[78-L] acoustic vanity

[Benno Häupl]

Are you sure that it would have been that expensive to have small run made? 

Hugo Strötbaum (www.recordingpioneers.com) found correspondence in Hayes between HMV head 
office and their agent in Cairo. IIRC, the letter was dated around 1908.  HMV at Hayes threatened 
Cairo to cancel the contract with their Egyptian representative. 

They were not prepared anymore to press less than 15 copies of any given record. In other words, 
before that time there were runs of less than 15 copies. Which explains why only about 10% (!) of 
the discs in the Egyptian HMV catalog have surfaced so far! 

Another example.   Richard Weize of Bear Family Records interviewed the product manager of the 
German M-G-M label at Electrola in Cologne. This man confirmed following fact. The three German 
issues of Hank Williams 78s were initially pressed in 5 (five!) copies, and when sold, another five 
were re-pressed, and finally a last batch of five.  All three German Hank Williams M-G-M's had a 
run of 15 copies total!  

So, couldn't a person have 15 copies pressed of a vanity record? 

Benno