A good print source for LP list prices is the Price List printed in the back of Schwann catalogues.

  The July 1953 issue shows the following for 10" records:

  Columbia

  ML, SL*               $4.00
   * a footnote says "SL [multi-record] sets slightly higher than individual record prices"
  JL, CL, HL, FL      $3.00
  AL                       $2.85
  GL                       $3.60

  Decca

  DL-4000               $2.50
  DL-5000               $3.00
  DL-7000, -8000     $3.85

Schwann, July 1955

  Columbia 10"

  ML, 3ML               $2.98
  HL, 4ML                $2.98
  AL, CL, JL             $2.98

  Decca 10"

  no prefix listed        $2.98 (the only listing shown for this record size)

  I don't have official information, so this is only speculation: but sometimes companies assigned records to various price categories based upon the royalties they paid the performers, the amount they might have earned from the projected number of sales, and so on.

  Don Tait

  

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Martin Fisher <[log in to unmask]>
To: ARSCLIST <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Mon, Oct 1, 2012 10:46 am
Subject: [ARSCLIST] Early LP retail pricing


A professor friend would like some background on retail pricing of early LPs.  
He cites Frank Sinatra's "The Voice" on Columbia 10" for instance.  

It looks like Decca based pricing on the number of cuts or sides.  

Four 10" 78s=3.75
Corresponding 10" LP of same 8 sides/selections=2.85

Five 10" 78s=4.50
Corresponding 10" LP of same 10 sides/selections=3.85

Did the Columbia product fall somewhere in the same range and can any print 
sources be cited?  

Thanks!  :-)

Martin