Victor Period Machine and Special 230 Albums, 12” only ???

[Django]

There is a recent post in the “Yankee Trader”. The person is seeking green or black albums for their “period” machines. They were looking for 10” and 12” albums, but according to the Victor Data Book, the green and black period albums only came in 12”.

I have a Circassian Walnut VV-230 with a complete set of green albums, (10” and 12”). It was pointed out that the 230 had special albums that were green, blue or black and that the difference is that the 230’s albums have a slight difference in that they have a circular, lettered piece of material adhered to the spine and the period albums have the letter printed directly on the spine, (this is correct).

I looked at my albums again and noticed that the circular, adhered letter on my “D” album had become partially unglued. I gently pealed it back and found that there was a letter “E” printed directly on the spine, (I suspect that these were indeed “Period” albums that Victor also used for the 230).

The adhered circles on my 10” albums are secure and I am not going to try to remove one, (it is tempting). My question is: Is there a number beneath the adhered circle? (I am thinking that there is not).

My half baked theory is that Victor added the circle over the printed letter so that they could use up their “Period” albums and that the 230 would have only had 12” albums up to “D”, but the period albums would have gone to at least “H”. If the Period machines never had any 10” albums, (as the Victor Data Book” states), then the circle on the 10” albums is probably there for uniformity, and not to cover a letter.

I am hoping that someone can shed a little more light on the subject. It would be interesting know if the 12” blue albums had anything beneath the circles, (I suspect that they would not because they appear to have only been available with a 230).

[Phonolair]

Don't know if this helps or just muddies the water. I'm guessing there are printed letters on the spine of the 10" period albums in your machine. And that the circled letters were used over the printed letters to make a special set of albums for a VV230.
Here is a set of period albums that contain 11, 10" albums and 5, 12" albums with the printed letter on the spine.
So even though the 10" period albums don't show up often, they were made.

Larry

[Django]

Don't know if this helps or just muddies the water. I'm guessing there are printed letters on the spine of the 10" period albums in your machine. And that the circled letters were used over the printed letters to make a special set of albums for a VV230.
Here is a set of period albums that contain 11, 10" albums and 5, 12" albums with the printed letter on the spine.
So even though the 10" period albums don't show up often, they were made.

Larry

PXL_20230103_045235759.jpg

I think that it is very helpful, thanks. Which Period machine is that?

[Django]

Curiosity got the better of me, so I placed a t-shirt over the letter on a 10” album and applied a little heat with an iron. The adhered circle pealed back easily and there was no letter below it. That doesn’t mean that all 10” albums are like that, but it does mean that this one was not repurposed by Victor.

[Phonolair]

So it looks like with your 10" album it was made specifically for the VV230. Glad curiosity didn't kill the cat.
The albums and machine I pictured above is a VV XVII with the factory Japanese Lacquer special finish.
Larry

[phonogfp]

If it's any help, here's a mahogany 230 I sold about 8 years ago with its original 10" and 12" albums.

George P.