Victrola VV-IV Phonograph (1911-1924)

✅ Victrola VV-IV 

🥇First Affordable, Internal Horn Phonograph 

Launched in the summer of 1911 for just $15 (around $500 today), the Victrola VV-IV was a game-changer that finally brought the "talking machine" out of high-society parlors and into the living rooms of average working-class families. This compact, tabletop record player was built out of solid oak, but it saved on costs by skipping a lid entirely. To control the volume on this strictly mechanical machine, listeners simply opened or closed the wooden slats on the front cabinet doors to let more sound out. Despite its budget-friendly, hand-cranked "single-spring" motor that required frequent winding, the VV-IV became a massive commercial blockbuster, selling over 630,000 units during its 13-year run. By the mid-1920s, the rise of home radio and early electronic speakers made the little Victrola obsolete, prompting Victor to discontinue production in 1924 and clear out remaining warehouse stock at fire-sale, half-price discounts. Today, it is celebrated as the affordable pioneer that democratized recorded music for the masses.

Source:  Elephant's Trunk Flea Market