Victor Tester?

[mcgravy]

Just picked up this Victor "E" and found this on the bottom. At first I thought it was a previous owners initials but it appears to have been signed by an inspector (tester). I checked my Victor IV and it appears to have some sort of mark but nothing legible and my Victor I doesn't have any mark. I can't get to my VI right now but I don't remember seeing anything like this on it. Is a testers mark common?

[Jerry B.]

I wonder if the machine was traded in on something nicer, perhaps a Victrola, and the dealer's repairman checked the used machine and that was his way of signing off on the inspection before it was placed out for resale. The giant initials and notation seems much too casual for official Victor markings. I'm quite sure I have seen a second label applied to a used machine that was to be resold. Can someone provide a photo? Jerry

[OrthoSean]

I'm quite sure I have seen a second label applied to a used machine that was to be resold. Can someone provide a photo? Jerry

I've seen those as well, Jerry, so you aren't imagining things. It may have even been here.

Sean

[Jerry B.]

I checked the photo in your post again and it appears like the "Notice" label was applied over the initials. Very interesting... It still seems too casual for Victor. Would a used machine have the Notice sticker removed, the mechanism checked out, and the sticker reapplied conveniently missing the price information? Jerry

[Moooperator]

I'm glad INSPECTOR 12 didn't mark my fruit of the loom with lettering that huge!

[alang]

I haven't seen these huge marks on the bottom, but on the inside of my VV-VI. They also applied the Canadian Berliner sticker over the Victor one. Victor did the same with the Zon-o-phones.

Andreas

inside marks on 1918 Berliner VV-VI

Berliner sticker on top of Victor sticker.

Victor sticker on top of Universal Talking Machine sticker on rear mount Zon-o-phone.
Unfortunately a former owner was curious what was below the Victor sticker and ended up destroying both :-(

[Dave]

Could "tester" have meant that the machine was one time used to "test" soundboxes maybe?

[mcgravy]

Thanks for the replies. The label is glued over the marking which is what intrigued me. There is also something else written in the bottom right corner but I just can't make it out. I just thought I would post it here as I am always amazed at the knowledge base on this forum and the willingness to share it. I figured that if you guys don't know probably no one does.