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of other models. Wurlitzer simply concealed bar simply shut down, the operator did not bother
the older parts under a new, highly decorated with hauling off the old jukebox since, for the
case. Two additional Wurlitzer models that are operator, the old model was obsolete.
considered rare and collectible are the model Like all old, mechanical devices, the golden-
1080, which was garishly designed and sold era jukeboxes often need restored when found.
only a few, and the model 1100 of 1948, the And all restoration for jukeboxes pose problems
last Wurlitzer designed by Paul Fuller, the last since the original manufacturer will not have
jukebox to play 24 of the old-style 78 rpm parts for these antique machines, and finding
records, and the jukebox that effectively ended spare parts is often harder than simply locating
the golden era of jukeboxes. another machine. Cannibalizing one Wurlitzer
One of the huge differences between Wurlitzer to repair another is an option, but where are
jukeboxes and other companies’ products is you going to find two of them so that you can
the viewing window found in Wurlitzers. cannibalize one?
Wurlitzer jukeboxes all have viewing Before purchasing a jukebox, plug
windows that allow you to see the it in to a wall socket and test the
records revolving and the changer record-changing mechanism and
mechanism working. This visual the selection buttons. These two
delight, along with flashing mechanisms are the hardest part
lights and Fuller’s designs make of a jukebox to repair and often,
Wurlitzer the crème-de-le-crème if broken, are considered un-
of jukebox collecting. repairable. If these mechanisms
Today, jukeboxes are hard to work, but the jukebox needs
↑ Wurlitzer model 780, of 1941-42. Called the “Colonial
Model”; it was manufactured primarily for use in ski lodges. find. Some antique stores sell rewired or other mechanisms don’t
them; however, antique dealers work, that’s okay. All wiring can
know their value and either price be replaced and most other things,
jukeboxes beyond the financial besides the selection buttons and
Wurlitzer reach of the normal music lover record-changing mechanism, can
Continued from Page 1 or, sometimes, beyond the be repaired.
Fuller’s Wurlitzer model 950 is one of the financial reach of Midas himself. Most jukebox collectors also
rarest Wurlitzers since it was the 1942 model There are still jukeboxes to be collect the company brochures
and most raw materials were earmarked for war found in the backrooms of old and advertising promotions
that jukebox manufactures
cafes, lounges, and diners. Most
usage. Wurlitzer manufactured only 3,497 model
950s, of which fewer than 200 are known to still of these may be non-working, but ↑ Wurlitzer Victory model 850, of WWII used to promote their products.
was manufactured from chassis and
exist. The 950s are also prized for their beautiful you may also run across one that mechanisms from leftover parts. Jukebox advertisements, for all
models, can still be found in
works and was simply moved to
decorations--illustrations of the Greek god Pan
the magazines of the day. Also,
playing his pipe. The model 950 truly embodies a storage room and forgotten. If companies such as Wurlitzer provided cafes
you seek to find one, try searching in small towns,
all of the romance of a Wurlitzer jukebox. The
Wurlitzer models 850 of 1941 are also rare, as perhaps even in boarded-up-old-diners and bars. and bars with all sorts of promotional materials,
are the model 1015 produced in 1946. Collectors The smaller the town, the better your chances such as drinking and eating accessories, swizzle
sticks, and menus. If you can’t find the Wurlitzer
since most large communities have been picked
value the model 1015 for its beautiful rococo
design as well as its rarity. jukebox clean for years. jukebox you dream of owning, you may still
find a pot of gold at the end of the jukebox
The only reason that many of the old
The WWII Wurlitzer Victory model was built
on chassis and mechanisms from leftover parts jukeboxes survive in dusty back rooms or promotional rainbow.
storage areas is because the bars, diners, and
cafes where people came to listen to jukeboxes
did not own the boxes. Distributors or operators
owned the jukeboxes and placed them in busy
locations, sharing the jukebox’s profits with the
establishment’s owners. Often, when a jukebox
was replaced with a newer model or the café or
↑ One of the most sought after jukebox ↑ Brochure for Wurlitzer’s model 850. ↑ Wurlitzer model 950, of 1942.
is this model 850, of 1941. Brochures are highly collectible. Fewer than 200 of these models were made.
