RCA Victor Victrola Record Player Cabinet Thing??

[ceinsel]

Hi, I am new to this forum and to antiques in general.  I just started going through my grandma and grandpa's old stuff and have found a lot of antique lamps, phones, furniture etc.

I found an RCA Victor Victrola record player cabinet thing and have been looking online for over a week for anything similar to this with no prevail.

I don't know what year it is, but I do know that it is genuine RCA.  It has RCA Victor on it, Victrola on the inside, and the RCA dog at the very bottom of it.

If anyone could give me some input; history, value, year, etc.  I would really appreciate it.

PS The record player itself is in poor condition; moldy and rusted out.  The cabinet itself is in great shape though.  No nicks, scratches, or chips, and the sliding shelf the record player sits on slides with ease.

[waywardangler]

OMG! Call in the hazardous waste people! How could a record player grow that kind of mold? Was this in a rainstorm, flood, or ?

[mart]

I was wondering the same thing since the cabinet looks pretty good !!  What  happened I got my Victrola out of a storage building in back of a garage that was no where near weatherproof and it didn`t look like that inside !!

[ceinsel]

I honestly have no idea.  When my grandparents moved, this stuff got stored in an old building of the Naval Ammunition Depot here in Nebraska.  This and something similar to this along with the rest of their antiques have been exposed to heat, cold, moisture, etc. for maybe over......at least 15 to 20 years.  After they died, no one bothered to go through any of this and it's still been sitting there, so I'm trying my best to figure out what everything is and see waht I can salvage.

[hosman321]

I think it is still salvageable but is worth $0 in it's current condition. Believe it or not, this can happen very quickly and mold grows on all surfaces. Our 1976 Corvette wasn't driven for a few weeks this spring. The seals around the t-tops leaked when it rained and the entire inside of the car was covered in mold. Metal parts, plastic parts, carpet and all. Needless to say, we nearly had a heart attack. It was a big job cleaning it and very time consuming. If you clean this yourself, use a mask, long rubber gloves and cover your clothing somehow. Don't use bleach, it will ruin it. Once it is completely cleaned, every nook and cranny, inside and out, it may be worth about $60.

[ceinsel]

Thanks for the information!  I'd actually like to put it in my apartment, so I'm really glad to hear that I can save it.  As for year does anyone have an idea?

[hosman321]

We used this stuff on the corvette and it was amazing. I would not use it on the wood parts of your phonograph but maybe the radio and metal parts. I found it at Walmart. It's worth trying, I mean...it can't get much worse in there!
http://www.amazon.com/STP-Stuff-Multi-Purpose-Aerosol-Cleaner/dp/B0002KL7KK

[hosman321]

As for the year, it looks 1940's but there should be a model number somewhere on there. You will have to look on the front, back, inside...it could be anywhere!

[waywardangler]

I have used Tuff Stuff on car interiors for years. Works great on the fabric seats etc. I do not remember using it on anything wood because car interiors are all cloth, leather, plastic, or metal now. I finally had to throw an old can away after the aerosol quit working even tho there was some cleaner left inside.

[mart]

I think yours dates 30`s or 40`s from the cabinets style !! First clean all the dust, dirt and mold  !! WD 40 sprayed on a cloth for the metal !! Tung or lemon oil for the cabinet but only a little on the cloth to clean it. Soft brush for the cloth front,, carefully, it may be fragile !!  Then you can see what needs more work !! I imagine that the felt is shot on the turntable !! You can get replacement parts for a lot of these older Victrolas. Check all the wiring if you can see it. Not sure if the slide out will lift up a bit but if you pull it all the way forward you might be able to see behind it. I would take the back off and look there !!