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Any nice large ephemera can difficult to find. Canadian Berliner items....even harder to locate.
Yesterday, a friend calls me about a large fold out flyer.
So, this morning I went to pick it up. It unfolds to a great size and shows the entire Victrola line-up from IV to XVII available at that moment. Funny, the XVI is available in Circassian...the XVII is not..
The graphics are nice and crisp.

I will need to have a frame made large enough to frame it. However, once framed....you don't see the back.. .

You will note, the prices are higher for the same machine in the US.

gramophone78 wrote:I will need to have a frame made large enough to frame it. However, once framed....you don't see the back.. .

Dry your tears; it's possible to frame the item such that both sides are exposed. I've seen such double-sided frames in museum displays. Ask your framer about this. If he/she can't do it, look for another framer who can!

Henry wrote:

gramophone78 wrote:I will need to have a frame made large enough to frame it. However, once framed....you don't see the back.. .

Dry your tears; it's possible to frame the item such that both sides are exposed. I've seen such double-sided frames in museum displays. Ask your framer about this. If he/she can't do it, look for another framer who can!

That's a great idea. I will do just that. Thanks!!!.

Well, Let me also make a suggestion. I am taking the original ads that I have framed for display, down----having them copied in color and putting the copies in the frames for display. This keeps the originals from being faded from light sources---I am keeping the originals in folders for protection. You can have a copy made of both sides and display them---also any creases, tears, and or blemishes can be removed. I am also having the copies made on card stock, instead of paper---more strength. Some old paper is quality, while others are low grades---what we take for granted can deteriorate and be lost in the future. Last point----the copies can be really inexpensive, down right cheap. Enjoy.

emerson wrote:Well, Let me also make a suggestion. I am taking the original ads that I have framed for display, down----having them copied in color and putting the copies in the frames for display. This keeps the originals from being faded from light sources---I am keeping the originals in folders for protection. You can have a copy made of both sides and display them---also any creases, tears, and or blemishes can be removed. I am also having the copies made on card stock, instead of paper---more strength. Some old paper is quality, while others are low grades---what we take for granted can deteriorate and be lost in the future. Last point----the copies can be really inexpensive, down right cheap. Enjoy.

An excellent point. This has been folded and put away. Naturally, doing this has kept the wonderful colors vibrant and bright. Sun exposure can and will fade ephemera like this irreversibly.
Thanks for the suggestion... .

I was looking at the prices set for the XVII. An Oak or Mahogany model was $495 or electrified $575. American Walnut was $575 or electrified $680...!!!!.
According to a website....$495CND in 1916 would be over $10,000 in today's money...!!!!!.
In LFD the Oak or Mahogany XVII when introduced in 1916, retailed for $250 in the USA. There were price increases over this models production. Yet, even with those taken into account....there is still a real gap.
I wonder why there was such a discrepancy in prices..??.

How many average Canadians could afford such a luxury is beyond me.

For example, I have a XVII that was originally own by a very wealthy local businessman and I wondered why he only ordered the base model. Maybe this is why..?.

Any thoughts..??.

I'm not confident in some of these online date/value conversions. Many of the figures they suggest are ludicrous.

George P.

phonogfp wrote:I'm not confident in some of these online date/value conversions. Many of the figures they suggest are ludicrous.

George P.

That must be it George. Although, I did try a few conversion sites. All of which came up with over $11K USD. Which would be 30% high given today's Canadian dollars value.

Yet, even if we use the period prices....$250 USD to $495 CND is quite a markup.... .

Even a XVI is expensive compared to it's US counter part.

I suspect that wartime/postwar price increases were in effect at the time of the printing, and that U.S. prices had risen as well.

George P.

In 1917-1920, the exchange rate was nearly 1.5 to 1, so the prices are more comparable if you factor this in.