The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Last year an interesting machine turned up for sale at a local auction house.

It appeared to be a Victor Electrola-Radiola VE 9-55:


Until the doors are opened:




The machine had a long history, having resided in a church rectory since the 1930's. Unfortunately I could not attend the auction, as my Dad had to be hospitalized for a few days, so someone else got this interesting machine for but $1100.

I wonder whether the machine went to someone who posts here. I certainly pray that it did not go to an inferior desecrator.

Interesting machine, Vanya. Is this known to be a Victory factory-made model? Did you happen to see what the ID tag on it said? I don't find any documentation for it in either the latest LFTD or Victor Data Books or in Baumbach's online update pages. Factory updated versions of the 10-69 and the 9-54 using the 1929 micro-synchronous tuners in a fashion similar to this are known, but this is the first such variation on the 9-55 that I've seen. If it's a genuine factory job, it must be very rare. If it's a custom job, it looks pretty sanitary.

Greg

I don't believe it is factory, just doesn't have that factory constructed "look". I've had a couple of 9-55's with replaced
radios, they also had that not right look to them. You could really tell it wasn't factory when you looked inside to see how the radio was
married to the old wiring harness.

I had a 9-18 that had electronics & phono from an RE45/75 and the ID tag was stamped "727". Too bad it was a basket case.

Chuck

I cannot find the photo file, but when the machine was offered for sale there was a photograph of one of those little aluminum tags under the turntable which bore, as I recall, a four digit number.

The loudspeaker grille certainly does look non-Victor, though.

The machine in question sold in May of 2013 for $1100

Whatever it might be, the cabinet is just stunning!

Clay

A similar situation turned up on this board a while back: http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... f=2&t=4727

ChuckA wrote:Greg

I don't believe it is factory, just doesn't have that factory constructed "look". I've had a couple of 9-55's with replaced
radios, they also had that not right look to them. You could really tell it wasn't factory when you looked inside to see how the radio was
married to the old wiring harness.

I had a 9-18 that had electronics & phono from an RE45/75 and the ID tag was stamped "727". Too bad it was a basket case.

Chuck

I don't suppose that you took a snap of the "727" before you scrapped it, did you? An RE-45 chassis in that lovely "Early English" cabinet would be just about the perfect machine for a room that I'm putting together. If I build such a kludge, I'd like to do the job right. An empty 10-69 cabinet with a straight single-play phonograph, a la the E-35 would work well enough, but those cabinets are rather thin on the ground.