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What did cylinder records originally cost? Are there lists anywhere of what the early brown wax records cost? How about later with gold molded, amberols and royal purple amberols? It seems there is good information on what machines cost but I’ve never heard about what cylinder records cost. It would be interesting to know!

KCW wrote: Fri Aug 23, 2024 10:26 pm What did cylinder records originally cost? Are there lists anywhere of what the early brown wax records cost? How about later with gold molded, amberols and royal purple amberols? It seems there is good information on what machines cost but I’ve never heard about what cylinder records cost. It would be interesting to know!

This information is readily available. All you have to do is a little research :

It is an interesting question and not often discussed

In Britain a lot of trade journals show the retail and wholesale costs of cylinders.
the Edison boxes are printed in the license details on the box 2 min to be sold for not Less than 35 cents 4min Wax 50 cents.
Edison Bell were cheaper than Edison and the 1 shilling symbol was in the main label competing with a 1 shilling and sixpence for the Edison. Clarion I think advertised New tunes for Nine pence.
Brown wax were generally more expensive. Once molding came in the prices were quite competitive adjusted for UK inflation from £5 to £7.5 each today ( 2024 ) and this would be about $10 to $15 dollars using USA inflation
As the tracking of the 2 currencies is variable and in 1900 there were $4.80 to the pound I used two different inflation calculators.

Edison Standard £410 or $700 today adjusted to 2024

epigramophone wrote: Sat Aug 24, 2024 4:57 am

This information is readily available. All you have to do is a little research :

I suppose that's waht he did, by coming here.