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VV 1-2 / Alladin

RARITY: ¤¤   VALUE:  ¤¤ 

The VV 1-2 was intended for use by children; it was a virtual clone of the low-price VV 1-1 Victrola with the exception of external decoration.  For an additional $3.00 above the cost of the VV 1-1, the buyer got a phonograph painted in white enamel, with decals of storybook characters placed around the cabinet.  This model used the old-style Exhibition Soundbox, a simple single spring motor, and did not offer Orthophonic performance. The pine wood case initially had an open bottom, and the volume control front doors were eliminated, resulting in an economical phonograph without many features. It was a very light-weight machine; the user had to hold the cabinet firmly while winding to keep it in place.
The enamel paint on these machines did not age well, and it is rare to find a 1-2 today without a lot of paint flaking. Around December 1925, the VV 1-2 model nomenclature was changed to "Aladdin". Presumably, this change was made to correspond to the introduction of the new Orthophonic Victrolas,  many of which used names rather than model number designations. The VV 1-2 remained in the Victor catalog until 1929, although factory records indicate that none were manufactured after late 1927. Early production models have the dataplate attached to the side of the machine; the plate was later moved beneath the turntable. For these machines, the turntable must be lifted off in order to read the serial number. Some early examples have been reported with Alice in Wonderland figures, rather than the Aladdin characters based on the Arabian Nights stories but this alternate design has not been verified.
Very late production versions will have an enclosed base. The original 1925 selling price of the 1-2 was $18.00, which equates to approximately $265.00 in today's money. An estimated total of 22,700 Victrola 1-2's were produced.

The current survival database shows the earliest existent VV 1-2 / Alladin to be s/n 1508 and the latest is s/n 21245

Do you own a Victrola 1-2? Please take a moment and enter some basic information about your machine into the collector's database by clicking here. No personal information is required.