Thanks for this interesting overview! It’s fun to see the gray-blue shellac against those labels. I’ve got a couple gray-blue ARC records (Brunswick and Vocalion), but I’m also fortunate to have a true Royal Blue Banner record (Joe Haymes). It’s the same bright blue as Columbia. Looks stunning with that blue Banner label. Thanks for all your work putting these videos together for us 78 enthusiasts!

It's quite a good video, although I wish you would've shown at least one of these in your hand, as the shellac's dark blue turns to dusty grey when on the scans. Stuff Smith is amazing, yes. A fellow connoisseur of late hot jazz, and great early swing!

Problem is...Columbia Royal Blue records are not made from a blue material! If you look closely at the edge (a magnifying glass and good light help), you'll see that the record is actually black. The blue comes from what must be an ultra-thin disc of unknown material on each side. Many times the blue disc isn't quite as large as the record itself, and you can see some of the black peeping through on the outer rim. I have found this to be true with both Connecticut and California pressings.

It's been my experience over the past 60 + years is that the Royal Blue records as noted above was a fine wash over a Black shellac disc by doing the the records wore quite easily and more subject to lam cracks. I have also had some late 30's Tommy Dorsey radio shows pressed by Radio Records that were pressed on 12" discs (three in a set) that were Blue Wax from 1937

Heard of these. Super interesting.

I have a 1936 Perfect purple label of "Us On a Bus" by Rudy Vallee that is pressed in a dull purple laminate.

I have never heard of these in my life, very interesting. Which also makes me wonder what's that abstract vocalion record in the intro ?😅

I have a few Columbia royal blue discs, but I haven’t heard of these others before. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Please keep the videos coming. How about some book recommendations? I can only squint so hard to see what is on your shelves.😄

COLUMBIA records from around 1905 into the 50s were laminated. Most other firms put a donut sised mass of shellack on the press between the labels, that was called a biscuit, colubia laminated three disk together. The outer 2 were thin disks of fin3 shallak, the center a preformed corse material. (Around 1910-1915 era somitimes this had a thin parcment paper wrapping) On KZfaq there is a 15 minute silent Columbia promotional film, where thus can be seen. Sine ut shows microphone electrical recording likely 1925-28) Ive encounted a few sealed uplayed records from teen decade, and when new almost vynel silent. Unfortunatly with playing with heavy pickups most have high noise.

I remember baby please don’t go by big joe Williams on the bluebird label

Were these discs laminated, like the Columbias, or just plain solid shellac?

I am not specifically collecting 78 rpm , but over the years, I have purchased many and been given many. So, at this point, have a couple of hundred 78s . What is the best source for finding good quality products?

hi, what is the diameter of this records presnted here?