qdod wrote:
I have just purchased my first Victor VV-50 phonograph and would like to get some records. Do I have to buy individual records or are there some type of package deals available I could buy. I don't know much about the type of music I want other than something that is fast and dance worthy. Any help ???
Well, since nobody else has stepped up to the plate--welcome to the hobby! With only minimal exceptions, the 78s that your machine was designed to play were last on the market as a standard item of commerce sometime around 1950, but really it is best suited to those that were manufactured up through the mid-1920s, although you certainly can play later 78s as long as they are made of shellac and not the very late ones that were pressed in vinyl. You'll need to hunt out second-hand "antiques" at garage sales, flea markets, on eBay, through single-dealer auctions lists, and the like. Depending on where you find them, you may be buying one at a time or may find whole stacks of them. Browse around the forum to get a feel for which labels are from which periods and so forth. You might try posting an ad on the Yankee Trader part of this forum indicating you want some inexpensive dance records for a newly acquired Victrola; just be sure you read the posting guidelines before putting it up.
A couple of important points: first, your machine plays records with steel needles. You'll need to get a stock of those in hand up front, because to avoid damaging records you must change the needle for each record side you play. They are available on eBay and from specialist dealers. Second, the "reproducer" or "sound box" probably needs rebuilding. The way it works is that the needle vibrates a diaphragm suspended between rubber gaskets, and chances are at a minimum the gaskets have dried out and hardened, meaning the sound will be harsh and blasty. Replacing them and doing any other adjustment/lubrication that is needful will let your nice machine sing. If you search the forum, you'll find resources for getting that job done without paying a fortune.