Inflation-adjusted retail prices for Victrolas in 1915-2017

[MikeB]

I got curious about just how expensive regular-production Victrolas would have been for the average consumer when originally sold. I used 1915-1916 as a baseline, for basic, commonly-sold models, without any upgrades, available at that time. (I used 1915 to 1916, as there appears to have been several price increases shortly thereafter). I referenced "Look For the Dog" to determine original retail prices. I then plugged these numbers into an inflation calculator, in order to determine the 2017 buying power of those 1915-16 prices.

Here is what I came up with. (The first value is the original retail value, and the second, in parentheses, is the 2017 inflation-adjusted value:


Victrola Retail Prices - Approximately 1915-1916

Table Models:
Victrola IV - $15.00 ($367)
Victrola VI - $25.00 ($611)
Victrola VIII - $40.00 ($978)
Victrola IX - $50.00 ($1,222)

Floor Models:
Victrola X - $75.00 ($1,833)
Victrola XI - $100.00 ($2,444)
Victrola XIV - $150.00 ($3,666)
Victrola XVI - $200.00 ($4,888)

Luxury Floor Models:
Victrola XVII - $250.00 ($6,109)
Victrola XVIII - $300.00 ($7,331)

So, at $367, the entry-level Victrola IV would have been a modest investment, while the Victrola XVI, at nearly $5,000 in today's dollars, would have presumably been purchased by the wealthiest of consumers. Even the common Victrola XI, at $2,444, would likely been beyond the reach of many.

I hope that I did this right!

[burke]

I tried a couple of online converters and they all agreed with [plus or minus a buck or two] with your figures.

Of course I had to do one of my machines.

My 1924 vv-80 came to $1400 BUT in Canadian that is $1801.00 today.

Yikes! ... I must commit to dusting it more often.

[HisMastersVoice]

This is fun! A few of my Victrolas:

Victrola 8-9
1929: $175 | 2017: $2,505

Victrola XIV
1911: $150 | 2017: $3,739

Victrola 8-35
1928: $300 | 2017: $4,295

VTLA
1908: $200 | 2017: $5,082

[fran604g]

Hey, I could afford my earliest Graphophone Q! 1898: $5; Today $140.85

-Fran

[RolandVV-360]

What fun! Here's some of my machines!

Victrola 360
1924: $235|2017: $3,352.74

Victrola 35
1924: $30|2017: $428.01

Victrola 7-30X
1927: $325|2017: $4,636.77

[Dave D]

I would like to see how much people earned back then and how many hours of work it took to buy a Victrola. Seems like everyone had one.
Dave

[HisMastersVoice]

I would like to see how much people earned back then and how many hours of work it took to buy a Victrola. Seems like everyone had one.
Dave

The average household income in 1915 was $687. An average home would cost about $3,000 and a Model T Ford was $390....

[MikeB]

From the internet:

"Back in 1915, two years after income tax came on the scene, you were doing about average if you were making $687 a year, according to the Census. That is, if you were a man. If you were a woman, cut that number by about half."

[phonogfp]

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.

[Henry]

When I bought my XI (made in 1917) for $100 in 1980, I cleverly did not use inflated dollars!