RHYTHM MANIACS (AL BOWLLY) IF ANYTHING HAPPENED TO YOU

	£		52
	$		69

THE RHYTHM MANIACS.

A PSEUDONYM USED BY DECCA FOR MORE THAN ONE BAND,USUALLY ARTHUR LALLY,BUT ON THIS OCCASION, I AM LED TO BELIEVE, FROM OTHER WEBSITES THAT THIS IS ROY FOX AND HIS BAND WITH VOCALS BY AL BOWLLY.

IF ANYTHING HAPPENED TO YOU / IN LONDON ON A NIGHT LIKE THIS.

DECCA F3086 (1932) 78rpm.

RECORD CONDITION:- EX+. HARDLY A MARK ON IT.  PLAYS SUPERBLY WELL WITH NO JUMPS OR STICKS.

SUPPLIED IN A J. LEEK, BULL RING,BIRMINGHAM, SHOP CARD SLEEVE.

I AM OFTEN ASKED WHY I LIST THESE VERY COLLECTABLE 78s AT SUCH A LOW START PRICE WHEN I LIST 50s POP 78s AT HIGHER PRICES. WELL THE TRUTHFUL ANSWER IS THAT I BELIEVE THESE RECORDS SHOULD FIND THEIR OWN TRUE LEVEL. AFTER ALL, THE MARKET FOR 50s POP 78s IS DOMINATED BY JUST A FEW MONEY GRABBING DEALERS, WHO THINK THAT THOSE 78s ARE COLLECTABLE WHEN THEY ARE NOT. THEREFORE I PRICE MY 50s STUFF A BIT BELOW THEIRS TO PROVE A POINT, EVEN IF IT MEANS THEY ARE DEARER THAN MY QUALITY EARLY STUFF. THE EARLY STUFF NEEDS TO REACH A WIDER AUDIENCE, SO I PRICE LOW. THERE IS ENOUGH 50s STUFF TO 'FILL' A GRAVEYARD, (FORGIVE THE PUN) BUT THESE CLASSICS ARE GETTING REALLY HARD TO FIND AND I BELIEVE THEY SHOULD GO TO A GOOD HOME WHERE THEY WILL BE APPRECIATED.

JUST A BRIEF WORD ABOUT POST AND PACKING CHARGES.

OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS, I HAVE TO A CERTAIN EXTENT, BEEN SUBSIDISING THE COST OF SENDING 78s. OK, IN A FEW CASES, I MAY MAKE AROUND 2p PROFIT, BUT IN THE MAJORITY OF CASES I AM LOSING MONEY TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT I CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO DO SO.

REMEMBER THAT THE OLDER THICKER 78s WEIGH A LOT MORE THAN THE FLIMSY DECCA/BRUNSWICK/ LONDON ITEMS AND THAT THE REGAL & COLUMBIA LAMINATED RECORDS ARE FAR HEAVIER.

FOR THIS REASON, SOME OF MY CHARGES HAVE RISEN, EVEN THOUGH IN MANY CASES I AM STILL LOSING MONEY.

IN THE PRESENT ECONOMIC SITUATION, MANY ITEMS ARE SELLING FOR A PITTANCE, AND THE COST OF SENDING THEM DOES NOT COVER MY EXPENSES.

COUPLED TO THIS, THE PEOPLE AT EBAY HAVE BROUGHT IN NEW MAXIMUM POSTAL CHARGES THAT DO NOT REFLECT THE ACTUAL COST OF SENDING ITEMS.

AS A PRIVATE SELLER, I DO NOT HAVE PREMISES BIG ENOUGH TO STORE PACKAGING MATERIALS IN BULK.

EVERY CRUCIFORM BOX COSTS ME AROUND 46p. EVERY PACKING SQUARE COSTS ME 9p. THEN THERE IS THE COST OF BUBBLE WRAP, VINYL TAPE, MARKER PENS, INK JET CARTRIDGES TO PRINT THE PACKING SLIP, THE PAPER THEY ARE PRINTED ON.... THE LIST GOES ON.

I AM KEEPING MY CHARGES AS LOW AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT CUTTING THE QUALITY OF MY PACKAGING.

I STILL HAVE A FAR LOWER POSTAL RATE THAN MANY OTHER SELLERS AND I USE THE BEST QUALITY MATERIALS AND I STILL LOSE MONEY ON MANY SALES AS A RESULT.

OK!! I'VE HAD MY RANT FOR NOW. SORRY IF SOME OF MY CHARGES HAVE GONE UP.

THINGS ALREADY ADVERTISED WILL STAY AT THE POSTAL RATE SHOWN.

AS AN EXAMPLE, I SENT ONE 78 TO THE USA AND CHARGED £7.50 P&P. THE ACTUAL POSTAL FEE WAS OVER £8 WITHOUT THE COST OF MATERIALS.

SORRY TO GO ON, BUT THE POWERS TO BE AT EBAY HAVE NOT GOT A CLUE AS TO WHAT THESE THINGS REALLY COST.

I WOULD MUCH PREFER BIDDERS TO COLLECT 78s IN PERSON, BUT AM WILLING TO POST AT BUYERS RISK. 99% OF RECORDS I SEND BY ROYAL MAIL ARRIVE IN ONE PIECE, ALTHOUGH THERE IS A RISK ELEMENT ON 78s SENT TO NN OR WD UK POSTCODE AREAS OR TO ITALY AND FRANCE WHERE THE SURVIVAL RATE IS LESS THAN 90%.

BUYERS IN FRANCE AND ITALY, CONTACT ME BEFORE BIDDING TO CONFIRM THAT YOU ACCEPT THAT 78s ARE SENT AT BUYERS RISK, OTHERWISE YOUR BIDS WILL BE CANCELLED. THIS IS BECAUSE OF THE HIGH AMOUNT OF RECORDS DAMAGED BY THE POSTAL AUTHORITIES IN THOSE COUNTRIES.

AS YOU WILL NOTE FROM MY FEEDBACK, I DO PACK 78s VERY SECURELY, IN FACT ONE BUYER EVEN SAID THAT MY PACKING WAS THE BEST THEY HAD EVER SEEN ON EBAY.