Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011 — While browsing eBay recently I ran across a neat 
advertisement listed under the Vibroplex listings — a full page ad from the 1945 ARRL Handbook. The add is two color, and features the complete (at that time) Vibroplex line up. It’s an interesting advertisement because it also has a bit of history included in its copy.
In the bottom right area it mentions the relatively new DeLuxe models with the jeweled pivots. It talks about how the DeLuxe Vibroplex keys are also unique is that they are handsome finished with bases “the new, non-glare Battle Ship Gray” rather than the standard black crackle. Of course, the ad doesn’t mention (as earlier ads did) that the earlier DeLuxe bases were chrome plated, but that the war effort now required Vibroplex to forgo chromed plating on the bases!
The cheapest key the company offered was the Champion, which the ad promotes at top, stating it was a key designed for radio work (no circuit closer switch), and was sold without a wedge plug and cord as other keys were.
The other keys on the page included the Original, the Lightning Bug and the Blue Racer — all three available in standard and DeLuxe finishes (the DeLuxe outfitted with jeweled bearings and the special gray paint). Another item the ad doesn’t mention is the fact that the war forced Vibroplex to change its nameplates from brass to tin that was painted to look like brass. Most keys with these tin nameplates show partial or complete loss of the faux brass finish some 60 years after their manufacture. Collectors value a WWII DeLuxe key with a tin nameplate in excellent condition. I have a couple of that have excellent nameplates, but most exhibit the typical paint loss. I don’t really mind, though, because it reveals the “true identity” of the material from which it is made.
Vibroplex pricing in the 1945 ad is fairly standard — the Lightning Bug standard was $13.95; the DeLuxe version was $4 more. The Original and Blue Racer standard models were priced at $15.95; the DeLuxe versions were $4 more. The Champion was the “loss leader” at $9.95 with no options. The carrying case with leather handle and key was $3.50 (I would like to order about 200, please!).
The ad copy is interesting to read, since each paragraph for each key highlights their “ease of use,” “responds to the lightest touch,” “easy to learn, easy to operate.” For a group of keys that all operate in pretty much the same manner, I don’t envy the copywriter who had to come up with something different for each keys selling point(s).
The ad arrived earlier this week; its an odd-sized page and I wanted to frame it cheaply. I bought an 8×10 frame, then found a “unversal picture mat” at the dollar store. I cut the mat to fit the size of the ad, then framed it. For the $2 I have in the frame, it looks pretty good!
I don’t expect to buy any code keys over the next couple of weeks, but I do plan to get on the air for Straight Key Night next weekend. It should be another great time on the air.