Really Old Vinyl Records - Know Anything?

Nightfall

I stopped at a thrift store today and browsed their records. Most of it was garbage but they did have a "set" of Bing Crosby records. They were in what looked like a photo album from the outside, inside was paper pages with the centers cut out. Each record had one song per side and there were 7 records inside the "album". They were what looked like somewhere around 10" in diameter. The grooves were very visibly wide.

I didn't grab it, but I am thinking after I get paid again I might. Does anybody know anything about something like this? Is it something worth grabbing or no?

cnh

Sounds like you might have some 78s? Have you tried to play them at LP or 45 rates, that should confirm that they're not playing at the right speed if they are 78s-some were 10" in diameter, but I think there were also 10" LPs-maybe the vinyl aficionados can step in here?

Oh, sorry, you didn't get them. If they are 78s they may be "collectible"?

Nightfall

cnh wrote: »

Sounds like you might have some 78s? Have you tried to play them at LP or 45 rates, that should confirm that they're not playing at the right speed if they are 78s-some were 10" in diameter, but I think there were also 10" LPs-maybe the vinyl aficionados can step in here?

Oh, sorry, you didn't get them. If they are 78s they may be "collectible"?

I would love to own some old Bing Crosby. My turntable only does 33/45 though, if they are 78's like you say. It would be cool to be able to listen to them. Less cool to just look at them.

Nightfall

So did some more reading. I should have titled the thread "shellac" instead of "vinyl".

mhardy6647

The limitations of 78 rpm necessitated multi-record sets. Over the years, there were both 10" and 12" 78s packaged as described in the original post.

Now you know where the term "record album" comes from! :- )



By the way, the discs probably are not vinyl :-P and as such they're not "unbreakable".