The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

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

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.

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)

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