Are Edison Diamond Discs valuable?
Unfortunately, Edison records are hit-and-miss with respect to collector interest. Most seem to sell for $1 to $3 each, but there are some scattered among them that are more valuable. [Note: The last Edison discs were produced at the end of 1929.
What are the old thick records?
12 inch Albums (LP or Long Playing) These are thick, black vinyl record albums commonly known as LPs. LP stands for Long Play or Long Playing. Most of the time, LP plays at 33 1/3 rpm.
What is the value of a Edison?
First introduced by Thomas Edison in the 1870s, the typical cylinder is black or blue and about four inches long and two inches in diameter. Most of them are worth less than $5, but some can be worth a $100 or more. Cylinders that are brown, pink, green or orange, or bigger than two inches, can be worth up to $200.
What speed do Edison records play at?
They had a maximum playing time of about 3 minutes at 120 RPM, but around the turn of the century the standard speed was increased to (first 144) and then 160 RPM to improve clarity and volume, reducing the maximum to about 2 minutes and 15 seconds.
What are 78 records?
Any flat disc record, made between about 1898 and the late 1950s and playing at a speed around 78 revolutions per minute is called a “78” by collectors. The materials of which discs were made and with which they were coated were also various; shellac eventually became the commonest material.
Why are records called wax?
Wax records were called that because they were actually made of wax. The wax allowed the sound waves to be imprinted on the cylinder so they could then be played back on the same or another machine. The wax could then be shaved off and the cylinder could be used for a different recording.
Why are Edison records so thick?
Like cylinder records, the sound in a Diamond Disc’s groove was recorded by the vertical method, as variations in the depth of the groove cut. The vertical format demanded a perfectly flat surface for best results, so Edison made his Diamond Discs almost one-quarter of an inch (6 mm) thick.
What was the first record label made by Edison?
Edison Records. Edison Records was one of the earliest record labels which pioneered sound recording and reproduction and was an important player in the early recording industry. The first phonograph cylinders were manufactured in 1888, followed by Edison’s foundation of the Edison Phonograph Company in the same year.
When did Edison stop making records with cylinders?
Although Edison would continue to manufacture cylinders until going out of the record business, in late 1912 the “Diamond Disc” was introduced. Two sided, it could now hold much more audio on one disc.
Do Edison discs have different labels on each side?
It is not uncommon to encounter Edison discs that have different label styles on the two sides. The earliest labels had a frosted gray background with glossy black lettering, and two shields flanking the spindle hole bearing Edison’s photo and a conditions statement.
What is an Edison Diamond Disc?
Call them what you will — thick records, Edison records, Edison Re-Creations, most collectors refer to these as Edison Diamond Discs to distinguish them from Edison cylinder records. The Diamond Discs, which were engineered to run at 80 (not 78) rpm, should best be played on an Edison machine with an Edison reproducer and an Edison diamond stylus.