@Simon Morris Well it sort of makes sense and they are trying to protect children, however its difficult to upload nursery rhyme records as you really have to mark it as children's content which means that you can't have comments on it and not many people will get to see it
Wow this brings back memories as a 5 year old child in 1976 I had one of these and some of the records mentioned also though I can’t recall what happened to it In later years lol 😂
It's something I would have loved to have back on the 70s but didn't. I've only found this one player so far (other than some 1920s/1930s ones which were beyond my price range), but do keep stumbling over the little records. Bought another handful of them yesterday. Really must catalog them and see which ones I actually have! 🤔😉😅. Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks 😀 👍
Thanks for uploading this video. I had one of these record players. Im sure it was a wind up slightly earlier version one though. Had 6 records with it. This video brought back all those happy memories.
Thanks 👍😀. Glad you enjoyed it. I would have loved one as a child, but it was very nice to find one eventually. Did see a 1920s clockwork one for sale recently but was too much for me. I have found more of the matching records though and also children's ones right back to the 1920s. I would post more, however RU-vid is now quite restrictive on videos that could be considered to be made for children, but I still hope to at some stage 😀
I got one simular to this but it's fisher price and actually a music box, the "grooves" are plastic pegs and the "stylus" is just a music box reproducer (I'm not sure what they are called)
Yes, I have seen those too. I understand some people have been able to make new discs for them using 3D printing. Fisher Price also did at least one model of record player for vinyl. Thanks 😀 👍
Hi! I'm a Collector of these Marx Record Players. They did many different colour variants, and the inner workings, though relatively simple, were constantly being 're-designed', which is what made me start to collect them! I have 45 in my Collection so far - all different, either in box artwork, colour variants of components, and/or different inner workings! (oddly, I do not have the colour scheme of the one you display here) They do work extremely well, but there’s a 'Rheostat' that will need cleaning up near the Switch. Also; you do need to oil the Motor, (only use Watch Oil) as it will not have been used probably for many years, and the original Oil they used during manufacture, used to 'congeal' over time somewhat if the Motor was not used. Further; the rubber Washer that is attached to the Motor will have hardened, also causing it to run slow too, (I had to have some made, no longer being produced of course) and so put these things right, (oh, and a little Vaseline on the steel stem that attaches the Turntable) and you’ll have a SUPER little Gramophone! They were well-made (though as I say, simple) but all my 45 from over the years are all in full working order and sound superb! They were originally clockwork until they updated the design, to the Battery Operated Model you have, but with more vintage box artwork. These came out in 1962 - along with the yellow label Kidditune Records that you were using. They produced more than 100 Titles, even a Record and Battery Holder, which are now EXTREMELY rare and hard to find! I managed to pick up just three of them which were brand new and boxed in their original boxes - but had to pay a lot for them. Hope all this helps!
Hi, thanks very much for the comment. Amazing to hear you have 45 different ones! I had seen that they came in different colours and was vaguely aware they must have been clockwork originally, but had no idea the design changed so much between different examples! This is the only one I have found 'in the wild', though I would buy more if I saw them cheaply. I do remember seeing some of the records at an antique fair, but this was before I bought the player so didn't really know what they were. I have picked up a few examples of 1920s/1930s children's records and I might try them out one day. Presumably you have managed to collect a fair few of the records also? Thanks also for the tips on servicing it. I think the rubber is ok, but will check and I do have some watch oil and contact cleaner somewhere. I do think the tonearm is very cute with its integrated sound box. Presumably it is supposed to be used with ordinary gramophone needles? Was this something which was supplied originally with them? Thanks again 😀👍
Would love to see more videos of other versions of these children's record players. I had one and I'm sure it was a wind up one and I had about 6 vinyl records with it. It was my favourite toy at the time so was devastated when my brother broke it. These videos take me back to a very happy time in my childhood.
The needles pack is same as supplied original but I remember mum buying replacements …..in the same packaging if memory serves. Mine also had “the bells of st lemons” and a few others………..played at a good speed. Got it for Xmas 1971 or more likely 2. It eventually went slow …I opened it up and found the wire going to the speed control …to be only hanging on by 1 wire strand due to the wire moved with the control so it fatigued with enough use. Left uk for aus in late 1974 so it never made it to aus.
Thanks. It was a bit longer than I intended and I was learning a new video editor package at the time but it came out pretty well. Glad you enjoyed it. 😀
Although the kidditunes and my records played at 78, they were vinyl with microgrooves, I have seen them on record and toy stalls. I can't believe they were still played with a gramophone needle, very damaging to the grooves!
I believe kiddie records were recorded at 78rpm as 78rpm only electric record players were obsolete certainly by the 1960s and hence were in plentiful supply for use in nurserys. The tracking force on these would have been high by today's standards, but still much lower than a gramophone and hence vinyl would have been OK. Not sure if they were microgroove, though I'm sure I could check 🤔. The 78rpm only record player would of course have the wider 78 stylus anyway. Now these toy record players probably are quite damaging to these vinyl kiddie records, but I guess the manufacturers just didn't care. The tracking is probably much lighter than on prewar kiddie gramophones, but then the children's records back then were shellac anyway. Thanks 👍😀
Eventually I find it. Had one of these in the early 70s, tried to explain to many people over the years about it and no one had any recollection. I thought I was going mad. I feel redeemed.
There were quite a few variations in colour and design details, and earlier ones were clockwork. Glad you found it interesting, and it brought back memories. I have more now and lots of records however RU-vid is very fusy on kids related content, so I'm not sure how much I can upload. Thanks 😀 👍
at least some of the prior owners were nice to have some records and other essential supplies with the kit. was trying to google it but results would show your vid.
I have a few of these little record players, here's my video of one playing a shellac 78. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ZfLBJXbDLps.html What I found is best is to get some railway modeller's 'plastic friendly' lubricating oil and put one drop (no more) at each end of the motor shaft. The magnets of the motor may also be weakened, which would result in it taking more current to achieve the correct speed. It is fiddly but possible to take the motor apart and clean the commutator and remagnetise the magnets. Also of course, ensure all electrical contacts are clean. (The base comes off these gramophones quite easily).
Thanks for the link, good video and interesting to hear about servicing them. Although I increased the voltage on mine it would be nice to get it running from ordinary batteries again. Probably the last acoustic record players on the market, except for the reproductions? I do have some small shellac records also so maybe I will try them as well 😀 Thanks
@@mrrgstuff I've had another thought regarding your speed (lack of) problem. Possibly, the rubber wheel on the motor shaft is not the original, and is smaller? I have three of these machines, and they all run well on just ONE modern alkaline battery! You shouldn't even need two, since the modern batteries can supply more current than the 1960s ones did. If you could find a slightly larger rubber wheel or put a rubber sleeve over the existing one it would probably solve the problem.
Thanks. Yes that could be the issue. I will have another look at it at some point. The 78 vinyl records supplied with it have proved very useful also for testing my current turntable project. 😀
Boy does it sound dreadful, haha. It comes to my attention that this uses an identical mechanism to the one I used in an experimental machine I called The Garbophone in a video, with the motor having a tire directly on its shaft, resting on the platter by it's own weight. I felt pretty smart when I came up with that one and it sounded almost just as bad. something like this can work decently albeit not very loudly with a very light tonearm and horn, and a decently tuned reproducer. The motor in there is either not in very good shape or is not of very good quality going by the chainsaw engine noises it was making. The best motors I have found for this type of thing are the larger motors from casette decks.
Yes it does sound pretty rough. Probably explains why it's in such good condition as I expect it was little used. The motor was just stalling when I first had it but running it on a bit more voltage has certainly freed it up a bit and now it will run from fresh batteries. I expect it really needs the 2 D type cells as there is a fair bit of current draw. Interesting to hear you have built something similar. I have built one simple rim drive turntable but might make something more like this. Thanks 😀
Yes, they were made in many different colour combinations. Maybe the one in this link is closer to your one? ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-H1uuGfAcmB0.html Thanks 😀 👍
You have to take the DC motor out and clean and oil it. Clean the brushes and commutator with a bit of wd-40. Also, clean all the switches.. There are at least 3 switches and they probably leaf spring types and dirty. Frankly, if my parents had bought be one of these in the 70s, I would have been pissed. I had a real kiddie record player with a 4 speed AC driven mechanism with a tube amp and crystal cartridge. This was in the early 70s, though I think it was a hand me down. The executives who released this thing should have been arrested and shot by the authorities. It's basically theft targeting the poorest families. Arresting and being shot was probably not nearly bad enough for them.
The batteries might not have been the freshest, but part of the problem was certainly gummed up bearings on the motor. Running it on a little more voltage helped free it all up. Thanks
