Inflation-adjusted retail prices for Victrolas in 1915-2017

[Dave D]

And this is why I don't trust these inflation calculators. How many families could/would spend half a year's income on a Victrola IV?

George P.

That was the point I was trying to make. I don't see how that many people spent ½ year's pay on a Victrola!
Dave D

[MikeB]

If a Model T Ford in 1915 costed $390, or about the same as a very low-end Victrola, then Victrolas were very, very expensive at the time. A house in 1915, at $3,000, would work out to about 4.4 years salary for the average person in 1915, which is about the same as today; (with the average income in the U.S. today being $73,290, that would put the average home price in the U.S. around $322,476 (4.4 years x $73,290). That is pretty close to the average home value today, (except if you live in California . That reasoning works out fairly well for cars to, with the average a new car costing about 6 months salary for the average person.

So, maybe there was an even greater disparity between those making an average wage in 1915, and those who were well-to-do. There might have been a lot of wealthy families around who were buying Victrolas and Model Ts.

(Sorry if I got any of the math wrong - I was an English major!)

[phonolamplighter]

This is how lots of Victrolas made it under the Christmas tree in 1915. Below is a newspaper ad for a retailer, luring the customer with easy payments. Terms started with payments of only $2 a month!

[phonogfp]

If a Model T Ford in 1915 costed $390, or about the same as a very low-end Victrola, then Victrolas were very, very expensive at the time.

$390 was just $10 shy of buying a Vernis-Martin VV-XVI. What low-end Victrola cost $390? The VV-IV was a low end Victrola, and it cost just $15.

So, maybe there was an even greater disparity between those making an average wage in 1915, and those who were well-to-do. There might have been a lot of wealthy families around who were buying Victrolas and Model Ts.

If you study sales figures from Victor and Edison, you'll discover that a large percentage of families in the U.S. had talking machines. An Edison Standard was $20 until late 1907. The Home was $30. In 1907 alone, there were nearly 156,000 Standards sold and and over 61,000 Homes. That's just two models and in one year. In just a few more years, Victrola sales would far surpass those numbers. Just one model, the XI, sold nearly one million units - - and that was a $100 model. There just weren't THAT many wealthy families in the U.S.

As for Model Ts, that was an automobile for the people. Fifteen million of them. The wealthy made fun of Model Ts.

George P.

[audiophile102]

One aspect of this thread that I think needs mentioning is the fact that there were no TV's and radio stations were pretty weak. Having a phonograph for a family starved of in home entertainment must have been a pretty high priority. Just take one look on line a the number of Victrola XI's that are for sale today. All across the country companies sprang up to fill the demand. Incidentally, my Sonora cost $300 in 1916 and the Sonora company didn't offer easy payment plans! I don't know who bought mine back in 1916, but I imagine that he could afford it.

[TinfoilPhono]

Pity the poor sap in early 1899 who bought a Graphophone Grand for $300 -- $7,479.36 according to the inflation calculator. Actually, more than that -- the calculators only go back to 1913. Prior inflation isn't taken into account. So, over $7,500 for a machine that was obsolete in just a couple of years. Not to mention the original price of records -- $5 for a single title, or $125 per song. Even after the price dropped to just $1 -- $25 per song -- it was a huge amount of money. For a very fragile brown wax cylinder.

No wonder it's a rare machine today.

[travisgreyfox]

In economics classes in college our professors (economists) use to scoff at these calculators. Most economists believe the government is very off on their Consumer Price Index (CPI), which means you can pretty much throw out a lot of the inflation figures. http://www.investopedia.com/articles/07 ... eindex.asp
Sorry to ruin this fun game though

Looking at the figures posted above I do feel a lot better about putting over $300 to get my XIV up and running. As a matter of fact, the over $400 I have invested into it is a steal! I saved over $3000!

[Victor A]

Victrola 35
1924: $30|2017: $428.01

I got mine for only $110!

[RolandVV-360]

Victrola 35
1924: $30|2017: $428.01

I got mine for only $110!

And I got mine for free!

[maginter]

Victor VE9-55 $1,550.00 Adjusted $36,660