1905 Victor 6 Phonograph * Near Mint & Gorgeous * No Repro Parts * 1st Year VI

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

1905 Victor 6 Phonograph * Near Mint & Gorgeous * No Repro Parts * 1st Year VI:
$7500.00

If you're an uncompromising collector of antique technology, make sure to check out all my listings after you look at this one. I don't think you'll find a better, broader or more balanced assortment of technical antiques anywhere -- hundreds of no-reserve sales each year, almost all of them featuring eye-popping "gee whiz" gadgetry in exceptional original condition.And don't forget, you can clickthis linkto quickly add and then save me to your favorite seller list and will automatically send you updates when I putsimilar new listings online.
When it was introduced in 1904, the Victor 6 (later renamed the Victor VI) was Victor's top-of-the-line phonograph. With a solid mahogany cabinet, gold-flashed hardware, and a nickel-plated 3-spring motor capable of playing multiple sides with a single winding, the Victor 6 had no peers, and it was widely regarded as a visual and mechanical masterpiece. More than a century later, the Victor VI remains a cornerstone acquisition for any advanced collection of antique phonographs.
The older sibling of the mint, original Victor VI that I sold on a couple of months ago, this Victor 6 is one of two museum quality Victor phonographs I'm listing this month (the other is a Victor Monarch). Like the Victor VI that I sold in March, this Victor 6 is immaculate. It's also the earliest Victor 6 that's ever passed through my hands, with a 3-digit serial number and a turntable mounted on a ball-bearing sub-platter.

Condition is close to mint, and it's an original Victor 6, not a restored Victor 6. It's the kind of Victor VI every phonograph collector wants to find but rarely does. In other words, no re-plating, no replica parts, no repairs, no refinishing, no issues. The matching mahogany Victor spear tip horn is outstanding, with an original finish that's still as smooth as satin and an original Nipper decal that's still crisp and colorful, making the horn the perfect counterpoint to the phonograph it adorns.

The cabinet finish is original, and its patina is perfect -- dark maroon with no irregularities. Cabinet itself is outstanding, with tight glue joints everywhere. Beautiful original gold-plating on the hardware and corner columns, with some tarnish and wear to the cornices and crank but nothing unsightly; glossy original back-bracket enamel, and nearly perfect original gold back-bracket decorations. Paper license on the underside of the baseboard is original. The data plate on the front of the cabinet is clean and legible.

The original gold-plated Victor Exhibition reproducer sounds great. Loud and clear, with excellent dynamics. Original nickel plating on the motor, with no rust, no pitting. The gearing is quiet, and the turntable maintains a constant speed.

A stunning machine. Perhaps the first, last and only antique disc phonograph you'll ever need or want.

I'll include with the phonograph the early, acoustically recorded 78RPM shellac record that you hear in the video I've posted above. If you get tired of listening to it, there are plenty of other titles available on and elsewhere. Hundreds of early them show up on on a weekly basis, and they typically sell just a few dollars each.

I'm one of 's best known, most highly regarded sellers of collector quality phonographs. I've been sellingand shipping themfor more than 25 years. When you purchase an antique phonograph from me, you'll receive a phonograph that arrives safely because it's been carefully packed (byme, not by some well-intentioned but nonetheless confounded, doe-eyed teenager working at the UPS store who wouldn't know a phonograph from a fire extinguisher), and you'll receive a phonograph that includes thorough but easy-to-understand set-up and operating instructions, so you won't be left scratching your head, trying to figure out how it works. Sure, you can probably get a lower price from Joe and Janet Barn-Find, but when your "bargain" arrives broken, and without any hint of how it works or how you might be able to put it back together, you'll realize that you really do get exactly what you pay for.