[78-L] my first Monarch (Early Sleeves?)

[Michael Biel]

neechevoneeznayou at gmail.com wrote:
> So if I understand the bidness model, in those early days, would 
> Columbia and Victor records be sold in the same store? Or only thru an 
> authorized outlet, along with the machines to play them on, without the 
> disadvantage of competition?
>
> joe salerno
>
>   

All of the above.  The major labels, Victor, Columbia, and Edison, sold 
thru franchised dealers which also sold the phonographs.  Not allof the 
franchises were exclusive, meaning some of the stores could possibly be 
franchised by two of the labels.  Some of the stores had area 
exclusivity and others might have a competitor across town.  All this 
was governed by price controls so customers would be greeted by the same 
prices in each store.  These controls and franchise agreements started 
to break down as the patents expired in the late teens, but Victor 
started screwing up price controls when they let dealers sell off single 
sided Red Seals cheap when they were doubled, and then selling off the 
regular acoustical players when the Orthophonnic was about to be released. 
> Steven C. Barr wrote:
>   
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: <bruce78rpm at comcast.net>
>>     
>>> That is interesting, I can never recall seeing either Berliners or early 
>>> Victors, Monarchs or Columbias in anyone's collection in an original 
>>> sleeve of any kind. I wonder how these records were original sold. It is 
>>> hard to believe that they just handed you the record without a protective 
>>> sleeve . Does anyone have the answer?
>>>
>>>       
>> Record stores also used special "bags" for records (which sometimes 
>> advertised the products
>> oda specific label!). These bags were large enough to hold several 10" 78's, 
>> and had discs
>> at their tops which allowed a string (mounted on the bag) to be wrapped 
>> around them,
>> thus holding them shut!
>>
>> Steven C. Barr 

While this is true, it doesn't answer what happened before around 1906 
when we know that printed sleeves exist, because every printed outer bag 
that is known, comes from the post 1906 era.  The question also is how 
did stores package ANYTHING that you have purchased in those days??  I 
see quaint early movie scenes where people are carrying string-tied 
bundles.  It could be that even record stores had large rolls of paper 
and they would fold the paper around the purchases and tie them in 
string.  Perhaps they didn't use pre-made paper bags that early at all. 

And that is how they were still selling records in Russia when I was 
there in the 1990s!  You made your selection and waited on line for the 
clerk who would add up the total on a slip of paper which you would take 
to another line to the cash register where you would give them the slip 
and the cash, they would then put a checkmark on the slip, give it to 
you with your change, and then you would go beck to the line by the 
clerk where you would give them the slip back and get a package with the 
records wrapped in paper tied with twine.  All Soviets and Russians 
carry empty plastic, cloth, or mesh shopping bags with them.  If you 
don't have a bag with you, you buy them from street vendors.  (And in 
1995 at least, a lot of those bags had large pictures of nude women on 
them.  I thought it was neat to see ten year old kids carrying those bags.)

Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com