Mint 1920's Psycho-Phone Cylinder Phonograph * Rare, Elaborate Hypno-Therapy Set

Description: If you're an uncompromising collector of antique technology, make sure to check out all my listings after you look at this one. I don't think you'll find a better, broader or more balanced assortment of technical antiques anywhere -- hundreds of listings each year, almost all of them featuring eye-popping "gee whiz" gadgetry in exceptional original condition. And don't forget, you can click this link to quickly add and then save me to your favorite seller list and Ebay will automatically send you updates when I put similar new auctions online.Here's an extraordinary Psycho-Phone cylinder phonograph, probably the only one you've ever seen and a testament to the entrepreneurial skills of Mr. Alois Benjamin Saliger, a Czech immigrant to the United States who, at some point in the mid 1920's, decided that what the world needed more than anything else was an "Automatic Suggestion Machine," a device that would talk to you in your dreams, that would whisper positive thoughts to your subconscious while you slept, that would tell you what you needed to hear so that upon waking you'd realize that you actually were a better person than people said you were, that you were smarter, more attractive and more athletic, not to mention funnier and more creative.As your bedtime approached, you'd set the clock to whatever hour you were going to be in your most receptive cycle of sleep, and when the silent alarm tripped, it would trigger the phonograph to start playing a cylinder on which were recorded the various subliminal messages that you needed to hear in order to become the person you always knew you could be but somehow weren't...yet. The pre-recorded instructions would emanate from the nickel horn coupled to the reproducer; they'd be loud enough to filter into your subconscious, but not so loud that they'd wake you. When the record ended, a second relay would turn the phonograph off. What distinguishes the Psycho-Phone cylinder phonograph from the Psycho-Phone disc phonograph, in addition to the cylinder version's extreme rarity and exceptional build quality, is the ability it extended to its owner to record his or her own hypnotic suggestions. That flexibility came with a price, however. The cylinder version sold for $235 when new in 1928 -- 3 times the price of the disc version. Condition of this example is excellent, close to mint. It looks like it belongs in a museum, because it came from a museum (now closed). The original paint on the motorboard is still glossy, and the original decorations are still vibrant. The motor still works, and it still drives the feedscrew. The nickel horn is perfect, the mandrel is true, the covering on the cabinet is pristine -- it does not get any better than this.There's some tarnish and oxidation on the feedscrew, but it's minimal, and it does nothing to detract from the spectacular appearance of this unique machine. The motor cycles on and off and drives the mandrel, but the original fabric drive belt is quite fragile, and the machine is not suitable for use without some degree of restoration -- or a minimum a replacement drive belt. Accordingly, the apparatus is being offered for historical and/or display purposes only, with no assurances as to its viability as either a phonograph or a motivational/therapeutic tool.With the lid closed, it measures approximately 16" wide x 11" deep x 10" high. Shipping weight will be approximately 40 lb.I'm one of ebay's best known, most highly regarded sellers of antique phonographs. I've been selling and shipping them for more than 25 years. When you purchase an antique phonograph from me, you'll receive a phonograph that arrives safely because it's been carefully packed (by me, not by some well-intentioned but nonetheless confounded, doe-eyed teenager working at the UPS store who wouldn't know a phonograph from a farm tool), and you'll receive a phonograph that includes thorough but easy-to-understand set-up and operating instructions, so you won't be left scratching your head, trying to figure out how it works. Sure, you can probably get a lower price from Joe and Janet Barn-Find, but when your "bargain" arrives broken, and without any hint of how it works or how you might be able to put it back together, you'll realize that you really do get exactly what you pay for.

Price: 5000 USD

Location: Chapel Hill, North Carolina

End Time: 2025-02-04T02:18:00.000Z

Shipping Cost: 68.5 USD