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Vintage Tape (Audio), Cassette, Wire and Magnetic Disc Recorders and Players Open-reel tape recorders, cassette recorders, 8-track players etc.

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Old 8th Sep 2022, 5:45 pm   #1
Radio Wrangler
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Default Pointer to the sale of Brenell recorder collection and library

In case anyone hasn't noticed it,

Brenellic has offered almost his entire collection of Brenell and related recorders along with the library of documentation.

It's in the sets and information offered section of the forum:

https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...d.php?t=193686

David
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Old 21st Sep 2022, 6:53 am   #2
brenellic2000
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Default Re: Pointer to the sale of Brenell recorder collection and library

This important collection is still available and urgently needs rehoming. My relatives and executors will have no hesitation in skipping the lot!
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Old 21st Sep 2022, 9:14 am   #3
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Default Re: Pointer to the sale of Brenell recorder collection and library

I'd like to be wrong, but can't help thinking that, were any individual disposed and able to take on buying and housing the collection, serious negotiations would already be under way. Someone might be able to spare the cash, but have no idea what to do with the collection beyond hiring a storage facility: someone else might have a suitable building or large spare room (unlikely, I know, given the propensities of many of us) but not the cash, or a long-suffering partner who couldn't be asked to suffer more: most of us are of a certain age, or older: tape recording is a fringe interest, if that, to most of us here; and some of us, for various reasons, don't travel far - I'm probably among the extreme cases there, it's three years since I went anywhere other than on foot.

The above would be fully consistent with doom and gloom, but my aim is the opposite - given that nothing's happened yet, I'm thinking that about the only way anything is remotely likely to happen will be if everyone with any kind of interest in keeping the collection together starts batting around ideas, if possible in due course of a place and conditions for keeping it together, but initially of their thoughts about it and/or what they're able and willing to contribute to the attempt. I'm never likely to be anywhere near East Sussex, so probably all I could do would be to put in a fraction of the money if collective fund-raising turned out to be an aspect of the way to go.

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Old 21st Sep 2022, 12:45 pm   #4
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Default Re: Pointer to the sale of Brenell recorder collection and library

This organisation (no personal connection) might have some interest :

http://ukhhsoc.torrens.org/
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Old 21st Sep 2022, 12:52 pm   #5
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Default Re: Pointer to the sale of Brenell recorder collection and library

I sincerely hope a new home is found for this truly historic collection.
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Old 21st Sep 2022, 1:02 pm   #6
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Default Re: Pointer to the sale of Brenell recorder collection and library

Thanks Paul, a consortium of interested, determined people would be a very good start - from little acorns grow...! Some museums are interested in choice bits (degrading the collection) but the biggest hurdle is their preoccupation with 'politically correct pronoun diversification' to get grants taking precedence over actual exhibits! It rather puts one off developing a reference collection... and I have several! The monetary value is of lesser importance than, maintaining the collection.

Barry
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Old 21st Sep 2022, 9:38 pm   #7
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Default Re: Pointer to the sale of Brenell recorder collection and library

I think one of the problems is that there is such a wide range of gear. I can't help thinking that those who might be interested in the later studio recorders would have absolutely no interest in the earlier domestic machines. If I had more space I would have considered taking this on - the first reel to reel that I bought for myself was an old MkV so I have a bit of a soft spot for Brenell machines - but I already have a collection of working tape machines and too much other stuff that needs fixing "one day".
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Old 22nd Sep 2022, 7:39 am   #8
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Default Re: Pointer to the sale of Brenell recorder collection and library

.. and therein lies my dilemma; this unique collection spans the uninterrupted development from toy-maker to Soundmaster tape recorder to high tech studio work. It deserves to be kept as a museum collection, private or public.

I'm content for the library to be split off.
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Old 22nd Sep 2022, 9:09 am   #9
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Default Re: Pointer to the sale of Brenell recorder collection and library

Not sure how helpful this will be, but you could always try cross-posting at Tapeheads, as well as other audio groups. You'll need to cast the net as wide as possible. Good luck!
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Old 1st Oct 2022, 7:28 pm   #10
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Default Re: Pointer to the sale of Brenell recorder collection and library

Having just watched bits of the PP BBC Archive sale, that might be a good place to re-home the collection, scattered to the four winds, but re-homed.
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Old 2nd Oct 2022, 7:12 am   #11
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Default Re: Pointer to the sale of Brenell recorder collection and library

The response from some potential new homes has, sadly, been total silence - not even a courteous acknowledgement! I want to avoid public auction as having cherry picked the best, the 'rest' will be unceremoniously skipped... rather defeating the object of creating a reference collection!
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Old 2nd Oct 2022, 8:05 am   #12
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Default Re: Pointer to the sale of Brenell recorder collection and library

I think many of us have collections that we would like at least parts of to be kept together. My own collection comprises a rather disjointed (some may say gloriously diverse) range of valve and transistor radios from the early 30s forwards, plus a substantial collection of hifi receivers and tuners from the golden age of such beasts. Me personally? I realise that when I'm gone the not inconsiderable burden will be on my partner to find homes for it all, however that may be, but most probably as single units. Most collectors already own many sets and are in the cherry picking phase of collecting. Conversely, someone just setting out is unlikely to want to, or be able to afford the investment of purchasing someone else's (very personal) large collection. Similarly museums only have a certain amount of funding and room. Interesting and important as the historical value often is, you also have to consider the implications of breadth of 'commercial appeal' of a collection. That is to say certain brands, models and eras will be more desirable and hence saleable than other more niche ones.

We're all different (thank god) but if it was me I'd be looking for a strategy that resulted in all the sets finding homes, and yielding an acceptable 'payback'. I wish the OP best of luck in finding a new owner for his fine collection.
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Old 2nd Oct 2022, 9:51 am   #13
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Default Re: Pointer to the sale of Brenell recorder collection and library

Couldn't agree more... but l'm keeping my fingers crossed there is a visionary out there!
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Old 2nd Oct 2022, 10:32 am   #14
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Default Re: Pointer to the sale of Brenell recorder collection and library

I have a feeling that solutions which would yield the asking price would be unlikely to include keeping the collection together, while solutions with the best chance of keeping things together would yield little money.

This is a very unusual collection, likely unique. It needed someone with the interest, the money and the space to assemble it. To continue it as it is, needs someone else with the same combination of attributes and the nature of the collection itself is evidence of such rarity.

It might happen, but the odds aren't favourable. Is there a plan-B which also needs to be considered because if the ideal solution doesn't happen, no one wants the fall-back to be the worst solution.

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Old 2nd Oct 2022, 2:39 pm   #15
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Default Re: Pointer to the sale of Brenell recorder collection and library

Well put. An established museum is clearly the best bet for both collections but with the advent of the internet/web-sites/virtual reality, few potential visitors are now interested in paying museum entry fees or buying books. So, return on capital is zero to the accountants. We're not talking here of mega bucks, but the cost of a holiday, TV, I-phone and a spare bedroom!

Plan B is leave it to my executors who, having tried to fulfil my wishes, will call in the auctioneer's house clearance dealers who will charge to take it away as it has 'no commercial value'. Been there....!
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Old 8th Oct 2022, 6:48 pm   #16
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Default Re: Pointer to the sale of Brenell recorder collection and library

You may want to consider contacting the Internet Archive (archive.org). They're US-based, but have quite considerable physical archives in addition to their focus on online and digital materials. A couple of years ago they rescued a unique collection of typewriters and related reference materials.

Their email is info [at] archive [dot] org

(Disclaimer: I've assisted them with a couple of specific collections, and donated several times, but I've never worked for them).
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Old 8th Oct 2022, 8:21 pm   #17
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Default Re: Pointer to the sale of Brenell recorder collection and library

I do empathise with your problem of appropriate disposal of such a valuable unique collection. My own experience has been involved with finding a suitable destination for a collection of Kelvin Hughes marine navigation instruments, the successor product to Lord Kelvin’s 19th century historically important scientific enterprises. With the company having been based for a century in Hainault, Essex, the local Ilford museum proved to be an excellent home for the kit. It’s a fact that, in this short-term world, it’s only museums and their professional staff that are geared to the safe keeping and exhibition of historical artefacts.

The Brenell story, with its post-WW2 Czech immigrant origins, culminating in today’s successful Allen & Heath company, is a substantial piece of audio history that deserves to be preserved. With the company having been based in the Islington area, is there a local museum that might welcome the collection together with the write-up of the story? It would be good to preserve such an account of a British audio success story.

Martin
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Old 9th Oct 2022, 7:24 am   #18
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Default Re: Pointer to the sale of Brenell recorder collection and library

Re USA archives. The biggest hurdle here is shipping costs and practicality for not all decks are cased. I was quoted £6,000 to ship my late mother's rare Steinway piano she bequeathed to a relative in the USA... the outcome was it being sold in the UK!

The local museum is a small volunteer led unit with limited financial reserves and space; they'll take the documents plus one representative deck... gratis. Likewise the Science Museum will take only five representative decks... destroying the uniqueness of the collection. That leaves 40 decks and artefacts to be 'disposed' of....

Martin, I wrote a history of Smiths Industries ('The Golden Years') which includes that of K&H. (K&H did made a professional tape-recorder). I was in regular contact with the late Harry Harvey who dedicated himself to preserving their history. My Smiths collection will soon be looking for a new home.... ho hum!
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Old 9th Oct 2022, 2:09 pm   #19
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Default Re: Pointer to the sale of Brenell recorder collection and library

The Amberley (Chalkpits) Museum radio shed has a large collection of vintage radio equipment & TVs plus a smaller tape recorder collection.

I don't suppose they would have the space or the required finance for your collection but maybe worth an email to them to see if they have any suggestions.

David
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Old 10th Oct 2022, 9:09 am   #20
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Default Re: Pointer to the sale of Brenell recorder collection and library

They are among several museums I have written to... and had no response.
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