Edison Diamond Discs sales by year

[marcapra]

Have you ever seen a chart showing Edison Diamond Disc record sales by year? On page 50 of the Collector's Guide to Edison Records by Copeland and Sherman, Monarch Record Enterprises, c.2012, there is a sales chart showing Diamond Disc sales by year from 1913 to 1929. The company started off well selling over one million records in 1914. By 1919 and 1920, Edison was selling over seven million records a year. Those two years were the Edison Co.'s best two years, in sales, not musically or sonically. No wonder there are so many etched label, noisy Diamond Discs for sale at every phonograph meet! After the 1923 year, sales started to fall from those heights. 1926 would be the last year that Edison sold over one million records. By 1929 Edison records sales had fallen to an estimated 165,000 records! No wonder they quit the record business then. But it's ironic that record sales were falling just as Edison records were at their best both sonically and esthetically.

[Marco Gilardetti]

That was interesting, thanks for sharing. From a European standpoint, those figures seem *way* exaggerated. I never figured that what appears today to be a niche, almost forgotten technology could sell in such numbers. But I'm wrong, of course.

Should those be the actual sales figures, one may argue that the market had been rapidly saturated. Sales began to fall because all of the potential market had been quickly reached and penetrated. And, judging by those figures, it hasn't been a failure, but actually an amazing success for a product that was many times thicker and cumbersome and also made incompatible with everything else.

[Talkophone]

There was this thing Called "Radio" that made the demise of 78 RPM & Edison DD.

Larry

[Victrolacollector]

Have you ever seen a chart showing Edison Diamond Disc record sales by year? On page 50 of the Collector's Guide to Edison Records by Copeland and Sherman, Monarch Record Enterprises, c.2012, there is a sales chart showing Diamond Disc sales by year from 1913 to 1929. The company started off well selling over one million records in 1914. By 1919 and 1920, Edison was selling over seven million records a year. Those two years were the Edison Co.'s best two years, in sales, not musically or sonically. No wonder there are so many etched label, noisy Diamond Discs for sale at every phonograph meet! After the 1923 year, sales started to fall from those heights. 1926 would be the last year that Edison sold over one million records. By 1929 Edison records sales had fallen to an estimated 165,000 records! No wonder they quit the record business then. But it's ironic that record sales were falling just as Edison records were at their best both sonically and esthetically.

When you think about it 165,000 records in 1929 is not very many. Now suppose only half of those survived, say, 80,000 records. That is why they can command such high prices. The odds of finding a sought after title from that year, are very slim. By 1929, that would be some of their best selections.

[Lenoirstreetguy]

Record sales in general were astronomical in the years before 1923. Even the Blue Amberol sales were quite respectable before 1921. Victor, always the leader, sold almost 55 million discs in 1921. The recession of 1921-22 and of course radio were the two factors that ended the post WW I phonograph and record bonanza. Columbia went bankrupt and a great many of the piano and furniture companies that had taken a quick flyer at phonograph production in the late teens called it a day and stopped production. I think one of the biggest reasons that the Diamond Disc sales went into a tailspin was their high price. Ray Wile's Edison Discography 1926-1929 quotes a Phonograph Division internal memo which touches on this. It makes the point that a dollar is bit high to pay for ephemeral dance hits that were played continually on the radio, or available on the budget labels for fifty cents or less. For example the Canadian Domino records sold by the Metropolitan Stores chain were 35 cents at the most and featured all the hits from the Plaza masters.
Jim

[marcapra]

Excellent comments and analysis Jim! I think Edison held out through 1930 mainly because of his pride in his brand and that it was his favorite invention. His son Charles made a valiant attempt to make take the brand up to late 20s developments with the 1928-1930 Edison radios and radio/phonographs, as well as Edison needle cut records. But with the big stock market crash it became impossible. As a collector of late Edison musical products, I'm just glad he did!