The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

This is a very nice VV-XVIII with a few problems that will need restoration work. Its overall condition is very good, but with problem areas. These are: damage to the lid (good ol' wet-flower-pot damage), the very bottoms of the storage compartment doors (veneer rippling and a small section of lost veneer), along with some loose trim and some sections of missing trim in the bottom area of the doors (which could likely be transferred from the back doors, which are also damaged), and most notably, some fairly serious damage to veneer on the left side of the machine. Apparently the previous owners had stored the machine in a damp basement for a number of years.

On the upside, the motor is fine though it could probably use cleaning and relubrication. It winds up fully and plays without any problems. The Exhibition soundbox is in good shape, has been rebuilt, and plays records beautifully. The finish is original and apart from the troubled areas, which I've left alone, has cleaned up well. Gold plating is clean and in good overall condition. The original feltoid casters were a rusted mess, so I replaced them with another set in great condition that hadn't been exposed to moisture. There are no albums, but crank, key and vintage tassel are included.

I'm now in a country town about 70 miles southwest of Boston, 45 miles from the junction of Rts. 95 and 395, and about 30 miles from Worcester or Providence. My schedule's pretty open and it should be easy to make plans for a buyer to pick up at his/her convenience.

If interested please reply via private message and note in the thread that you've PM'd me, so that I'll know to log in. It would be helpful if you'd send a phone number so that I can get back to you that way.

After talking about this sale with a collector friend, reducing the price to $650.

Hmmm...I'm really kind of surprised to see no response to this sought-after model. Granted it needs work, but the price is pretty reasonable for an XVIII, to accommodate the restoration. It really is in overall excellent condition -- apart from the flower-pot damage on the lid, which isn't severe, all of the veneer/trim damage is restricted to the bottom of the cabinet. I'm only trying to find it a new home because I've taken on the renovation of another old house and there's pretty much no chance I'll have time for the XVIII anytime soon.

(BTW, sorry about the sideways picture. I didn't post it sideways, but I guess sometimes it happens on the forum. I don't know how to correct it.)

I'd like to sell this. Just logged in now to bump this, and saw that I had received two messages last week from members, but one had been deleted by the sender and the other was just a copy of the post with no added message. I don't log in very often as I haven't been posting much, and messages don't show unless logged in -- so please, if you send a PM, put a note that you've done so in this thread so I'll know to log in. Thanks!

Cody K wrote:I'd like to sell this. Just logged in now to bump this, and saw that I had received two messages last week from members, but one had been deleted by the sender and the other was just a copy of the post with no added message. I don't log in very often as I haven't been posting much, and messages don't show unless logged in -- so please, if you send a PM, put a note that you've done so in this thread so I'll know to log in. Thanks!

You should be getting an email when someone sends a PM. Make sure your profile email address is current.

melvind wrote:

Cody K wrote:I'd like to sell this. Just logged in now to bump this, and saw that I had received two messages last week from members, but one had been deleted by the sender and the other was just a copy of the post with no added message. I don't log in very often as I haven't been posting much, and messages don't show unless logged in -- so please, if you send a PM, put a note that you've done so in this thread so I'll know to log in. Thanks!

You should be getting an email when someone sends a PM. Make sure your profile email address is current.

Mine works when it feels like it, which isn't very often. At the beginning it was fine, then one day it just stopped working. About a year later it started working again for a week, then nada.

Yeah, when I moved from the city to the country I made a decision to not do e-mail on my phone -- it's difficult to write an e-mail of any substance on a phone, and texting covers shorter messages just as well if not better. E-mail seems to have gone a bit out of style anyway, as people have adopted texting, so unless I have an ongoing e-mail conversation, I don't check e-mail more than every few days, and when I do I use the computer. Nor have I had any notifications of messages from forum members in my e-mail inbox. Seems to me it's just easier to ask for a "PM sent" within the thread, where it can be seen whether logged in or not; then the recipient can just log in and read the PM. Doesn't seem difficult to me.

Guess I'll just gut the thing, paint it white, and turn it into a nice "re-purposed" wine bar.



















JUST KIDDING

Have you considered parting it out to help others with restorations on their XVIIIs?
Original parts are scarce.

Don't part it out. These are rare machines and not too many were made. Production was only for about a year. This can be restored, and is a worthwhile project for the right person. I hope someone will snag this machine and restore it to it's former glory.
Harvey Kravitz

ncrambler wrote:Have you considered parting it out to help others with restorations on their XVIIIs?
Original parts are scarce.

ncrambler wrote:Have you considered parting it out to help others with restorations on their XVIIIs?
Original parts are scarce.

Over some veneer issues? ncrambler, you must be joking, right?

Sure, the original parts are scarce. Thank goodness for reproductions. No one's going to get rich off selling a Victrola in 2018, so if I was the seller I'd be dumping dough into it and keeping it in the collection.