Paramount Records 12952 PRE WAR BLUES 78 rpm TENDERFOOT EDWARDS edward thompson

$

449

TENDERFOOT EDWARDS (Edward Thompson)
"Up On The Hill Blues" b/w "When You Dream of Muddy Water"
Paramount Records 12952
78 rpm original
Barring inaccuracies of information found on the internet, there are 2 other known copies of this record and one of those has a chunk out of it. So here's a third, which is intact and rescued from a thrift store in South Carolina.
I generally don't sell records in this condition, but the extreme rarity of this record means it is collectible even in the "fair" condition I am applying (which may be generous). Going by the VJM grading system of "fair" meaning "most of music remains audible over surface noise, but listening now uncomfortable", I'd say that is somewhat accurate. If there is a grade between "fair" and "poor", then this copy might fall into that category... as "poor" is considered "unplayable" by the VJM scale. This record is playable.

I have included photographs which I feel accurately detail the numerous surface marks on this disc. The item was lit in a way to accentuate the flaws so that there is no question. I am also including a video below which has excerpts from both sides of the record. These excerpts represent what you will hear on the entirety of the disc. There are no skips which are unrepresented on those excerpts. I have only excerpted the songs because I feel that the privilege of hearing the tracks in their entirety belongs to the winner.
There are no cracks in the disc or chips on the disc, but it has clearly seen better days with the amount of wear.
Paramount Records of this vintage are notorious for their low sound quality to begin with, the scuffs certainly don't help. Still, this is such an important piece of history... finding it in any condition is incredible!
The disc as found was extremely dirty and was subsequently carefully cleaned with a very mild detergent, mixed with distilled water and a soft brush. There is the possibility that the disc can be cleaned and restored moreso, but I went as far with it as I was comfortable going to avoid any damage to the disc.
The sound clips were recorded on an audio technica 120 with a Grado 78 cartridge with some compression and EQ added. A higher end player/system will certainly reveal better sound than in these clips. 
Due to the rarity of this item any orders outside the US will need to have the double boxed record weighed before an invoice is to be sent and shipping will be done through registered mail. Please be aware that this is an expensive shipping service, but with an item this precious and fragile it will be required to safeguard against loss or damage. Orders within the United States will require insured shipping.

After discovering this gem I had posted a photo of it to a private collector's group on facebook. Someone reposted my photograph to reddit and as a result I have had several collectors contact me asking about selling it. As I feel it is in everyone's best interest (including my own) to let EVERYONE have a shot at winning this, I am going to state upfront that I will not end the auction early. Everyone deserves a chance.
With that said, I know this is a far from perfect copy but it's going to be a gem in someone's collection for sure and I want to see it go to a good home. If there are any questions feel free to contact me, I am happy to answer.


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Shipping note: Due to numerous postal problems I no longer ship to Italy or Brazil.