New to the Forum and Phonographs

[cbcbcb]

Hi, I just came across this forum after researching phonographs. Earlier today I found a Victor Victrola VVXI phonograph, serial number 722491 in a thrift store. All of the parts appeared to be missing, except for the crank on the side and the spinning green disk (sorry I don't know the terminology). From the research I have done, it appears that that serial number was made in 1920. So, my first question is, are certain years more valuable than others, if indeed it was created in 1920. The price was $80, and I don't know if it is negotiable. How many parts would I need to buy and how much would they cost? Is it easy to find original parts for sale, or is it better to get newer parts? How much would a restoration cost, or is it easy to do yourself? Given the model, what would be the value of it once restored with working parts? I guess my question is: Should I bother?

[EdiBrunsVic]

You are considering the purchase of a rather common Victrola. If you have skills to restore missing or broken parts, and want to search a bit for these items, it would be quite a project. It seems that the turntable is there, but not much else. I wouldn't pay the asking price if you decided to buy it. My suggestion is to look for a Victrola that is in better condition. Depending on what part of the country you live in, there are more choices out there. Certain years of manufacture won't cause much difference in price. There are several good sources for parts and supplies.

Many good people in this forum can help you! Welcome and feel free to ask other questions about Victrolas, records, or related items.

[antique1973]

Considering there is no motor or tone arm at all, its best to stay away from it. In general, the wood cabinet of a Victrola is practically worthless unless its in a wood other than mahogany or a very rare model. So it sounds like a very common model, and if its mahogany the costs for buying the parts, motor, etc will exceed the value of the complete machine on the market. If for example, the cabinet was walnut, fumed oak, or some other exotic rare wood then it would be a completely different story. If you don't mind working on the motors a bit, the best deals are on machines that have all their important parts but just need some oil on the gears or the springs cleaned and re-greased. I bought my VV-100 for $75 and all it needed was the springs cleaned and now its running great. The model is in mahogany and quite common, however the case is near mint condition. These are the deals I always search for. Good luck, something else should come around again. Welcome to the board by the way.

[antique1973]

Hi, I just came across this forum after researching phonographs. Earlier today I found a Victor Victrola VVXI phonograph, serial number 722491 in a thrift store. All of the parts appeared to be missing, except for the crank on the side and the spinning green disk (sorry I don't know the terminology). From the research I have done, it appears that that serial number was made in 1920. So, my first question is, are certain years more valuable than others, if indeed it was created in 1920. The price was $80, and I don't know if it is negotiable. How many parts would I need to buy and how much would they cost? Is it easy to find original parts for sale, or is it better to get newer parts? How much would a restoration cost, or is it easy to do yourself? Given the model, what would be the value of it once restored with working parts? I guess my question is: Should I bother?

Here is a perfect example:

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/esd/atq/1857790632.html

This one is very similar to the deal you mentioned. The seller has been trying to get $50
for several weeks now and even listed it twice on Ebay and struck out both times. The true
value of this Victor is the sum of its useful parts: 4 knobs and a crank handle. I would
pay no more than $20 max for these parts. The cabinet is mahogany and has veneer damage so its
quite worthless.