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Vintage Audio (record players, hi-fi etc) Amplifiers, speakers, gramophones and other audio equipment. |
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6th Dec 2021, 8:40 pm | #1 |
Triode
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK.
Posts: 48
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Age of records?
apart from an obvious date written on the center section, I notice other number codes sometimes with some letters infront , are they just manufacturer batch numbers or similar?
I've just got the wifes grandfathers record collection and some look really old, some have postal stamps on the centers..... some photos of them are attached. |
6th Dec 2021, 9:04 pm | #2 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Southwold, Suffolk, UK.
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Re: age of records
How long have you got? There are many tomes written about these seemingly obscure, arcane numbers etched into the surface of every record ever made. And those Postal Stamps are actually Tax Payment stamps. Start by seaching out RECORD MATRIX NUMBERS. There's far more to it than you may think!
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6th Dec 2021, 10:51 pm | #3 |
Rest in Peace
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Re: Age of records?
If you go to one of the record cataloguing sites like https://www.45worlds.com/78rpm/ and type in the catalogue number, unless it's an obscure record you are likely to get a reasonably reliable date straight off. Enter the number without any punctuation or spaces and omit the A/B side letter at the end if present.
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6th Dec 2021, 11:30 pm | #4 |
Triode
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK.
Posts: 48
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Re: Age of records?
I'll give both a looksy...tar muchly!
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6th Dec 2021, 11:42 pm | #5 |
Octode
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Manchester, UK.
Posts: 1,875
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Re: Age of records?
What a lot of music shops in a place the size of Halifax!
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7th Dec 2021, 12:04 am | #6 |
Heptode
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: High Wycombe, Bucks. UK.
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Re: Age of records?
Another site I use regularly: Discogs.com
You can type the artist, title or matrix number etc. into the search box and possibly find some information. The database has been built up and added to by thousands of members over the years, but it is by no means complete, especially for 78rpm records like yours. It's worth a try, though. Other sources of information are old printed record catalogues, if you can get hold of them. From the late 1950s, records usually had the date of publication printed on the label, often indicated by the letter P in a circle, followed by the year. By the time this happened, it was near the end of the 78rpm era, so unfortunately most 78's don't display a date. The covers can be quite fascinating too. Typically they have old adverts for the shops and the things they used to sell. I suspect yours are from the late 1920s or 1930s, judging by the look of them. The vast majority of those dealers are long gone now, but occasionally I've come across one that's still trading, like Currys bicycles and gramophones - "branches in most towns", now selling TVs and washing machines. |
7th Dec 2021, 7:17 am | #7 | |
Dekatron
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Re: Age of records?
Quote:
Andy.
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7th Dec 2021, 2:27 pm | #8 |
Dekatron
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Re: Age of records?
How did record shops display 78s? In the days of vinyl they often had just the case on display with the record itself held behind the counter. That wouldn't work with 78s because the cases don't show the record itself. Were the records held in racks? If so I wonder what percentage got broken.
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Paul |
7th Dec 2021, 2:55 pm | #9 | |
Dekatron
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Re: Age of records?
Quote:
But that's all speculation on my part, and I've love to know the real answer. |
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7th Dec 2021, 3:03 pm | #10 |
Dekatron
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Location: Kington, Herefordshire, UK.
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Re: Age of records?
There was some self service even in the 1930s - Humphrey Lyttelton recalled hitting the local record shop on the first Saturday of every month with his jazz-mad chums and getting under the feet of other customers as they sought out the new releases.
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7th Dec 2021, 5:31 pm | #11 |
Dekatron
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Re: Age of records?
As a small child in the fifties, circa 54/5, I can recall being in the Record shop on Princess Street [Bury]. I think we were after a particular 78? It was a very utilitarian place-no frills or bright colours just a lot of plywood. You did usually have to ask for what you wanted rather than looking through the stock which was kept behind the counter in wooden racks. The covers shown in the photos are of much older recordings. Although some later fifties records came with new "pop" paper covers, it was not unusual to be given the 78's in a plain brown paper bag-matching the decor! I'm guessing we were there because my Uncle George had a Butcher's shop a few doors away.
In 1966 I was working at a dry cleaners in Cheetham Hill Manchester, during the holidays [the long hot summer]. My "boss" was about 23 but not very "with" it for his age. He knew the chap who had a record shop near Victoria Station though. Did I want anything bringing back? Oh yes, the new Bob Dylan double LP please [with the now classic fold out, out of focus, Dylan photo on the cover!] He came back with just the two LP's in a brown paper bag. You're not bothered about the cover are you? He was a bit surprised by my reaction and dashed back to get it for me! Dave W Last edited by dave walsh; 7th Dec 2021 at 5:36 pm. |
8th Dec 2021, 1:28 am | #12 |
Triode
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK.
Posts: 48
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Re: Age of records?
just been trying a few out today, all bar 1 play fine (soft tone needles are louder than I thought they would be!) and been figuring out how many turns for playing 1 side on the 10 n 12's (35-45 it seems).
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8th Dec 2021, 10:19 am | #13 | |
Heptode
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Southport, Merseyside, UK.
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Re: Age of records?
Quote:
Also each record company would issue a thick catalogue with both current and many back catalogue items with the identifier number. If you wished,you could listen to a record in a booth, the record was played from behind the counter, loudspeaker in the booth. Back in the day in Southport, there James Smith, Wayfarers, in LordSt; Aldridges in Hoghton St and Allan Smith in Eastbank St.
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8th Dec 2021, 11:42 pm | #14 |
Octode
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Liss, Hampshire, UK.
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Re: Age of records?
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9th Dec 2021, 8:05 am | #15 |
Dekatron
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Re: Age of records?
Still intrigued to know what "tankards for piano's and gramophones" refers to, surely it can't be for a beer tankard. I looked up "tankard" in a few dictionary's, some, old editions, they all say "one handed drinking vessel" but I can't see respectable middle class folk scooping ale while Mother plays the latest show tune. Also if it is indeed for beer, how does a piano or gramophone tankard differ to an ordinary one? Soft felt coaster attached? But how does one put a tankard on a gramophone?
Any ideas welcome, Andy.
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9th Dec 2021, 8:18 am | #16 |
Rest in Peace
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Re: Age of records?
Surely the clue is the apostrophe: The shop that sold the record is called "Tankard's" presumably run by a Mr. Tankard.
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9th Dec 2021, 8:55 am | #17 |
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Re: Age of records?
Indeed. at the back of the stack is "ROBINSON'S".
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9th Dec 2021, 10:02 am | #18 |
Dekatron
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Re: Age of records?
Judging by the labels, I'd date those records at late '30s to early '50s.
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Regards, Ben. |