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VV-215 / VE-215 / VV-S-215 / VE-S-215

RARITY: ¤   VALUE:  ¤ 

The VV-215 was a popular 'mid-line' flat-top console phonograph that helped revive stagnant Victrola sales in the early 1920's. Its introduction in the spring of 1923 was concurrent with the reorganizing of the entire Victrola product line. These new models used conventional number designations rather than the previous Roman numerals, but they were essentially the same products that had been offered for more than 10 years prior, but with newly-designed cabinets. While the 215 was a basic model with minimal trim and features, it was considered quite affordable, and became an extremely popular machine in many middle-class homes.
The 215 was a step-above the entry-level VV-210, and offered the same nickel-plated hardware, semi-automatic brake and a two-spring motor; the only differences were that the VV-215 offered a slightly larger cabinet with a pull-out storage drawer, additional record storage space, and a larger horn. VV-215 models were produced in a choice of a mahogany, walnut or oak veneer.  The original 1923 selling price of the 215 was $150.00, which equates to approximately $2,300.00 in today's money. Based on factory documentation, a total of 102,500 Victrola 215's were produced making it one of the more popular models of the era.
Electric versions (VE) of the 215 were produced in late 1924, but this was not a popular choice; only about 100 electric VE-215 models were made. The electric motor added $40.00 to the list price.
Approximately 34,500 "radio-adaptable" model VV-S-215 models were also produced near the end of the model run; these provided a dedicated space for mounting a small radio on the left-hand side of the cabinet. In addition, approximately 50 electrically-powered radio-adaptable VE-S-215 versions were produced. The radio-adaptable versions were priced at $170.00 (spring motor) and $220.00 (electric motor).
As with the VV-210, the affordable and well-designed 215 was certainly a major success for the company; but when sales of Victrolas began to slow in favor of radio, Victor failed to respond to the market changes by slowing their production rate. Therefore, in spite of lagging sales, many thousands of these machines continued to come off the assembly line during 1924, and the large network of dealers and distributors began bursting at the seams with unsold Victrolas. Due to this massive overproduction, it is quite likely that many late-production VV-215 models were sold during Victor's well-advertised "half-price" sale during the summer of 1925. Virtually all the radio-adaptable versions were sold during the 1925 sale. Production of all versions of the VV-215 was subsequently terminated in the late fall of 1924. For more information on Victor's financial crisis of 1924-1925 and the overproduction of phonographs, please click here.
Due to the large volume that were originally produced, the VV-215 (and many similar flat-top console Victrola models) are typically shunned by collectors today. They are simply too basic in design, and far too many were made to be considered 'collectible'.

The survival database currently shows the earliest existent VV-215 to be S/N 541 and the latest to be S/N 102455
Only 2 surviving VE-215 examples have been logged to date.
The earliest logged VV-S-215 survivor is S/N 628 and the latest is S/N 35025
Only one surviving VE-S-215 example has been logged to date.

Note: All VE-215, VV-S-215 and VE-S-215 models were produced in 1924.

Do you own a Victrola VV-215? 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.