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VE 10-50 X / VE 10-50 U

RARITY: ¤¤   VALUE:  ¤¤¤ 

The VE 10-50 was a revolutionary phonograph introduced early in 1927. This was the first fully automatic record changer that Victor produced, and allowed the user to play up to 12 records automatically without the need to manually intervene. It was essentially an acoustic phonograph (with components identical to the top-of-the-line Credenza) combined with the newly-designed Victor changer mechanism. Records were manually loaded onto a wood-handled spindle (seen sitting on its support 'ledge' on the far right of the picture below) and then transferred to the support arm of automatic changer. From that point on, the 10-50 did all the work of changing records. While this may seen rather mundane today, in 1927 it was an absolute sensation. You no longer had to get up at the end of each record, find a new one, and put it on the turntable. The 10-50 allowed almost an hour of non-stop listening. Some examples provided a clear window in the left front door so that the record-changing process could be viewed. 10-50's were available in both mahogany and walnut finishes.
The original 1927 selling price of the VE 10-50 was a whopping $600.00, which equates to almost $9,000.00 in today's money. Primary buyers of these machines included hotels, restaurants, clubs and very wealthy individuals. In spite of the high cost of this machine, an estimated total of 10,500 VE 10-50's were produced until production was ceased. All 10-50's were built during the first half of 1927, although the model remained in the catalog through early 1928. It was discontinued due to the largeramount of space required for the changer and well as the high cost of manufacture, only to be replaced by Victor's 'second-generation' changer, which was an unmitigated disaster for the company.
Both VE 10-50 X and VE 10-50 U models were produced. The "X" versions used an AC-only motor, while the "U" versions (of which very few were made) used an AC/DC motor. While collectors today prize these early automatic changer models, the complexity and cost in repairing these machines limits the current market valuation

Note: Replacement parts for cracked or swollen 'pot metal' components for this machine are available from Sound Investments. They can be reached at VictrolaParts@gmail.com

The current survival database shows the earliest existent 10-50 to be S/N 517 and the latest to be S/N 9688.

Do you own a Victrola 10-50? 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.