Q: I found an RCA Victor Special Model phonograph in my 99-year-old grandmother’s basement. What is it worth?

A: Your grandmother’s phonograph, the RCA Victor Special portable phonograph, is an example of “machine-age design.” This is the name for a design movement between the World Wars, 1918 to 1941, when artists, designers and industrialists believed that the machine had a positive impact on art and day-to-day life. It was a new approach to design called “modern,” “modernistic” and “streamlined.” Your phonograph was designed by John Vassos (1898-1985), an industrial designer who also designed a television console for RCA in the late 1930s. The RCA Victor Special portable phonograph, made of aluminum, other metals, and plastic, dates from the mid-1930s. Portable phonographs like yours in excellent condition have sold for prices between $3,200 and $4,000.

 

RCA Victor Special Portable Phonograph