Victrola Electric or Spring Driven...Which One???

[estott]

I don't have an electric machine but I'm starting to want one.

Advantage of spring wound: you can put the machine any place you want in the room

Advantage of electric: at 53 winding up a 4 spring Credenza is getting a bit painful.

[Jerry B.]

I think it's interesting that there is so much difference in value between a Triumph and an Alva. At Union you would have your choice of nice Triumph for under $1000. If there's an Alva at Union, it will be over $10,000 and it's a big "if" that there will be one there. Edison chose to market his electric Triumph as a different model. Today that model is worth crazy money. With Victor the electric motor was an option like a special finish which was identified on the ID tag as "VE". I didn't realize that some collectors had a preference until I noticed that spring driven Credenzas were an easier sell than an electric Credenza. Is that because record collectors see the Credenza as a utilitarian device and a spring powered machine is safer around the house? Maybe a record collector could give his opinion. Today it seems that machine collectors assign no extra value to a VE machine. A VV-XVI outsold a VE-XVI about 22 to 1. (Victor Data Book- VV-XVI 197,000 and VE-XVI 9,000 both figures rounded off by me) Despite this huge difference, a VE seems to have no difference in value to the VV machine. The body of collectors determine current value. That's why a circassian machine is worth crazy money and an American walnut machine is worth a bit more than a standard finished machine.

Thanks Nipper, it's good to see you have my best interests at heart!

Happy collecting, Jerry

[Steve]

I'd definitely keep the electric version for all the reasons stated by others (who agree).

With that in your collection I can see little point in keeping another example, purely for the sake of the mechanical motor. You have a lot of mechanically motored machines after all, making the electric machine the 'special' it undoubtably is.

[Jerry B.]

Our upstairs is uncluttered territory. Maybe I could put it upstairs! Is my best approach to just hope that DeeDee will not notice a XVI or is bribery my best approach? Jerry

[Steve]

LOL! When did you last take her on holiday?

[gramophoneshane]

Id go the bribery route. Deedee's bound to notice a tall beauty lurking upstairs

[Jerry B.]

I bought her a Lladro figurine for Christmas. Maybe Christmas will come early for us this year!

[Valecnik]

Our upstairs is uncluttered territory. Maybe I could put it upstairs! Is my best approach to just hope that DeeDee will not notice a XVI or is bribery my best approach? Jerry

Definitely bribery! My wife notices if I move a vase or a lamp a couple of inches one way or the other. She'd CERTAINLY notice (and has noticed right away) when I've tried to slip another one in. Could mean a night on the couch...

[Jerry B.]

I mentioned bribery to DeeDee and the words "diamonds" and "big" came out of her mouth. I think the upstairs will remain unclaimed territory. Jer

[Valecnik]

I mentioned bribery to DeeDee and the words "diamonds" and "big" came out of her mouth. I think the upstairs will remain unclaimed territory. Jer

So diamond styli from Expert pickups or some NOS from Edison would not do?