MOST people would be glad to see the back of old-fashioned-looking gramophone but one collector can't get enough of them -- and has two rooms filled with the music players.

Mark Robinson, 47, of Crawshawbooth has been collecting for 15 years and has now turned his hobby into a professional career -- although he admits he doesn't make a lot of money out of it, because he can't bear to sell them.

He said: "I sold one last week which was an absolute beauty. I was very hard pushed to sell it but it is supposed to be a profession so I had to force myself."

His collection of machines covers the period from 1898 to 1930 and includes both cylinder machines -- the gramophone and the phonograph.

His fascination grew when he bought his first machine from an antiques dealer in Bolton, to decorate his music room back in 1986.

He has a particular interest in His Master's Voice and Columbia models because of their unique quality.

"The HMV are my favourite models. Their craftsmanship is exquisite -- they are the Rolls Royce of the industry."

Mark was made redundant last year after working as a commercial artist for 30 years in Bury. It was then that he decided to turn his hobby into a full-time occupation.

Mark who is married to Jill, 44, and has two sons, Jonathan, 21, and Matthew, 19, said: "I have always liked gramophones, but the family don't tend to agree with my way of thinking --they think I am crackers. I have two rooms packed with about 30 gramophones, which leaves little room for anything else.

"My two sons have no interest whatsoever in my pursuit of gramophones, only the modern equivalent of CD players. But if it wasn't for inventors like Edison then they probably wouldn't have such things." And as everybody knows if you have a gramophone you need records to play on it -- which is why Mark has a grand collection of around 6,000.

He added: "My main musical tastes are in the classical fields and I especially appreciate famous violinists such as Fritz Kreisler and Jascha Heifetz as well as Caruso and Gigli. I have built up my collection over the years and probably have in the region of around 6,000 different records."

As a buyer and seller of gramophones and phonographs he sells to all types of customers with very different requirements. He said: "My customers range from those who require a simple, cheap portable to play their own collection of music through to the serious collector, who requires the finest of reproducers."

He also repairs and restores machines and would be interested to hear from anyone with similar collections. People can contact him on 01706 227331.