January 1935 Radio-Craft [Table of Contents] Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early electronics. See articles from Radio-Craft, published 1929 - 1953. All copyrights are hereby acknowledged. |
To determine the date of manufacture and rarity of your Victrola, simply scroll down the list below and click on the model you are interested in, and look-up the serial number on the resulting listing. Readers are encouraged to review the section Victor Production Identification before reading the dating charts and valuation charts, so that the correct model information is understood.
If you own a Victor product, and would like to contribute to the master database, please click here to access the questionnaire. No names or addresses are necessary, only information relative to your phonograph's serial number, design features, etc. are requested.
Note that the patent dates which appear on the metal dataplate, soundbox, or elsewhere on the phonograph arenot indicative of the build date of a Victrola. These dates (often 1904, 1906 or similar) indicate the date that a particular design was originally patented, not when the machine was produced. The License Sticker date will also likely not reflect the accurate production date of your Victor or Victrola machine.
Models are listed in alphabetical order, but due to the complexity of some name/number combinations, it may take some time to find your exact model. Be sure to carefully read the dataplate and click on the EXACT model type, exactly as shown on the plate. Do not mistake the number '1' for the letter 'I'. Some margin of error will no doubt occur in this reference material, and work is ongoing to improve accuracy and detail specifics. For most models, accuracy should be well within one year of the date specified on the individual listings.
Japanese-built Victor models with a 'J' or a 'J1' prefix before the model number (made in the 1920's by JVC, or 'Japanese Victor Corporation') are not included on this listing, as very little information is available for these products.
NOTE: If no hyperlink is provided on the model you have selected (model not underlined), the page and information on that model is currently being updated. New pages are added every week, so please check back frequently. For general information on how rarity and valuation is calculated on this website, as well as for production summary tables, please refer to the 'Rarity and Value Analysis' page below.
Much of this information is based on the large Victrola database that I have maintained for many years, which includes design features and license sticker information. In addition, company production estimates were tabulated by Mr. B. L. Aldridge, a former Victor employee. Additional information has been published in Robert Baumbach's excellent books, Look for the Dog and The Victor Data Book (see 'Recommended Reading and Links'). I am also highly indebted to Mr. Baumbach for sharing information from original Victor parts and shipping lists, which have helped to fill in some of the gaps in my database. I would also thank Mr. Rod Simpson, and Mr. Fabian Bersh of Ontario, Canada for assisting in supporting the database and creating appropriate sorting algorithms. Readers who wish to understand specific details on particular models (beyond what is provided on this website) should procure copies of Mr. Baumbach's books.