12" Edison Sample Record-Diamond Disc No. 12 (from 1926)
$
178
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Description
Thanks to my collector-friends Glen Gurwit and Kirk Bauer, I have the following brief explanation of Edison Diamond Disc Sample Records:
Edison issued 13 different sample records (12-inch, 80rpm, 5 tracks per side) during 1925 and 1926. Each track is announced and is about 90 seconds long. The first four issues are all but impossible to find, while #5 through #8 can be found with some luck. The remaining issues (#9 through #13) are the ones which turn up, albeit seldom. There was also one single 12-inch LP sample record issued, and it does not have the visibly-separated tracks. The sample discs were meant to be used by jobbers as they visited the Edison dealers and wanted to provide an audible sample of the newest releases (for taking orders) without having to carry all the heavy discs with them. Each sample disc was "in circulation" for about a month and then was supposed to be returned to the factory in exchange for the next sample record in the series. Toward the end of the run (late 1926) it appears that a lot of the jobbers stopped returning their used Sample Records to the factory, which is the best guess as to why they show up more than the earlier numbers. It is odd that the five tracks per side simply come to an abrupt end when the allotted time for each track has expired, sometimes right in the middle of a vocal or musical phrase. Not much editing; purely functional. The record (Sample Record #12) being offered is 12" in diameter and plays just as any standard 10-inch Diamond Disc would: same stylus, same speed. The sample selections are shown on the labels of the photos that I have provided, and are probably from late 1926. It is in excellent (E) condition.
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