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VICTOR
RECORDS SALES (1901-1941)
SALES BY CLASS OF RECORD
AND TOTAL SALES OF RECORDS BY UNITS
YEARS 1901 AND 1941 INCLUSIVE
EXHIBIT: U.S. Dist.
Court, S.D. of N.Y., Jan. 26 1943
|
YEAR |
RED SEAL |
BLACK |
BLUEBIRD |
MISC 1 |
TOTAL |
|
1901 2 |
|
244,063 |
|
12,845 |
256,908 |
|
1902 |
|
1,611,451 |
|
84,845 |
1,696,296 |
|
1903 |
306,312 |
1,561,422 |
|
98,302 |
1,966,036 |
|
1904 |
404,308 |
2,060,952 |
|
129,751 |
2,595,011 |
|
1905 |
555,540 |
2,831,855 |
|
178,284 |
3,565,679 |
|
1906 |
1,098,680 |
5,600,506 |
|
352,589 |
7,051,775 |
|
1907 |
1,197,604 |
6,104,770 |
|
384,335 |
7,686,709 |
|
1908 3 |
817,671 |
4,168,069 |
|
262,407 |
5,248,147 |
|
1909 |
722,837 |
3,684,653 |
|
231,973 |
4,639,463 |
|
1910 |
932,942 |
4,755,662 |
|
299,400 |
5,988,004 |
|
1911 |
966,895 |
4,928,738 |
|
310,296 |
6,205,929 |
|
1912 |
1,425,646 |
7,267,209 |
|
457,519 |
9,150,374 |
|
1913 |
1,727,296 |
8,804,869 |
|
554,324 |
11,086,489 |
|
1914 |
2,113,450 |
10,773,286 |
|
678,249 |
13,564,985 |
|
1915 |
4,054,947 |
13,431,394 |
|
1,162,688 |
18,649,029 |
|
1916 |
4,054,127 |
20,619,981 |
|
1,298,164 |
25,963,272 |
|
1917 |
4,323,714 |
22,040,072 |
|
1,387,568 |
27,751,354 |
|
1918 4 |
5,761,848 |
14,004,062 |
|
1,781,137 |
21,547,047 |
|
1919 |
6,023,014 |
21,842,914 |
|
2,985,599 |
30,851,527 |
|
1920 |
9,516,032 |
24,074,141 |
|
1,836,402 |
33,426,575 |
|
1921 5 |
12,394,212 |
39,655,577 |
|
2,871,066 |
54,920,855 |
|
1922 |
6,049,348 |
29,202,897 |
|
1,910,472 |
37,162,717 |
|
1923 |
6,318,070 |
32,527,417 |
|
1,696,993 |
40,542,480 |
|
1924 |
5,113,866 |
26,067,863 |
|
1,641,144 |
32,822,873 |
|
1925 6 |
3,921,784 |
19,991,240 |
|
1,258,580 |
25,171,604 |
|
1926 |
4,965,971 |
25,313,968 |
|
1,593,681 |
31,873,620 |
|
1927 7 |
2,984,501 |
34,234,937 |
|
405,991 |
37,625,429 |
|
1928 |
2,921,414 |
32,677,018 |
|
2,166,474 |
37,764,906 |
|
1929 |
2,060,666 |
27,798,769 |
|
4,634,012 |
34,493,447 |
|
1930 |
1,245,350 |
15,363,999 |
|
1,101,171 |
17,710,520 |
|
1931 |
544,044 |
6,117,241 |
|
432,632 |
7,093,917 |
|
1932 |
305,876 |
2,465,013 |
|
348,160 |
3,119,049 |
|
1933 8 |
257,347 |
1,648,214 |
678,469 |
1,051,683 |
3,635,713 |
|
1934 |
368,509 |
1,679,233 |
1,287,651 |
1,103,842 |
4,439,235 |
|
1935 |
570,679 |
2,363,108 |
1,225,287 |
592,145 |
4,751,219 |
|
1936 |
865,770 |
3,519,695 |
2,691,720 |
599,341 |
7,676,526 |
|
1937 |
1,303,678 |
4,117,917 |
3,868,707 |
1,204,308 |
10,494,610 |
|
1938 |
2,207,453 |
5,850,000 |
4,454,000 |
693,321 |
13,205,366 |
|
1939 |
3,504,365 |
9,447,474 |
10,575,158 |
721,792 |
24,248,789 |
|
1940 |
5,778,273 |
13,948,330 |
14,096,089 |
1,735,795 |
35,558,487 |
|
1941 |
15,052,727 |
16,194,507 |
23,409,916 |
1,611,283 |
56,268,433 |
|
TOTAL |
131,736,650 |
541,671,542 |
79,697,688 |
44,331,251 |
797,437,131 |
1
It is not known what "Miscellaneous" refers to before
1910. One likely suggestion is that this category includes export
pressings. Several researchers have suggested these figures may
include domestic Zon-O-Phone sales after 1904. However, that
seems unlikely given the Universal Talking Machine Company's
existence as a separate legal entity and the relatively small
number of sales cited. After 1910, this category includes the purple-
and blue-label series, client labels, special pressings, etc.
2 These figures probably commence with
the founding of the Victor Talking Machine Company in October 1901. They would likely have been higher had pre-VTM sales
of Eldridge Johnson products been included. (See Evolution of the Victor Label for samples
of Johnson's pre-VTM labels.)
3 The decline of 1908-1909 probably reflects
the lingering effects of the 1907 Panic, combined with sales
lost to Columbia's new Double Discs, which offered two selections
for only a nickel more than a single-sided Victor. Although Victor
introduced its own double-siders in late 1908, it initially was
reluctant to promote them and charged a dime more than Columbia.
4
Record production decreased
during 1918 as much of the Victor factory was converted to war
production.
5 The height of the post-war phonograph
boom; this level of sales would not be attained again until 1941.
The effects of the 1921 recession, and possibly the beginnings
of competition from radio, can be seen in the following year's
decline.
6 By 1925, Victor was clearly feeling
the effects of competition from radio and from less hidebound
labels like Brunswick, Okeh, and the newly revamped Columbia.
The sales spurt at the end of 1926 came as Eldridge Johnson's
conservative reign ended and the new Orthophonic recordings gained
popularity.
7 The sudden decline in "Miscellaneous"
sales is attributable to the discontinuation of the purple- and
blue-label series. The equally dramatic increases in 1928-1929
may reflect domestic sales of His Master's Voice pressings, which
Victor had begun to import from England.
8 "Miscellaneous" sales for
1933-1941 probably include Montgomery Ward records. The lower
figures in 1935-1936 and 1938-1939 correspond to periods in which
RCA shared production of the Montgomery Ward label with Decca.
Format and annotations ©2001
by Mainspring Press. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction,
distribution, or sale of this material in any form, by any means,
is a violation of federal law. For permissions information, please
e-mail Mainspring Press.
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