing, I know it’s in thee, I found the empty case for it, but the thing itself has gone walkies!

I also lost a bag of fixings for a Cossor battery valve radio when in my old workshop, I ended up carefully packing loads of bubble wrap inside the set to hold the chassis and tuning dial assembly safely in it for when we moved house. Just the other week while looking for something else I came across a bag of fixings, turned out to be the ones for the Cossor! So nearly 3 years later I could finally put the set back together

Regards
Lloyd

[Nuvistor]

Originally Posted by Singlofty

Isn't it the eye of the beholder though. I bought this for 12 quid and after the usual clean up and service the boss was so impressed she insisted on moving it into the lounge. I think it was the "looks like Leonard Cohen having a haircut " bookmatched veneer that swung it.

Not be long before the is an ornament on top of it.

When I was in the trade there were items we sold that I wouldn’t have given house room but the buyers loved them. It would be boring if we all liked the same.

The gram looks good there, very organised and forward thinking of you to have that space ready to fit it.

[Edward Huggins]

Looks well in that alcove - and expect plenty of "thump" from that kind of close to wall siting.

[Singlofty]

I had to move her handbag to take the picture. It does get used though, it's a cheapish Alba set but the radio is excellent especially on VHF and I've never understood the problems people have with BSR autochangers. It sounds superb to my admittedly tinnitus riddled ears. Just load it up and you have a couple of hours of music on tap.
Dave

[Studio263]

Originally Posted by Singlofty

I bought this for 12 quid...

This brings into doubt those valuations in the hundreds for the Fablon Ferguson doesn't it? The Alba looks much nicer and still costs less than a decent LP.

I used to have a B&O 900RG, which was about as good as 60s stereo radiograms got. It was still far too big, always in the way and I was glad when it went. Even the performance of this was miles off that of "proper" hi-fi units a fraction of the size, but it could be used as a cot if you took the records out first - you can't do that with an Aurex System 15! See attached.

[paulsherwin]

Prices for radiograms of this type continue to vary widely, but have undeniably shot up in the last few years. They aren't bought by collectors to treasure, but as everyday consumer durables by non enthusiasts. They wouldn't think twice about paying £600 for an iPhone, so £100 is cheap to them. The buyers don't expect them to sound particularly wonderful, and don't mind the size as they are a style statement.

[Techman]

I also paid £12 plus commission for the one I bought at a local auction and there was actually someone else bidding against me from the quid or two starting bid. It was a Dynatron with the built in speakers actually separately encased within the cabinet, so sounded quite good for what it was, but certainly not hi-fi. After fixing it I only got £30 for it, but that was without trying as I already knew the chap that bought it and I was glad to get rid of it out of the house (the spares that I eventually got back from it and which were the original reason for buying it, take up a lot less room than the complete gram did). I could probably have got more for it if I'd put some proper effort into selling it - maybe?

I remember seeing one of those B&O radiograms up for auction by a trader on the internet and it was fairly local to me. It was a couple of years ago and I can't remember the exact price it sold for but I was shocked to see it make somewhere around £200 - give or take.

Below is a picture of the radiogram that I sold, but eventually got broken up. It still had its original label fixed under one of the deck transit screws and had also been PAT tested by the auction house, so I could sell on with confidence

[Studio263]

Originally Posted by paulsherwin

They aren't bought by collectors to treasure, but as everyday consumer durables by non enthusiasts. They wouldn't think twice about paying £600 for an iPhone, so £100 is cheap to them.

Soaking the unwary should be condoned on this forum surely? What goes around comes around, there's more to life than money.

[electronicskip]

Originally Posted by Nuvistor

Not be long before the is an ornament on top of it.

When I was in the trade there were items we sold that I wouldn’t have given house room but the buyers loved them. It would be boring if we all liked the same.

The gram looks good there, very organised and forward thinking of you to have that space ready to fit it.

A few years back I worked for a furniture/electrical recycling operation, and one of the regular things we used to get in were old radiogram cabinets which had been stripped out and repurposed as drinks cabinets!

[paulsherwin]

Originally Posted by Studio263

Soaking the unwary should be condoned on this forum surely? What goes around comes around, there's more to life than money.

How else would you value an item like this, other than on the basis of what somebody is prepared to pay for it? Nobody is being 'soaked'.