About to start digging into a large pile of 12" shellac...

[Dischoard]

Often when I come upon 12" shellac it's opera, classical, or showtunes, anyone out there collect mainly the 12" variety? I wonder, as I dig into this endless pile of Columbias and Victors, anything I should be keeping my eye out for? One thing I did find was Victor's A Symposium Of Swing, great collection on 12" 78 rpm. Hoping to find some more!

[gramophone-georg]

Often when I come upon 12" shellac it's opera, classical, or showtunes, anyone out there collect mainly the 12" variety? I wonder, as I dig into this endless pile of Columbias and Victors, anything I should be keeping my eye out for? One thing I did find was Victor's A Symposium Of Swing, great collection on 12" 78 rpm. Hoping to find some more!

That's a great set that usually commands an eye- watering premium. Extra points if it's the original Victor (nor "RCAVictor") Swing Classic pressing with GOLD print. Decca put out a similar 12" set called "Five Feet Of Swing".

The 12" Concert series discs put out in the 1920s by Victor with Paul Whiteman are common but well worth collecting. The Columbia Potato Head ones are out there but require a little more digging. For some reason, most of the really nice 12" concert series records from all labels (Whiteman aside) seemed to be issued during the late 1929-34 era- the deep Depression. They were expensive and did not sell. Look for issues by Red Nichols, Warren Mills, Duke Ellington, Abe Lyman, Guy Lombardo, Anson Weeks, Victor Young, Casa Loma, George Olsen, and others. Then, once in awhile you'll run across some early 20s 12" "Medleys", like Ben Selvin on red Vocalion or a really rare 12" Gennett. Most of the Gennett 12" were ethnic series but I have seen jazz ones.

A lot of these were issued but relatively few exist, it seems. Either that or they are all in the hands of hoarders like me.

[VanEpsFan1914]

I absolutely adore the 12" Victor Light Opera Company recordings from the 1910s and 1920s, but will pick up later discs too. Those records don't seem that valuable but they are a great way to hear the beginnings of Broadway.

Classical music on 78s is a treat, especially acoustic instrumentals and pre-1930 electrics. Very tough to find where I'm at; when I was living in Connecticut I bought a huge crate of 12" records and a 1928 walnut Panatrope to play them more conveniently. I have a decent pile of 12" classical here. It's nice to hear this stuff from back when classical was a lot more popular.

I would love to spend some time & spin some records digging through a big pile of 12" 78s--

[gramophoneshane]

I totally agree with what both George and Charles have said previously.
There are some spectacular jazz and big band recordings on 12" discs, and the Victor Light Opera co must have recorded medleys of show tunes from just about every stage production there was over at least a 20 yr period.
I have literally dozens of their recordings and think they're amazing.

I've also found some fantastic comedy material on 12" discs, and there's also some great mixed artists recordings made by some of the larger record labels to show case the talented and popular artists they had under contract.
Victor's "A Minstrel Show", and "Columbia on Parade" come to mind, but there are many more that are well worth adding to a collection.

A Minstrel Show pt.1
https://youtu.be/EMaC0UEIS7g

Columbia On Parade (No.2) pt.1
https://youtu.be/0SaSqrcZyAQ

I think the biggest mistake any record collector can make is bypassing 12" discs thinking it's all boring classical and opera recordings

[drh]

...
I think the biggest mistake any record collector can make is bypassing 12" discs thinking it's all boring classical and opera recordings

Especially since classical and opera are not boring!

Well, OK, some of the ubiquitous Kostelanetz and His Orchestra stuff isn't exactly breathtaking, I'll grant.

But then, I dare say not every run-of-the-mill off-label dance ditty is a winner, either--unless, of course, it's on Edison Bell....

[drh]

I absolutely adore the 12" Victor Light Opera Company recordings from the 1910s and 1920s, but will pick up later discs too. Those records don't seem that valuable but they are a great way to hear the beginnings of Broadway.

Classical music on 78s is a treat, especially acoustic instrumentals and pre-1930 electrics. Very tough to find where I'm at; when I was living in Connecticut I bought a huge crate of 12" records and a 1928 walnut Panatrope to play them more conveniently. I have a decent pile of 12" classical here. It's nice to hear this stuff from back when classical was a lot more popular.

I would love to spend some time & spin some records digging through a big pile of 12" 78s--

Hiding under the "Victor Light Opera Company" moniker were some highly accomplished names who made fine records in their own right on the more elevated label series, blue and sometimes even red label--people like Lucy Isabelle Marsh, Reinald Werrenrath, Elsie Baker, etc., etc. The same is true of the "Victor [not Light] Opera Company." A quick look at the DAHR will usually reveal their identities. Often, Victor would issue a popular selection in more than one take under the same number, and the "VLOC" personnel would vary slightly from one to the next.

[drh]

Often when I come upon 12" shellac it's opera, classical, or showtunes, anyone out there collect mainly the 12" variety? I wonder, as I dig into this endless pile of Columbias and Victors, anything I should be keeping my eye out for? One thing I did find was Victor's A Symposium Of Swing, great collection on 12" 78 rpm. Hoping to find some more!

Electric 12" Brunswicks are usually interesting. Most are from European, primarily German Polydor, masters not otherwise released in the United States, often with artists, particularly opera singers, who did not appear in US catalogues. The domestic recordings are also interesting, because they offer ensembles ignored by Columbia and Victor, like the Cleveland Orchestra under Sokoloff, and singers who were active outside New York, especially in Chicago. Much the same story for US Decca, which drew on Odeon/Parlophone for much of its classical catalogue. Acoustic Brunswick had some celebrated artists like Leopold Godowsky and Josef Hofmann and, again, singers not heard on record otherwise. Acoustic Vocalion likewise, again with a focus on singers from Chicago.

[edisonplayer]

I know of someone who's looking for the electric remake on Victor scroll of "Casey At The Bat".He bought it on Ebay from a seller who didn't know how to pack 78s.Sad to say,when he got the record it was broken in half.Perhaps you or some other Forum member could help him?edisonplayer.

[Dischoard]

I'll keep an eye out but so far only 3 or 4 Victor scrolls... PLENTY of Columbia blue labels and Masterworks...

[VanEpsFan1914]

I'll keep an eye out but so far only 3 or 4 Victor scrolls... PLENTY of Columbia blue labels and Masterworks...

I got lucky & a few years ago ended up with 2 out of 3 discs for a Chopin sonata on 12" blue label Masterworks from the 1920s. It looks like the early Columbia electric labels.
Sound quality is excellent.