Help Identify Victrola

[DrGregC]

I spoke to the actual owner of the machine. He said that the motor does not run. He took out the screws from the motor board to take a look. He did not attempt a repair. He has the screws. Says he is not ready to sell the machine right now. In the process of moving.

The info I got was through his girlfriend. They are an older couple. I think she is more interested in selling the machine than he is.

If I can get a clear set of pictures, I will post it for sale as-is, local pick-up only, in the Yankee Trader section of TMF. The machine is in Souderton, PA (suburban Philadelphia).

[PHONOMIKE]

I’m not sure I can offer a price but can offer this scenario. I have had a L-door XVI listed on Yankee Trader for several months. The condition looks similar to the one you listed above. My price is $800OBO (meaning I’ll take a little less) with a full set of record boxes. I still have it available and I’m not sure why.

I have seen the record boxes sell individually for $35 and $40 (plus shipping on some occasions) a piece on Yankee trader and Ebay. Some of these have tape or stickers on the spines, mold or some small tears. I’m not judging or running down anyone’s sales. This is just for comparison. I’ve seen some asking $50 a box. Notice how I said asking so I’m not sure if the seller got their price or not. My set is in good condition so going on the high end, let’s say the record boxes are worth $40 each or $400 for the set. That leaves the L-door alone for only $400.

I have to agree with what a couple others have said above. This model seems to be worth more in pieces than as a whole unit. Some have said the selling price would be on average $500 without record boxes. Mine would seem to be a steal but here it sits still looking for a new home.

So as a whole unit I would say the wholesale price would be lower than a pieced out price. And I guess the price would depend on whether you intend to keep it or piece it out. Based on what I figured above, I would guess the unit selling price in the lower range to something around $400 with out record boxes and adjust upwards with the boxes. Wholesale would be even lower.

This is only my opinion based on other sales I've watched lately. Condition and originality always come into play and there’s nothing better than a personal inspection to get a better idea of value. Good luck and keep us posted.

Mike

[mattrx]

I’m not sure I can offer a price but can offer this scenario. I have had a L-door XVI listed on Yankee Trader for several months. The condition looks similar to the one you listed above. My price is $800OBO (meaning I’ll take a little less) with a full set of record boxes. I still have it available and I’m not sure why.

I have seen the record boxes sell individually for $35 and $40 (plus shipping on some occasions) a piece on Yankee trader and Ebay. Some of these have tape or stickers on the spines, mold or some small tears. I’m not judging or running down anyone’s sales. This is just for comparison. I’ve seen some asking $50 a box. Notice how I said asking so I’m not sure if the seller got their price or not. My set is in good condition so going on the high end, let’s say the record boxes are worth $40 each or $400 for the set. That leaves the L-door alone for only $400.

I have to agree with what a couple others have said above. This model seems to be worth more in pieces than as a whole unit. Some have said the selling price would be on average $500 without record boxes. Mine would seem to be a steal but here it sits still looking for a new home.

So as a whole unit I would say the wholesale price would be lower than a pieced out price. And I guess the price would depend on whether you intend to keep it or piece it out. Based on what I figured above, I would guess the unit selling price in the lower range to something around $400 with out record boxes and adjust upwards with the boxes. Wholesale would be even lower.

This is only my opinion based on other sales I've watched lately. Condition and originality always come into play and there’s nothing better than a personal inspection to get a better idea of value. Good luck and keep us posted.

Mike

I sold a restored one with a full set of record boxes last year for $700. The buyer never had the machine picked up and FINALLY had me sell it again for anything over $400 and give him the $400. Sold the machine minus the boxes for that and refunded his money. Now selling the boxes. For some reason, in the last year, these things have become boogers to sell for what they used to sell for-at least for me, Mike, and 52089 (And, they were good shape machines/parts). Maybe tax season will help!

[gramophone-georg]

I’m not sure I can offer a price but can offer this scenario. I have had a L-door XVI listed on Yankee Trader for several months. The condition looks similar to the one you listed above. My price is $800OBO (meaning I’ll take a little less) with a full set of record boxes. I still have it available and I’m not sure why.

I have seen the record boxes sell individually for $35 and $40 (plus shipping on some occasions) a piece on Yankee trader and Ebay. Some of these have tape or stickers on the spines, mold or some small tears. I’m not judging or running down anyone’s sales. This is just for comparison. I’ve seen some asking $50 a box. Notice how I said asking so I’m not sure if the seller got their price or not. My set is in good condition so going on the high end, let’s say the record boxes are worth $40 each or $400 for the set. That leaves the L-door alone for only $400.

I have to agree with what a couple others have said above. This model seems to be worth more in pieces than as a whole unit. Some have said the selling price would be on average $500 without record boxes. Mine would seem to be a steal but here it sits still looking for a new home.

So as a whole unit I would say the wholesale price would be lower than a pieced out price. And I guess the price would depend on whether you intend to keep it or piece it out. Based on what I figured above, I would guess the unit selling price in the lower range to something around $400 with out record boxes and adjust upwards with the boxes. Wholesale would be even lower.

This is only my opinion based on other sales I've watched lately. Condition and originality always come into play and there’s nothing better than a personal inspection to get a better idea of value. Good luck and keep us posted.

Mike

I sold a restored one with a full set of record boxes last year for $700. The buyer never had the machine picked up and FINALLY had me sell it again for anything over $400 and give him the $400. Sold the machine minus the boxes for that and refunded his money. Now selling the boxes. For some reason, in the last year, these things have become boogers to sell for what they used to sell for-at least for me, Mike, and 52089 (And, they were good shape machines/parts). Maybe tax season will help!

I'll agree with this, and it's not just this particular machine. I have had some nice machines (at least in my opinion) up for sale with nary a peep. Parts and records are a different story. I think things are really, really weird out there with all the uncertainty since the election.

I was all set to buy a nice machine from a forum member but then needed to back out because several sales just suddenly fell through. The same is starting to happen with what have been my sure sellers on here- parts and records- too.

To keep the marital peace, my gramo/ phono hobby needs to be pretty much self- supporting and it's been a really rough road to do that since about end of October.

I'm going to list another machine in the Trader tonight or tomorrow, but it likely won't get any nibbles, either. Part of the problem is that I'm sure my prices are "high", but I tend to really go through my 'rescues' and make sure they are just so. Knock on wood, I've never had a complaining buyer.

I've had a Berliner up for sale for going on a year in different venues- while it does have some repro parts I feel it's priced reasonably given that it looks and plays just great. I've seen a few sell for up to a grand more than I am asking on the Bay of E that looked like they were winched up on a long- sunken U-boat, but I'm not playing that roulette game any more, LOL. You just can't take it personally- it is what it is.

I will say, though, that this is about the "quietest" I've ever seen the activity on these machines, and I have been buying and selling these fun little guys more decades than I care to admit. I'm almost tempted to go with a booth in an antique store again like I did in the '90s but that has its own type of annoying shrinkage issues- I was constantly having machines suddenly be short vital parts, and clerks were constantly selling records for way less than the marked price without my permission.