Repro Labels on New Repro BA Box/tubes

[nefaurora]

I just picked up about (60) of new "Repro" Orange Edison Blue Amberol boxes at $4.20 a piece. All I can say is that I am very impressed with the quality of the repro boxes...and I don't impress easy. Whomever is doing them, is doing a great job. They were much better than I expected. As we all know, The original Edison 2M "Gold Moulded" boxes are out there and plentliful because the boxes were made real well, -made even better than the wax cylinders in my humble opinion- that is why they are plentiful and have a very high survivial rate. On the other hand, The case of the 4M Blue Amberols is just the exact opposite.. Edison put so much money in the production of Blue Amberols (BA's) that he cheesed out heavily on the production of the cylinder box tubes. Most of the Orange Blue Amberol boxes have not survived..and most of those that have survived are dirty and dingy looking. Clean Original ones are hard to come by..but are out there if you look hard enough..

At any rate, I bought (60) of these Repro BA Orange Boxes with labels. The boxes comes with the original type looking "Blue Amberol" label ring, but they are blank in the middle as expected. Yes, you can write on the labels with a dark pencil in script for a somewhat "period" looking label, but I would like to go one further and scan the labels into MS Word and use the fonts from MS Word to create a template to create a more "original" looking label with Label Number and Song Title than rather just writing on the blank center in pencil. Is anyone interested here in me pursuing this project?

Please let me know your thoughts here.. as I will give it a try.

Thanks,

Tony K.

[matty]

The repro orange boxes are probably the ones APSCO sell for $4.00. I've always wondered which of the 5 orange labels they reproduced, but I assume it's one of the last 3 labels because of the brown one-piece lid used.

Reproducing the lid labels is a great idea & well worth persuing but it's a mammoth task. A collector friend of mine here in Australia has been doing just that, and in the last 2 or so years he has managed to copy about 80% of the BA lids so far. I'm not sure what he & his collector friends intend doing once the "set" is complete, but I assume they'll become available to those who helped complete the collection, and may even become available to buy through one of our phonograph societies, but I doubt they'll be published online.

[nefaurora]

I got mine at Apsco for first 20 boxes..but they are $4.95 per box now as the price as gone up at Apsco...So I did a 2nd order at Shenandoah Restorations and they are selling them at $4.20 a box with bigger box selections as well. The BA boxes being reproed are 1917 Orange and Blue Boxes.. They are the ones with no picture of Edison on the box unlike the other earlier Orange BA ones always have a picture of Edison on them. Quality of them is better than expected..Really nice. I highly recommend them.

As for your friend in Austrailia, It sounds like the makings of a nice label book with usable labels. He should really pursue it. I remember awhile back someone did one for the Diamond Disc labels... I believe it was private publishing that can still be found at most phonograph shows once and awhile...which is another opportunity to create a mainstream book in that area for labels as well. I know the authors really would not want people to cut up their books for usable labels, but just think of how many books that theu would sell!! Definately a market for this stuff. The phonograph hobby is really taking pf recently. More stuff is becoming availble everyday as far as books and some "lost" info.. Nothing but positive.. Better for us!


Tony K.

[matty]

Mar 20, 2012 14:13:08 GMT -5 nefaurora said:

The BA boxes being reproed are 1917 Orange and Blue Boxes.. They are the ones with no picture of Edison on the box unlike the other earlier Orange BA ones always have a picture of Edison on them.

The orange boxes were introduced in 1917, and the first 3 variations all had Edisons picture on them. The last of these dates from 1923 when Edison reduced the price from 60c to 35c.
The first orange box that did not include Edisons picture seems to have appeared some time in 1924.

[nefaurora]

Interesting. I have a couple different variation Orange and Blue BA boxes. The one that I have with no picture has a 1917 Patent date..and is identical to the repros. Interesting that you say that it did not appear until 1923/1924, but I believe it. One has to wonder why they removed Edison's picture... I've always wondered. I mean that they could have just used the previous Orange and Blue BA boxes with his picture on it. The earlier box was almost identical with the picture. Why change it? I guess that we'll never know....Maybe an answer will surface someday.. Who knows..

Tony K.

[matty]

This is the order the BA boxes were released AFAIK. Im guessing yours must be one of the last 2 boxes shown below.

The first style box was dark blue in colour, and was constructed much the same as the 4 minute wax Amberol box, although the box was a little smaller due to the lack of a cotton lining.
This box appears to have no Form Number or patents information on the label.



The next box remained the same, only Form No.475 June 1, 1912 was added above Edison's picture.



The last of the blue boxes again remained the same, except this label uses Form No.475 Dec 1913, and Edison's picture is printed in a darker brown.



In late December 1917, a new cheaper (and again slightly smaller) box was introduced using an orange label with a blue lid. This box used Form No.3509 Feb 1917, and a dual coloured print of Edison which resembled a colour photograph. The last patent on this label is Sept 29,1914.



The next box used a single colour for Edison's face, and the patents box was altered, making it more readable. The old Form Number format seems to have been discontinued at this time, and was replaced by the number 3509-125M-418. This number was used on all orange boxes there after. The price of 60 cents was also added to the patents box.



In 1923, Edison reduced the price of records & machines in an attempt to boost sales. On this new label, Edison's photo was replaced by a drawing of Edison, and the price of 35 cents was added to the front of the box. At the same time, a cheaper lid was also introduced.



The next label no longer feature an image of Edison, but the price of 35 cents remained on the front.



The last label was the same as the one before except this time no price was included on the label.

[nefaurora]

The current repro BA boxes are the 2nd to last Orange and Blue Box, The one with 35 cents listed on the front.

I seem to have all of the original versions of the Orange and Blue BA boxes. Funny that I have not come across the prewar All Blue ones in my travels, though I see them all over Ebay, and I'm sure that I will aquire some over time in my collecting. PS: Don't for get the 4M NON-BA wax Damberols! ..lol.. Though we are talking about BA boxes here..

[nefaurora]

PS: Thanks for taking the time to post the pics. This is a great thread.

[john9ten]

Hello all
Someone writing a couple of years ago suggested looking into the possibility of making new Blue Amberol lid labels. I am in fact making lid labels for the various styles of Blue Amberols. Attached is a sample of my work. If interested let me know. I print them on ivory paper, ready to be trimmed and glued to your lids. I am currently working on finding appropriately sized self adhesive labels to print them on, thus removing the necessity of trimming them by hand (which is best done with curved manicure scissors). Let me know if interested.

Attachments:

[nefaurora]

John, I say GO FOR IT!!!!!! You would be the first...Noone else I know has done this yet...

I'm in! E-mail [e-mail]

Tony K.