Off brands that look a little too close to name brands in appearance…

[AmberolaAndy]

Looking at marketplace on Facebook I spotted a machine with a cabinet that looked almost a cabinet to a victor machine… then if you look closer the keyholes are missing and a brand name “White House” shows up and the typical universal off brand hardware is revealed.

What off-brands had you almost fooled for a second thinking it was a larger brand machine?

[edisonplayer]

I wonder if the Victor company sued them? edisonplayer.

[Granby]

Agreed! Most off brands sported an attractive "grille" throughout the late teens and early 1920's. However, I have noticed a few models [like the one you have pictured] with doors that cover the internal horn opening which immediately makes all of us think VICTOR. When I have seen these, in my travels, I am sure it is a VV-80 or VV-100 from across the room... until I get closer and I can only then see it is an off brand.... I do not have my notes right here at my fingertips, but either Victor's patent expired [referring to the doors over the grille opening] or the off brand companies just got "bold" at the beginning of the 1920's..... LOL

I'll defer to my fellow collectors for more input and the finer details....

Oh, I almost forgot to cite a specific example.... I was sure I was standing in front of a VV-100 or like model at an antique shop. I opened the lid and realized it was a STARR Phonograph. Wow! Sure enough, when I opened the doors in front of the internal horn, there was the unique Starr internal horn. It had me fooled!

[JerryVan]

...or the off brand companies just got "bold" at the beginning of the 1920's..... LOL

I'll defer to my other fellow collectors' for input and the finer details....

I think the off-brand companies may have figured that they would go unnoticed by Victor, being such small-time players and a lot of times operating/selling within very limited markets.

[Benjamin_L]

When the door and gooseneck patent expired for Victor in the early 1920s (between 1921-1923) dozen of off-brands started using them. Starr, Kimberly, Playertone, just to name a few.

[Curt A]

I wonder if the Victor company sued them? edisonplayer.

They will now that you plastered this all over the internet...

[JeffR1]

I wonder if the Victor company sued them? edisonplayer.

They will now that you plastered this all over the internet...

[FredSugarHall_fan]

Not sure if this is the case here, but I wonder if the company just bought this from Victor, made a few modifications, and then slapped their logo on the machine.

[epigramophone]

Not sure if this is the case here, but I wonder if the company just bought this from Victor, made a few modifications, and then slapped their logo on the machine.

This certainly happened in the UK. HMV sold obsolete Library Bijou Grand models to Perophone. Fifty years ago I saw one of these Perophones in an antique shop in North Devon. The price was £100, but I did not buy it as it was riddled with woodworm.

Here is the original HMV, surely one of their more attractive cabinet styles.

[pianolist]

I would guess this was a store brand sold by The White House in San Fransisco? I have a VE10-35 changer with a White House badge on the inside, for where it was sold.