Victrola VE9-55E SN1198 For Sale - $2K

[Jthomps]

Hi - I Live in Thousand Oaks CA and I have a VE9-55E for sale. Fully working, been in the family for 50 years. Pickup only. $2K obo. I really don't know if this is a good value or not - I have the manual also. Please leave advice on any questions.

[Skihawx]

With wrong radio / amplifier that is way too much..
More like $400.00.

[Jthomps]

Thanks Skihawx - I would think $400 is less than someone could get for just parting it out. I want the unit to go to a good home where it would not be parted out. Can you more fully explain why the value would be so low? For instance what would, in your estimation, be the value of this unit without the radio mods?

[Skihawx]

Since there are a fair number of these around in my opinion it is only good for parts. A long while ago I found a cabinet for a fellow that bought a 9-55 that was in a house fire. The outside of the cabinet was scorched but the inside intact. Never heard whether or not the insides were transferred to the good cabinet. It is only good for parts unless someone wants it the way it is. It is not likely you would find all the required components. And without anyone reproducing the pot-metal parts for the changer, it will only be a single play machine. I think the one on e-Bay that recently sold around 2K. It was bought at the Estes auction a few weeks before in the $600-$700 range.

[gunnarthefeisty]

Since there are a fair number of these around in my opinion it is only good for parts. A long while ago I found a cabinet for a fellow that bought a 9-55 that was in a house fire. The outside of the cabinet was scorched but the inside intact. Never heard whether or not the insides were transferred to the good cabinet. It is only good for parts unless someone wants it the way it is. It is not likely you would find all the required components. And without anyone reproducing the pot-metal parts for the changer, it will only be a single play machine. I think the one on e-Bay that recently sold around 2K. It was bought at the Estes auction a few weeks before in the $600-$700 range.

He DID say it was all working, so it's possible the changer still works.

[JerryVan]

It's not like I have seen tons of these 9-55's, but I've only ever seen one that had the original radio still in place. In most cases, it was just missing entirely, with no substitute in its place. The fact that this unit is said to be in working condition, with a nice looking cabinet, albeit with the wrong radio in place, puts it somewhat above most examples, but naturally at a clear disadvantage compared to a complete, original, working example. That said, I'd consider it not a "parts machine", but instead, a machine worthy of having parts donated to it from a true parts machine. It may however be a long search for said parts....

All that being said, I too agree respectfully, that the current asking price is too optimistic.

[VanEpsFan1914]

I wonder whether the radio may have been changed by a Victor dealer; that's definitely a Victor radio installed. It may be a conversion to something that could be easier to get tubes for. My RE-45 is equipped with the same radio chassis and while it's not perfect it's a nice performer & quite simple to use.

[Jthomps]

Thanks for the comments - As I said all components work, including the changer. It was bought by my Mother-in-law in the mid Seventies as you see it. I have no history of it before that time. We are downsizing and would like it to go to a good home. I also saw the Ebay note for them being worth ~$2k and that's why I picked that price. I also have three boxes of 78s that will go with it.

[Skihawx]

My guess is the radio was replaced in the 1970's. The 1929 chassis is too close to the original 1927 equipment. The Radiola 28 can be hard to fix but the RE-45 chassis are bullet proof. The pot metal must have been reworked or resized because it would have contracted/expanded where it would have broke or at least not functioned. The rework in the 1970's could have saved the original pot metal.

[gunnarthefeisty]

My guess is the radio was replaced in the 1970's. The 1929 chassis is too close to the original 1927 equipment. The Radiola 28 can be hard to fix but the RE-45 chassis are bullet proof. The pot metal must have been reworked or resized because it would have contracted/expanded where it would have broke or at least not functioned. The rework in the 1970's could have saved the original pot metal.

not all pot metal expands, though.