Key: Vibroplex Champion
Serial: 219430
Vintage: 1961
Acquired: March 25, 2026
Plate: D6 | 833 Broadway N.Y. | Patented
Base: Gray Crackle
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Review
Introduced around the same time (1939) as the Zephyr, the Champion boasts the same assembled frame, damper, and flat pendulum rod mounted on top of a 3-1/2″-wide base. The second of two distinctions between these two keys is that the Champion lacks a circuit closer.
The Champion was introduced as a more affordable bug at just $9.95 at the time. It was cheaper than the Zephyr by a few dollars. Being the cheapest of the Vibroplex models, the Champion is quite common. Given the limited variations of the model, they’re somewhat unremarkable. Once the Vibroplex Company moved to Maine, the Champion was discontinued, but not before a few devices were produced in the beige finished base color. Rumor has it that there might also be a brown base floating around somewhere, possibly.
Collectible Champions would include the 1939 oddity which included a “pinned” dash lever instead of the “improved” version. The late-model Maine versions with the beige or brown bases might be a good collector’s item due to their limited production quantities.
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