The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Django --- PM sent!

Recording only - UNLESS Black Patti, Black Swan, Paramount labels or Picture discs or multi-color swirl discs of any kind - Aeolian-Vocalion, Morrison, Brunswick, etc.

I honestly feel like the recording is more important than the label unless it is an Edison and you only own a Victor machine or something or it is from a label that you have never heard of or a super rare label.

The first Black Swan record I found I bought for the label edisonplayer

If I decide to keep any of these three, it will be primarily for the label. I brought this thread back because I had come across these records and felt that they may have historical or rarity value. I have been trying to determine an approximate value, but I have only found record of one sale, and that record was listed as being in excellent condition and the sale was in 2012, (these are in fair to good condition, and I will not try to play them). I had wrongly thought that that the one where the dog first appeared, (previous post), was the most valuable, but I was wrong.

I am more interested in the music than the label (mostly jazz and dance), although unusual labels have fallen into my hands occasionally by chance. Like this one, Reviera: All I can discover about it is that it (and others, if there were any) was recorded & manufactured by Metropole/Piccadilly and that the recording dates from about September 1931.
The reverse side is 'A Blackbird's Song' by the same artiste, Madge Varcoe. It is thought to be a solitary issue.
Varcoe is, of course, a Cornish name. Apart from her recording, it is believed that she also broadcast. A sister of hers was also a noted vocalist but, sadly, all the siblings died young, seemingly from TB. The Varcoe family did Ladies’ Fashions and haberdashery, the shop was opposite the Plaza Cinema in St Austell.

This label was discussed in the CLPGS magazine, issues 45 and 46, Spring and Summer 2013.
The consensus was that R.1 was the only record issued, and confirmed that it was a product of Metropole Industries Ltd.
By September 1931 the Metropole label had been discontinued, but the cheaper Piccadilly struggled on until 1932.

I always hesitate to use the term record collector since I don’t collect records, I collect the music I like. It happens to be on records. I rarely look at the label if it is a title I like. The only reason I look at the label is to see if it is a quality recording company or if it might be a little iffy or noisy. I’ve been doing this since I was 8, 60 some years ago so there are a “few” records in the house. But - I’m not a record collector.

I have to add one more criteria that I apply to "most" records - the timeframe. I normally don't like WWI era records (exceptions: National Aires/Stars and Stripes Forever Aeolian-Vocalion swirl discs) or earlier recordings. My preference is typically early twenties to early thirties, with some exceptions, but that's just me.