Modern "Victrola" products

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by sandmountainslim1, Mar 20, 2017.

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  1. sandmountainslim1

    sandmountainslim1 Vicar Of Fonz Thread Starter

    I keep seeing low dollar Crosley like turntables sold under the Victrola name and this confuses me a great deal.
    I found a press release online where the company marketing these devices claimed the bought the trademark from a "used trademark dealer" in Florida but I can't seem to believe that is really true. Victor Talking Machine Co. owned the Victrola brand and of course it's heirs are RCA (Sony?) in the United States and JVC in many other parts of the world and I find it hard to believe either Sony or JVC would be willing to let the Victrola brand fall into the hands of some antique trademark dealer. Maybe I am overly suspicious but I am thinking their use is spurious at best.

    Here is an example
    Amazon.com: Victrola Nostalgic 3-Speed Vintage Bluetooth Suitcase Turntable, Black: Home Audio & Theater
     
  2. BradOlson

    BradOlson Country/Christian Music Maven

    Yes, these are made by the same OEMs in China that make the Crosley branded stuff. Most of these trademarks have expired or have been bought by these companies for Chinese stuff a long time ago.
     
  3. MLutthans

    MLutthans That's my spaghetti, Chewbacca! Staff

    Now you can play Shinola records on your Crosley-made Victrola. I am so confused....
     
    Donniej and sandmountainslim1 like this.
  4. sandmountainslim1

    sandmountainslim1 Vicar Of Fonz Thread Starter

    You would have thought "Victrola" would be a trademark that RCA/Sony and/or JVC would have kept a tight reign on :(
     
  5. Benzion

    Benzion "Cogito, ergo sum" Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    Hey, they sold Scott and Fisher to Emerson long ago, and were selling cheap crap under these esteemed brands for a while, until simply retiring them. Sherwood (brand) and Harman now belong to Koreans, McIntosh and Audio Research - to Italians. Marantz, originally from Queens, NY, was sold to the Japanese back in the 60's.
     
  6. JohnO

    JohnO Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    It is true. Similar to internet domain name squatters, that Florida company scooped up a bunch of abandoned trademarks, including "Victrola", and held an auction for the trademarks.
    I was on their list to bid - including for "Victrola" which is the main one I would have wanted. Unbelievable but true.
    I can't believe that RCA let it go, and even though they did, that they didn't buy it back or do some legal action. But RCA wasn't RCA anymore, which explains why they lost the trademark.
     
    Last edited: Mar 20, 2017
  7. JohnO

    JohnO Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    Just clarifying, because it gets tangled:
    Saul Marantz sold his company to Superscope of Chatsworth, California in 1962 - the same Superscope that began by selling a widescreen lens system to Hollywood in the early 1950s, with several movies released shot with those lenses. Then they became the US distributor of Sony, and as Sony got feisty and wanted to go its own way and own its own US distribution, Superscope bought Marantz to stay in the market. There was "Marantz by Superscope" branding on the front for a while, while rear labels always said Superscope. Superscope was the Tushinsky family, father and son, and I had a few business dealings with them by phone, cross country (minor to them but I spoke to both of them a few times). They got their company in financial hardship by promoting an electronic player piano thing! They bailed out and sold the brand to Philips in parts in 1980 (outside US and Canada) and 1992 (US and Canada) but benefited from some Philips engineering inbetween. Philips sold the brand in 2001 to "Marantz Japan" and I don't know who really owned that, then that quickly merged with Denon and I don't know what real ownership exists now. Japan is opaque.

    Marantz - Wikipedia
     
    Last edited: Mar 20, 2017
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  8. JohnO

    JohnO Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington, DC
  9. jonj

    jonj Forum Resident

    <----- THIS is a Victrola
     
  10. McLover

    McLover Senior Member

    McIntosh and Audio Research are now owned by the McIntosh Group, headed by Charlie Randall. And owned by their employees. USA owned now.
     
    Benzion likes this.
  11. The last time I remember an RCA Victor product using the 'Victrola' name was in the 60's on home consoles. RCA dropped the Victor sometime in the late-60's and from their record label in the late-70's or early 80's. The last RCA TV's I had from the late-70's to the late-80's had just RCA on them. They were manufactured by Thomson Electronics as was the G.E. brand.
     
  12. Benzion

    Benzion "Cogito, ergo sum" Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    You mean they bought out the Italians?
     
    McLover likes this.
  13. soundboy

    soundboy Senior Member

    Marantz, Denon and Boston Acoustics (D&M) now owned by Sound United, parent company to Polk Audio and Definitive Technologies.

    Aiwa, formerly owned by Sony, is now an American company....

    Aiwa | Welcome to Aiwa USA
     
    SandAndGlass likes this.
  14. sandmountainslim1

    sandmountainslim1 Vicar Of Fonz Thread Starter

    Amazing :( Sad how worthless the trademark is. I guess neither JVC or "RCA" need it to market their products now.....to the extent that RCA even exists anymore. I guess really it is no better than this phoney Victrola marketing outfit nowadays.
     
  15. JBStephens

    JBStephens I don't "like", "share", "tweet", or CARE. In Memoriam

    Location:
    South Mountain, NC
    In the early days of records, "Victrola" became the generic term for any record player, regardless of who made it, like calling any paper tissue a "keenex" or any refrigerator a "fridigaire". Incidentally, the dog was originally sitting on a coffin, listening to his DEAD master's voice.
     
    SandAndGlass likes this.
  16. SandAndGlass

    SandAndGlass Twilight Forum Resident

    Poor Nipper!
     
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