Dansette record players
Introduction
Dansette is one of the most collectable 1950s to 1960s record players. Restored sets in top condition can sell for up to £500. But you can still pick up reasonable sets, some in working order and good cosmetic condition, for less then £100. As with all electrical items, you must have it checked by a qualified electrician before using.
Short history
Just as rock'n'roll began, J & A Margolin launched a colourful new record player, the Dansette. It quickly became the teenagers' most desirable item. The Margolins had an eye for what sold and combined the new BSR autochanger, which could play several singles one after the other, with bright automotive styling. They kept the style fresh with a succession of new models.
Dansettes were not the design establishment's favourite though. The design awards went to Murphy and Bush. Dansettes were more about fun and fashion than good design.
In spite of their eye for popular style, the Margolins could not compete with growing imports from the Far East in the late 1960s. Sales plummeted and sadly Dansette called in the receiver in 1969.
The Rank Organisation bought the name and continued to make record players branded Dansette in the early 1970s.
Today Dansettes are highly prized by collectors and enthusiasts of 1950s' and 1960s' music. The models which command the highest prices are those that most evoke Dansette's heyday - the two-tone models from the late 1950s to the early 1960s.
Values
Value is driven more by condition, both cosmetic and mechanical, than the specific model.
Players which have been professionally restored and serviced will command high prices. Examples that are working and in good cosmetic condition are cheaper, with tatty examples and restoration projects coming in at the bottom of the price range.
The most desirable models are those from the late 1950s to the mid-1960s. Models which had an autochanger turntable are more desirable than those that do not. It is great to watch the mechanical ingenuity of the autochanger as it spins another single onto the record deck.
Desirable models
The current market loves players that evoke the style of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Earlier Dansettes are a little less desirable, as are those made after 1965 when the style started to change. Look for features such as two-tone covering, BSR or Garrard autochangers, automotive-inspired speaker grills, boxes with a sloping front and sometimes reverse sloping and optional splayed legs.
The most popular models are:
- Dansette Bermuda 1962-65
- Dansette Major Deluxe 1958-64
- Dansette Conquest Auto 1962-64
- Dansette HiFi 1962-65
- Dansette Major 1956-59
There are many other models and the precise model is not as important as the styling. Dansette made a huge range of players from very cheap to high quality. Today's market does not attach extra value to the best quality players, such as the HiFi and Stereophonic which were at the top of the Dansette range. However, entry-level models such as the Junior and Popular, without autochangers are not as desirable.
Later Dansettes, with a more late 1960s' look with features such as polished aluminium trim, are also less desirable.
Price guide
I have based this guide on eBay achieved values. I use eBay as a guide as it reflects what you could sell your Dansette for. You may need to pay a little more if you buy directly from a dealer, but often your purchase will come with a guarantee.
£300 to £600 For top money you will get a desirable model (see above) fitted with an autochanger in first-class condition, cosmetically, electronically and mechanically. Top eBay sellers may also offer a guarantee. If you are looking to purchase a top model, you will need to establish that a top-quality restoration has been done.
£150 to £300 You will find some of the less desirable models in excellent condition and working order, together with some desirable models that are fully serviced, but not cosmetically perfect. You will also find some good original record players that have not been serviced.
£100 to £150 In this price range expect to see cosmetically-good players which are described as working, but may not be serviced or restored. There is a huge difference between a player that works and has not been touched for fifty years and a completely overhauled one, so be wary.
There will also be some cosmetically-good players in non-working condition.
Up to £100 For up to £100 you will get restoration projects. They vary greatly from failed restorations, tatty players in need of complete refurbishment and some cosmetically- good but non-functional players. It is possible to buy similar material to cover the case and the speaker grill and thus very tatty examples can be restored.
In this price range you will also see 'collection only' items. These are a great bargain if you live nearby.
Dansette model guide
Dansette produced a huge range of models throughout its fairly short history. I have tried to be as comprehensive as possible, but I may have missed a few.
Standard size range players
These are Dansette's mid-range range of record players.
- Senior c1952-59 [price £32 1s 6d]
- Automix c1955-62, BSR autochanger [1956 price £25 4s]
- Major 1956-62, BSR autochanger
- Major De-Luxe 1958-63, BSR autochanger
- Major De-Luxe 21 1964-65, BSR UA16 autochanger [1963 price £18 7s 6d],
- Bermuda c1963-66 [1963 price £17 6s 6d](*)
- Bermuda Mk II c1967-69, chrome control panel, pop art style pattern inside lid
- Troubador 1962-63, EMI non-auto turntable, [1962 price £17 6d]
- Carlton c1966-68, BSR autochanger, [1966 price £20 9s 6d]
- Oxford c1968-69, BSR autochanger, [1969 price £21 0s 0d]
- Severn c1967-8, BSR UA25 autochanger, [1967 price £19 8s 6d]
- Capri c1963
- Challenge 1963, C101 1961-1963, C104 1964-5
- Musique c1966
Compact players and/or cheaper (mains-operated)
These are mainly smaller, but cheaper Dansette players.
- Minor c1956 [1956 price £17 6s 6d]
- Celebrity c1962-66, Garrard 4SP non-auto turntable, [1963 price £15 4s 6d](*)
- Senator c1964-8, BSR UA15 autochanger, [1964 price £16 5s 6d]
- Tempo 1963-66, Garrard autochanger, [1963 price £16 5s 6d]
- Viva 1966-69, BSR autochanger, [1966 price £15 4s 6d]
- Junior 1959-61, BSR non-auto turntable
- Junior de luxe c1962-65, BSR non-auto turntable, [1965 price £12 1s 6d]
- Popular c1962-69, BSR non-auto turntable, [1965 price £10 10s]
- Transit (mains) c1967-68, transistorised, BSR UA50 autochanger, [1967 price £20 9s 6d]
- Thames c1966-8, BSR non-auto, [1966 price £13 2s 6d]
Compact players (battery)
- Diplomat c1960-62, all transistor, BSR auto turntable, no autochanger, powered by 9v battery, [original price £18 18s]
- Prefect 1964-6, all transistor, BSR auto turntable, no autochanger, [1965 price £15 15s]
- Classic 1963-4, Greencoat turntable [1964 price £13 13s]
- Princess 1963, 2-speed motor, [1963 price £26 15s 6d]
- Transit (battery/mains) c1967-8, BSR UA50 autochanger, [1967 price £26 15s 6d]
More expensive players
Starting with the Conquest, Dansette produced some better quality players, eventually offering stereo sound and HiFi quality. Towards the end Dansette's Board saw that they could not compete in the low to medium price market and launched a number of more expensive players.
- Conquest non-auto, 1959-62
- Conquest Auto c1962-69, BSR UA14 autochanger, two stage amp, [1963 price £21 10s 6d](*)
- HiFi c1962-68, Garrard AT6 autochanger, three stage amp, [1963 price £29 8s](*)
- Monarch c1964-68, chrome grill, BSR autochanger, stereo option [1965 price £25 4s]
- Stereophonic A35 c1962-68, stereo, BSR autochanger, [1965 price £30 19s 6d]
- Stereophonic A45 1962-4, stereo, BSR autochanger, [1964 price £39 18s]
- Imperial c1965-68, later 60s style, [1965 price £30 9s]
- Supreme c1967-68, transistorised, [1967 price £31 18s 9d]
- Prince c1969, Garrard 1000 autochanger, optional stereo conversion, [1969 price £31 10s]
- Trent c1969, BSR UA25 autochanger, stereo with detachable speaker, [1969 price £35 14s]
- HiFi Regina c1969, Garrard 3000 autochanger, optional stereo unit, [1969 price £38 17s]
Dansette radiograms
These looked similar to the Dansette record players, but had a radio tuner and a tuning dial on the front of the case.
- RG30, 1959-60, BSR monarch autochanger [1959 price £31 10s]
- RG31, 1960
- RG65, 1965-66
(*) Legs were available as an extra cost option
The date
information is derived from The Electrical & Electronic Trader Year
Book (1962-69), The Consumers' Association (Which?) reports and the
dates on which circuit diagrammes were published. I have tried to make
it as accurate as possible.Where there is some doubt about the
date, I have prefixed it with 'c' for circa.
Detailed history
Foundation of J & A Margolin
Morris Margolin came to England from Russia in the 1890s. Like many Jewish immigrants he was a cabinet maker and he set up business in London. He also had a keen interest in musical instruments and imported accordions and banjos to sell in the UK.
In the 1930s he had the idea of making a cabinet containing a turntable. A contemporary radio set sat on top of the cabinet or next to it. The customer connected them together and the radio provided the amplifier for the turntable. Margolin created a do-it-yourself radiogram which he marketed as the plus-o-gram. The company, J & A Margolin, made these from the 1930s to the 1950s.
BSR autochanger
In the early 1950s, 45s replaced the old shellac 78s and three-minute singles were the way to enjoy pop music. Going to the record player to put on a new single every three minutes was tedious. Birmingham Sound Reproducers (BSR) made an inexpensive autochanger that could play several singles one after the other from a stack sitting above the turntable. BSR offered their turntable and autochanger to the Margolin company.
The Margolins designed a new cabinet to house the turntable and provided a built-in amplifier. They brought this to market in 1952. It had a new brand name, the Dansette Senior.
Success
Dansette filled a gap in the market for a reasonably-priced record player in fashionable colours. Initially aimed at the adult market, they became the player of choice for the 1950s' teenager. Dansette introduced a large number of models to keep up with contemporary taste and to cover a wide section of the market.
The Dansettes were mainly designed in-house. The Margolins had an eye for fashion and contemporary interiors and regularly introduced new models. Dansette never won any design awards though. Their products were fashionable rather than good design in the eyes' of Britain's design establishment. However, this was not a barrier to them from selling well.
In 1961, following a decade of success, the company floated on the stock exchange and changed its name from J & A Margolin Ltd to Dansette Products Ltd.;
The final years
Dansette's run of success came to an end in 1965 when the company posted a profit of just £8,000 compared with £118,000 for 1964. The Dansette Board fought back when they acquired Perdio radio in December 1965 and briefly returned to better profits.
Like many home-grown electrical companies, Dansette was unable to compete with cheaper imports from Japan. They attempted to move the product range more up-market in a last ditch attempt to save the business, but it came too late and the company called in the receiver in 1969.
The Rank Organisation bought Dansette in 1970 and added it to their list of brands, which already included Bush Murphy. The Dansette brand continued into the 1970s, but was merely a label on a Rank product; there was no connection with the original Dansette products or factory.
Resources
This Dutch website has a huge amount of information about Dansettes, start with this page www.gramofoon.com - Dansette index.
This site offers Dansette record players for sale, as well as spares and restoration services - dansette.com.
Comments
When I was about 16 I got a job with Dansette at a place called Headstone Lane (by the station) Harrow working there was just as you imagine rows of benches and that’s your work place for the day.
The tea trolley was wheeled around so you didn’t have to leave you were only allowed to go to the toilet by putting your hand up as you did your bit and past it on.
I have a dansette rg 31,what isvthe replacement stylus i need ?
I have a Dansette record player with also a radio, can you please give me info on age and value, please.