[78-L] Did The English Take Better Care Of Their Records?

[Steven C. Barr]

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From: "David Lennick" <dlennick at sympatico.ca>
> A lot of them were probably imported to North America because the 
> originals were long out of print. I turn up nice HMVs and Parlophones in 
> radio station collection and at jazz conventions. Of course the ones you 
> really want to get are the Australian laminated pressings, which are 
> extraordinary..even of run-of-the-mill 12" Deccas like the Paul Whitemans.
>
Keep in mind that records were comparatively MORE expensive (in terms of
percentage of typical income) than they were in North America!

In 1933, after ARC dropped the price of its cheapest labels to 25 centsw
(and Sears sold its cheapest records for about 19 cents each!), many
people were making $1/day...or LESS! That means a pop record cost
at least 1/5 of the buyer's income (up to two day's income for a
classical record?!).

I don't have the requisite figures for the UK at that time...but I would
guess a record cost MORE in terms of the average income?

Steven C. Barr