What Victrola is this?

[jboger]

Anyone recognize this model?

[Victrolaboy]

That's a Credenza. One of the best internal horn Victrola Victor ever made in my opinion. This is an Orthophonic machine so it plays the later electrically recorded records. Collectors admire Credenzas for their amazing fidelity and they are also very loud.

[Jerry B.]

I've got one in my collection. I save it to play last and tell my guests this machine made every other one in my collection obsolete when it was introduced. Jerry

[jboger]

thanks. I'm poking around on the internet looking at what's coming up. Here's a Vita-Nola. Never heard of that.

[Cody K]

Squinting at the picture, I'm gonna say that's a very nice Credenza, with what looks to be its original finish and it appears to be walnut. If you've got a shot at getting that machine, and have room for a 185-lb. behemoth, don't hesitate if the price is reasonable. (Depending where you look, these seem to be selling for anywhere between $250 (the recent auction in Pennsylvania, IIRC), to $600 on eBay.) Ten years ago they went for a lot more.

It's a four-door, so it will most likely have the pot-metal reproducer, which you should look at closely to see if it's cracked much.

I play mine pretty much every day, and like Jerry, I save it for last when showing someone my machines. The sound really is that much better than probably any other Victrola or similar machine of the period.

The Vita-Nola's nice, but not a patch on the Credenza.

[Victrolaboy]

I wouldn't even think about purchasing the 'Vita-Nola' if I were you because it's an off brand and it will not sound anywhere near as good as a Victor. And off brands are worthless anyway except for their parts. I always take the motors out of off brands and salvage the mainsprings if they are still intact and haven't lost their temper. That way you can stock up on parts. This is just my opinion.
EDIT: I only strip offbrand machines that can't be restored and are junk machines. When I say "junk" I mean machines that are so far gone that it would cost too much to restore or they simply can't be brought back to life.

[Victrolacollector]

The Vitanola is not something I would consider, however APSCO has a copy of the Vitanola instructions or catalog on their website. The Vitanola is another one of the "off brand" independent machines, with most having the Heineman motor and the pot metal arm and reproducer. These are prone to breaking and not easy to find.

Like other forum members previously stated, the Vitanola is no match for a Victor Credenza. Go with the Credenza. A good cleaned up credenza with serviced motor and rebuilt reproducer is amazing. I recommend a good check for leaks in the horn and get them sealed.

[estott]

To be picky, that is an 8-30, or the Credenza with a different turntable position & very slight changes to the cabinet.

That Vitanola would be an attractive machine if it was complete, working and undamaged (the arm is missing in the picture) and was priced under $200. This is a fairly plain one but some of the "off brand" machines can have rather attractive cases - that was often one of their selling points.

[JerryVan]

I wouldn't even think about purchasing the 'Vita-Nola' if I were you because it's an off brand and it will not sound anywhere near as good as a Victor. And off brands are worthless anyway except for their parts. I always take the motors out of off brands and salvage the mainsprings if they are still intact and haven't lost their temper. That way you can stock up on parts. This is just my opinion.

True that off brands don't command as much money as Victors and the like but, they're not "worthless". If you don't care for them, then they're worthless to you. However, if you've looked through this forum much, several contributors have been very happy with machines such as the Vitanola pictured. It's what I like about this forum actually. There are those that show off their $20,000 machines, and those that show off their $25 weekend find, each with the same amount of pride and the same enthusiasm. Makes me wince a bit when you admit to scrapping the off brands out. We here tend to be preservationists. Something I asked myself years ago was, "Why am I saving parts for machines I'll never want?". So, if you'll never want an off brand, why would you strip them for parts? Pass the machines along, complete, to someone who would treasure it. Happy collecting.

[Victrolaboy]

I wouldn't even think about purchasing the 'Vita-Nola' if I were you because it's an off brand and it will not sound anywhere near as good as a Victor. And off brands are worthless anyway except for their parts. I always take the motors out of off brands and salvage the mainsprings if they are still intact and haven't lost their temper. That way you can stock up on parts. This is just my opinion.

True that off brands don't command as much money as Victors and the like but, they're not "worthless". If you don't care for them, then they're worthless to you. However, if you've looked through this forum much, several contributors have been very happy with machines such as the Vitanola pictured. It's what I like about this forum actually. There are those that show off their $20,000 machines, and those that show off their $25 weekend find, each with the same amount of pride and the same enthusiasm. Makes me wince a bit when you admit to scrapping the off brands out. We here tend to be preservationists. Something I asked myself years ago was, "Why am I saving parts for machines I'll never want?". So, if you'll never want an off brand, why would you strip them for parts? Pass the machines along, complete, to someone who would treasure it. Happy collecting.

I never looked at it that way. I'm very sorry for my negative words against off brands. I don't strip offbrands that can be restored. I only take parts from junk machines. If I find an offbrand for a decent price that I can easily restore then I will purchase it and sell it at my flea market booth. I've sold several offbrands to people who don't know much about phonographs and are just now getting interested for much lower prices than the name brands.