The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I just picked-up Victor record boxes out of a XVI (the machine was sold separate) and from the ad it looked like some were lettered. When I got them home it appears the letters were purchased and applied from a hobby store---they can be peeled off. The boxes, 6-10" and 4-12" have a 1908 patent date and each have 5-10 records in them. I believe the 1st style VTLA used plain boxes and the machines after that had factory lettered boxes. Any thoughts---I figured that maybe the dealer that sold the machine wanted to get rid of old stock. THANKS

Original VTLA record boxes have gold letters on them that might appear to have just been stuck on, because they were. They should have a metal ring pull on the spine and are wooden boxes with a latch. If that is what you have don't peel the letters off. The 1908 boxes are for early VTLAs, Pooleys and the Victrola XX. Please post a picture of your boxes to determine what they actually are...

I hope this helps. Here are some pics from my post-VTLA machine, serial No. 19398 which places its date at 1910

I have no reason to believe that these are not the original boxes. As Victor kept using parts left over from older models, it's no surprise to find a bullet brake on this machine.

Are all Victor 10" & 12" record boxes the same or was there a variation?

emerson wrote:Are all Victor 10" & 12" record boxes the same or was there a variation?

I can only say that I have never seen another type of box in an L-Door XVI. There were different boxes in later models, however this the only box type of this era I have seen.