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I picked up a Vitaphone machine today and I found these inside. They may not be uncommon, but I have never seen them packaged like this. There are 3 packages, but only 4 unused needles. The packages say 4 for 10 cents. I was wondering if these were wartime needles.

Never seen those packages before. I have probably twenty or more different Tungs-tone packages. They couldn't be wartime issues, as Victor had changed hands to RCA way before that. I have a few packages which say RCA on them, so that would confirm they did not carry the Victor name forward on those needles. Yours were probably issued prior to 1931. Cheers, Russie

startgroove wrote:Never seen those packages before. I have probably twenty or more different Tungs-tone packages. They couldn't be wartime issues, as Victor had changed hands to RCA way before that. I have a few packages which say RCA on them, so that would confirm they did not carry the Victor name forward on those needles. Yours were probably issued prior to 1931. Cheers, Russie

I should have said, WW1. I thought they were unusually, but I have no expertise regarding needles. They were fee to me.

Oops! I think that was my mistake. I was not thinking WW1. Anyway, I'll post some pictures of the packages I've got sometime soon for comparison. Cheers, Russie

This packaging was covered in Bob Baumbach's article about Tungs-Tone stylus in the December 2019 issue of The Antique Phonograph. It is evidently an early style package.

Another good reason to be a member of the APS. You can learn things you didn't know.

AZ* wrote:This packaging was covered in Bob Baumbach's article about Tungs-Tone stylus in the December 2019 issue of The Antique Phonograph. It is evidently an early style package.

Another good reason to be a member of the APS. You can learn things you didn't know.

I am a member, but I missed that. Thank you for the information.

Here are pictures of various other packages. Note a few of them are labelled RCA Victor. The two large boxes once held 500 needles. Cheers, Russie