Edison 4m "Special" records

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RefSeries
Victor I
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Re: Edison 4m "Special" records

Post by RefSeries »

Only the Specials A to K (no 'I') were available on both wax and blue Amberol, both in a distinctive light blue box. As has been posted, they were available to people who bought 2/4 minute combination sets, on both sides of the Atlantic. The Hebrew Specials M to W were only available on wax Amberol, and as far as I know were only sold in North America. The D Specials Nos.1-24 came in orange boxes and were offered as an incentive to people who brought customers for four minute phonographs to the store. This was only done in North America.

There were two minute Specials as well - A to G (I think) - and these were part of the sales package in the UK, where customers could choose both two and four minute cylinders for their bonus when buying a combination set. They have red lettering, and are taken from the main cylinder range.

Hope this helps

Keith

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shopdoc
Victor O
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Re: Edison 4m "Special" records

Post by shopdoc »

RefSeries wrote: Fri Dec 20, 2013 4:36 am Only the Specials A to K (no 'I') were available on both wax and blue Amberol, both in a distinctive light blue box. As has been posted, they were available to people who bought 2/4 minute combination sets, on both sides of the Atlantic. The Hebrew Specials M to W were only available on wax Amberol, and as far as I know were only sold in North America. The D Specials Nos.1-24 came in orange boxes and were offered as an incentive to people who brought customers for four minute phonographs to the store. This was only done in North America.

There were two minute Specials as well - A to G (I think) - and these were part of the sales package in the UK, where customers could choose both two and four minute cylinders for their bonus when buying a combination set. They have red lettering, and are taken from the main cylinder range.

Hope this helps

Keith
Silly question from a newbie... For the blue amberol specials, were the titles only available as specials? Does the cylinder itself say special? Or was it a special reissue of an existing title?

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epigramophone
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Re: Edison 4m "Special" records

Post by epigramophone »

The cylinder itself does have "Special" impressed on the rim, but without going through a complete Blue Amberol listing I could not say whether the "Special" titles were also available in the general series.

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estott
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Re: Edison 4m "Special" records

Post by estott »

epigramophone wrote: Sun Oct 26, 2025 1:37 pm The cylinder itself does have "Special" impressed on the rim, but without going through a complete Blue Amberol listing I could not say whether the "Special" titles were also available in the general series.
If it helps...I had "Father's Eccentricities" by Murray K Hill as a broken wax amberol marked special, & later found it as a regular amberol. (very funny record)

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shopdoc
Victor O
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Re: Edison 4m "Special" records

Post by shopdoc »

estott wrote: Sun Oct 26, 2025 2:40 pm
epigramophone wrote: Sun Oct 26, 2025 1:37 pm The cylinder itself does have "Special" impressed on the rim, but without going through a complete Blue Amberol listing I could not say whether the "Special" titles were also available in the general series.
If it helps...I had "Father's Eccentricities" by Murray K Hill as a broken wax amberol marked special, & later found it as a regular amberol. (very funny record)
Thank you!

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phonogfp
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Re: Edison 4m "Special" records

Post by phonogfp »

Here's one of the illustrations that appeared in an article on the Edison Combination Attachments and Special Records (APS magazine).

George P.
Amberols.JPG

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shopdoc
Victor O
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Re: Edison 4m "Special" records

Post by shopdoc »

phonogfp wrote: Sun Oct 26, 2025 9:18 pm Here's one of the illustrations that appeared in an article on the Edison Combination Attachments and Special Records (APS magazine).

George P.

Amberols.JPG
That is really cool. Thank you George.

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phonogfp
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Re: Edison 4m "Special" records

Post by phonogfp »

You're welcome.

George P.

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