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VV 8-7

RARITY: ¤¤¤   VALUE:  ¤¤¤

The VV 8-7 was a floor-model Orthophonic phonograph introduced in the spring of 1927. It was intended for utilitarian, institutional use by facilities such as schools and churches. The 8-7 was a modernized version of the venerable "Schoolhouse" (VV-XXV) external-horn machine, which had been in continuous production since 1913.  The intent was to provide a sturdy phonograph that would bring music and the spoken word into classrooms and lecture halls.  It also provided the added benefit of advertising Victor machines to those who happened to be listening.
The 8-7 was a very unpretentious 'oak box', with minimal decorations. It was easily moved around via the presence of large wheels located in back of the cabinet; a large handle in the rear made guiding the machine an easy task. It featured nickel-plated hardware, an automatic brake, and a large 'folded' (re-entrant) Orthophonic horn, and could provide surprisingly good performance at a sound volume which could easily fill a large room.
The 8-7 was available only in an oak finish. It was never a big seller, likely due in-part to its rather steep price tag; it was priced a whopping 50% higher than its VV-XXV predecessor. The 8-7 was manufactured in very low numbers into the first part of 1928, when it was replaced by the VV 8-8.
The VV 8-7 used a unique long key to lock the lid; standard Victrola keys will not work on these machines.
The original 1927 selling price of the 8-7 was $175.00, which equates to more than $2,600.00 in today's money. However, as with the earlier VV-XXV models, a discount was provided to schools. An estimated total of 2,100 Victrola 8-7's were produced.  Not many have survived.
 

 The survivor database currently shows the earliest existent VV 8-7 to be S/N 668 and the latest to be S/N 2654

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