Busy Bee Two Sided 10 Inch 78 RPM Record #D39 Jotta Dance VERY RARE READ THIS
$
169
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Description
Collectors, here is an amazing Busy Bee two sided 78 rpm records, #D 39. One side is "Jotta Dance", played by a mandolin(?) and piano. Flip side is "Waltz of the Swallows", performed by an orchestra Very nice music, an enjoyable listen. The record plays well with little surface noise for a 1909 era record.
Busy Bee was one of the Chicago "premium" brand phonographs. The disc phonographs had a large lug on the turntable so only Busy Bee records would play on the phonograph. I suspect many owners sawed the lug off the turntable. The company was in business from 1906 to 1909, and bought master recordings from several different companies for release on the Busy Bee label.
A two sided Busy Bee record?? Well, Columbia shocked the industry in September 1908 by abandoning sixty cent one sided records and placing their entire popular record category on two sided records for sixty five cents. Victor reluctantly followed in October 1908 by placing a small portion of their popular catalog on two sided records for seventy five cents. I would think Busy Bee then followed Victor and Columbia, but the company wet out of business in 1909. So, not much time to produce and sell two sided records.
The much respected early record authority Allen Sutton, in his book "Directory of American Disc Record Brands and Manufacturers, 1891 -1943", writes on page 24: "All known Busy Bee discs are single-sided". Sorry, Mr. Sutton, I am looking at a two sided Busy Bee disc sitting on my desk by my laptop computer! So what is this?? A test copy?? Does the record number "D 39" suggest there are at least another 38 two sided Busy Bee records out there? I don't know, we may never know.
The three tiny lines of red print around the edge of the label are very interesting. They read: This record is sold by the manufacturer upon the condition that the record shall be used only for the reproduction of sound directly from the record. This record is sold for use on all non-mechanical feed device machines and upon all licensed Victor, Columbia and Zonophone machines, and all other machines licensed under U. S. patent No. 539,543 in replacement of any worn out or broken record thereof. Any other use of this record will be a violation of the conditions under which it is sold and an infringement.
Interesting stuff. Let's just agree this record is super rare! It could be the only two sided Busy Bee ten inch record to survive the last 110 years. Hard to place a value on this one, I have made an educated guess for the buy it now price, it could be worth FAR more than this. I probably should send this to Mr. Nauck for placement in one of his record auctions. But I will attempt to sell it through eBay, go for it!!
Shipping to USA addresses only. $9.00 priority mail postage and handling fee. See my store for more antique phonograph items and records, and thanks for looking.
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