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VE 12-15 E

RARITY: ¤¤¤   VALUE:  ¤¤ 

The 12-15 was a premium, fully electronic phonograph, introduced in early 1928. It was an update and replacement for the discontinued (and more expensive) VE 12-25. It paired a Victor turntable system with an RCA audio amplifier and paper-cone speaker.  A radio was not included. This model was produced at a time when advancements in electronic amplification were progressing at an incredible rate; the effects of distoration and electricical noise were reduced signficantly with each new design iteration. In order to remain competitive,  it was imperative that Victor update its model line with the latest in sound-reproduction quality. The 12-25 represented the best audio reproduction from phonograph records that was available at the time.
The 12-15 was produced throughout 1928, but remained listed in the 1929 Victor catalogs. A total of 6,000 of these phonographs were made.  It sold for $550.00, which equates to approximately $8,300.00 in today's money. The cabinet used a walnut veneer.  The cost and complexity of repair of these machines limits the current market valuation.

The current survival database shows the earliest existent 12-15 to be S/N 505 and the latest to be S/N 5859.    

Do you own a Victor 12-15? 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.