Victrola VV-X at auction Sat 28th Feb

[Steve]

Apart from perhaps the novelty value of this cabinet gramophone being a Victor Talking Machine, as opposed to HMV, here in the UK, it is otherwise another fairly ordinary and unexciting cabinet machine?

However, the auction is very close to me so I'm happy to report back here if anyone would like an honest appraisal of it. I won't be bidding!

https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auct ... 469dfb91e6

[jamiegramo]

The VV-X sold for £30 ($40 US) hammer price with a collection of records. I wonder what a VV-X is currently worth in the US? About the same I guess.

Actually the auctioneer refused to start below £30 or he would pass on it otherwise the lone bidder may have got it for less.

[Steve]

The VV-X sold for £30 ($40 US) hammer price with a collection of records. I wonder what a VV-X is currently worth in the US? About the same I guess.

Actually the auctioneer refused to start below £30 or he would pass on it otherwise the lone bidder may have got it for less.

[Steve]

The VV-X sold for £30 ($40 US) hammer price with a collection of records. I wonder what a VV-X is currently worth in the US? About the same I guess.

Actually the auctioneer refused to start below £30 or he would pass on it otherwise the lone bidder may have got it for less.

Well, guess who the lone bidder ended up being?

As no one here showed any interest prior to the sale I didn't give it a pre-sale once over. However, I was returning from the collection of another more interesting machine off Ebay and noticed the sale was still going and close to the lot number of the VV-X, when I was passing the auction house. How could I not go in to see what happens?

Giving it the briefest look over I elected to have a go if it was cheap, say sub-£50. As you said, my bid was quite casual and on the auctioneer's opening price. I wasn't expecting any competition and I was right!

It has its winding handle and the No. 32 motor runs like a dream. It has the Victrola No. 2 which is identical to the HMV No. 2, as expected.

It is very dirty but will clean up. Sadly the back legs are both missing glued on tapered sections so are currently rather pointed - I didn't examine it closely enough so missed this. I am not too phased about this issue as it is otherwise complete and runs. The records are predictably a mixed bag but at least two dozen of interest to me.

£37 all in and now I can add Victor to the ranks of my collection. Its only taken me 35 years!

[OrthoFan]

Hi Steve:

Congratulations. Here are the production details, so you can date the Victrola -- http://www.victor-victrola.com/X.htm As you can see, the X series started out as a table model, switched to an open sided floor model, and finally transitioned to a standard style floor model. According the Victor Data Book, the factory equipped Exhibition sound box was supplanted by the No. 2 sound box around 1917.

OrthoFan

[Steve]

Hi Steve:

Congratulations. Here are the production details, so you can date the Victrola -- http://www.victor-victrola.com/X.htm As you can see, the X series started out as a table model, switched to an open sided floor model, and finally transitioned to a standard style floor model. According the Victor Data Book, the factory equipped Exhibition sound box was supplanted by the No. 2 sound box around 1917.

OrthoFan

Thanks David, yes, I was able to date it to 1917 based on the serial number from the very same website. That is a great resource for Victor collectors. More's the pity we don't have any such thing for HMV over here.

[Steve]

Probably of interest to me only, but upon checking the HMG book, it would appear there is a corresponding Model 10 from HMV which appears almost identical. Similar to Victor it represented the cheapest and smallest option for a floor standing machine.

The HMV production of it ran from 1913-1922, whilst the Victor was 1913-1920. Prior to this (1910-1912) the Victrola "10" was two distinctly different designs that OrthoFan points out above. The No. 2 soundbox was applied from 1917 onwards to the Victor but the HMV had to wait another 5 years to get an upgrade from the Exhibition.

[jamiegramo]

Probably of interest to me only

No no, I was very interested and wanted to check the HMG book for its HMV equivalent. Thanks for the information. I wasn’t surprised that you’d succumbed and bought the machine! It was cheap enough.

Years ago I had the 4 spring hump backed console Victrola. I think it was virtually identical to the HMV version. The dealer who sold it to me said that he’d seen quite a few hump backed Victrolas in the UK and wondered if Victor had exported surplus stock to HMV. Just conjecture of course.

[jamiegramo]

I won't be bidding!

hmm

[Steve]

I won't be bidding!

hmm

Indeed! However, let me qualify my statement: what I should have said is that I did not really want it and was not in any way intending to bid (or else I'd have kept schtum about it), which was all true, especially if there was an interested party (like "poodling around", for instance ) who wanted an appraisal with a view to bidding. If so, I would have been happy to facilitate or help with transportation if needed.

When no one responded, even to dismiss it, and it was clear to me no one else was going to bid, when I was conveniently placed in the sale room at the right moment..........

Maybe I should be in the government!