What are Edison cylinder records worth?
Rachel Hernandez
Published Mar 14, 2026
What are Edison cylinder records worth?
First introduced by Thomas Edison in the 1870s, the typical cylinder is black or blue and about four inches long and two inches in diameter. Most of them are worth less than $5, but some can be worth a $100 or more. Cylinders that are brown, pink, green or orange, or bigger than two inches, can be worth up to $200.
What are Edison cylinders made of?
wax
In the late 1870s Thomas Edison invented the phonograph, a machine that could record and reproduce sound. The sounds were recorded on hollow cylinders made from wax and measuring about five cm in diameter and 11 cm in length. Each cylinder could record sound for up to two minutes.
What’s the difference between a phonograph and a record player?
A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, is a device for the mechanical and analogue recording and reproduction of sound.
What are old Victrolas worth?
Most Victrola (internal horn) models are still quite commonly found at estate sales and on EBay, with the average selling price in the $50 to $200 range for typical “attic-stored” machines.
Do we still use the phonograph?
The disc phonograph record was the dominant commercial audio recording format throughout most of the 20th century. However, records are still a favorite format for some audiophiles, DJs, collectors, and turntablists (particularly in hip hop and electronic dance music), and have undergone a revival since the 2000s.
Why is tinfoil a poor medium for recorded sound?
Secondly, recordings contained a large amount of background noise due to the tinfoil structure. As a result, tinfoil recordings were of extremely poor quality and difficult to translate and reformat to other media. Thirdly, the tinfoil used for recording was too fragile for sustainable use of the machine.
When was the last wax cylinder made?
October 1929
This was not resolved until the advent of RIAA Equalization in the early 1940s—by which time it had already been rendered academic, as cylinder production stopped with Edison’s last efforts in October 1929.
Was the Edison Standard the first cylinder player?
In talking with collectors of phonographs, I often find that the Edison Standard was their first cylinder player. This is hardly a surprise in that Standards are plentiful and still relatively cheap. Certainly, I was no exception and proceeded to collect the different versions of the Standard.
Why did Thomas Edison make a disc player?
The Edison Company had been fully devoted to cylinder phonographs, but, concerned with discs’ rising popularity, Edison associates began developing their own disc player and discs in secret. Dr.
What was the price of the Edison concert phonograph?
The Edison Concert Phonograph, which had a louder sound and a larger cylinder measuring 4.25″ long and 5″ in diameter, was introduced in 1899, retailing for $125 and the large cylinders for $4. The Concert Phonograph did not sell well, and prices for it and its cylinders were dramatically reduced. Their production ceased in 1912.
What colors did the Edison cylinder come in?
Although called by this name, the cylinders could range in color from off-white to light tan to dark brown. An announcement at the beginning of the cylinder would typically indicate the title, artist, and company. Advertisement for the Edison New Standard Phongraph]