Originally Posted by
Richard500
Nothing concrete, but I’d be surprised if a dealer or distributor would go to the expense of having a Bakelite molding like that done just for re-branding.
Here's the thing, though: the printed badge on the headstock is for the Victoria Banjo Club of Melbourne, Australia. It says "sole agents / Victor Star / quality instruments". Some digging revealed that the Victoria Banjo Club was established in 1932:
"During the height of its popularity from the 1930s to the late 1950s, the Club had a headquarters and music store in central Melbourne and boasted a membership numbering in the hundreds."
The club was revived in 2002. Their website shows old photos of auditoriums full of children wielding similar instruments to the one I picked up. Perhaps if this was a big enough concern, it might have been worth the Bakelite molding?
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