Watch some poor neophyte collector get into a bidding war over this machine thinking it is a rare prototype... Are we sure the seller is not in India or China? But this is a first, an Edison frankenphono! The cabinet is from 1901-02 with the square corner pillars. I believe the motor is a mix of parts with an early square crank but a later cylindrical weighted governor. I tried reading the serial number on the motor but could not ascertain that it was more than only 4 digits. If only 4 digits it should have the hemispherical governor weights. Anyone with a super digital manipulation program? IMHO The machine is no doubt some talented craftsman's project. I suspect the original machine had something heavy fall on it and the castings were damaged along with the lid. If you look, the construction of the topworks is a series of metal plates held together with screws. The stanchions holding the backrod are the best examples. They are screwed on. The large Concert diameter mandrel shaft drive pulley certainly is also odd. Especially since the topworks go around the pulley to allow the mandrel shaft pin bearing to have some support structure. The Model C reproducer without the tracking arm is interesting since there was the arm adjusting screw included on the reproducer carriage. That Model C with the serial stamped on the horn step rather than just under the word "reproducer" means it too is not of the same time frame as the motor and cabinet base. This builder was very smart. Since he could not cast a topworks, he built one from many pieces screwed together. One thing I really like is his method of lifting the reproducer with a lift bar activated by the little knobbed swing arm under the front straightedge. Neat but a lot of bench work was done to make it all by hand. I would put my money on a craftsman built machine. Interesting yes, but not a rare prototype. Value? Who knows? Historic value without provenance is zero but as a conversation piece it could be worth up to the value of the reproducer, motor, and cabinet bottom. The decal looks OK! Now if they could trace the machine to having been made by Al Capone in the Atlanta State Prison machine shop and found in his Cicero vault by Geraldo, it might bring some serious cash. Regards to all, Al Phonocurmudgeon... ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com