[78-L] Record Stores

[Steven C. Barr]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Michael Biel" <mbiel at mbiel.com>
> When  I get started on the project (after this one is over)  I'll want
> to look at the company paperwork Geoffrey mentions.  There are also a
> lot of details about the early exclusive distributorships and franchises
> in Edison and Victor dealer publications, and as Steve Barr noted  Gray
> Gull had an interesting distributing situation, and this has been well
> researched and documented by Donna Halper.  All of the early independent
> labels have stories to add to the history.  I'm going to look thru these
> listings of dealers, the American Record Guide's listings and ads, trade
> press, newspaper ads, and phone & business directories.  As I mentioned,
> the story is there in the original documentation and publications.  Most
> of the vinyl-era writers are not delving back thru these sources and
> spread folk tales.  I'll also want store photos -- I'm already using a
> bunch in the pre-Steinweiss project.  But hold off on this now till the
> Summer, unless you have some photos of stores displaying illustrated
> album covers before April 1940.  I already have some, but could use
> more.  (Since I'm home and not limited by web mail box size, scans are
> welcome.)
>
> And those of you in other countries, you could also embark on a project
> concerning the stores in your countries.  And here in the states and
> Canada, researching the individual cities you live in would also be a
> good project because you have access to our own newspapers and phone
> books.
>
There is/was a famous legal battle in Canada about record dealing. It came
about because a Compo-franchised dealer somehow obtained and sold copies
of the Columbia "Two Black Crows" record(s?); Compo immediately tried to
end his franchise, and the dealer took Compo into the courts, where they
were found to be "in restraint of trade" and thus outside the law.

However, that didn't seem to result immediately in bunches of multi-label
record stores...?!

I've e-mailed "George's;" their web site suggests they deal in used, not 
new,
records. I think "used record stores" probably go back as far as do 
phonograph
records; there were always folks with records who were either "tired of 
them"
or otherwise no longer wanted them...as well as folks whose copies of
favourite discs were wearing/worn out and who thus needed/wanted
replacement copies...?!

Steven C. Barr