Become a WIMAPS member
Becoming a WIMAPS member is an important part of perpetuating the hobby of antique phonograph collection and restoration. Members enjoy a variety of benefits.
Membership is free.
There are no dues and no membership tiers. Donations are accepted and go toward meetup costs and keeping the society running, but they are never required.
Member benefits
Regular Meetups
WIMAPS holds three to four meetups a year across Wisconsin and Illinois. Members bring machines to demonstrate, play cylinders and discs, and talk through whatever project is currently on the bench. Meetups are relaxed, family-friendly, and open to guests you would like to bring along.
Expert Community
Between us the membership covers Edison cylinder machines, Victor and Victrola disc machines, Columbia, Pathé, Brunswick, and plenty of oddities. If you are stuck on a governor, a worn reproducer gasket, a broken mainspring, or an unreadable decal, there is usually someone who has already fixed the same thing.
Swap and Sells
Most meetups include an informal swap and sell. Members buy, sell, and trade complete machines, horns, cranes, reproducers, cabinets, cylinders, and discs. It is a low-pressure way to finish a project or to thin out duplicates without shipping anything.
Support
Members share sources for needles, belts, springs, and reproduction parts, and they will tell you honestly when a machine is better left original. Ask before you strip finish, repaint a horn, or oil a mechanism — a short conversation can save a machine's value and history.
Questions first? Read the FAQ or contact us.
Join WIMAPS
Tell us a little about yourself and a volunteer will follow up by email.