Mail Order Albums

[Richard1978]

Re: Mail Order Albums

In the late 1980s I guess they did good business from people who were changing over to CDs & wanted a cheapish way to get their old favourites.

[battyrat]

Re: Mail Order Albums

I used to order box sets and albums from one compony or other back in the early 80's.Which company it was I can't remember now.Too long ago.
They seemed to have a good selection of what I classed as common music in bulk which was fairly cheap.I suppose by the time I added postage I could of done better down our local music shops.

[themilkman]

Re: Mail Order Albums

I think memories are getting mixed up here (my own included, in all probability).

The K-Tel and Ronco compilations were never mail order only - they were very much "Woolworth fodder" - something to entice people into the record department; a forerunner of the "Now That's What I Call Music" series. They aimed for 10 or 11 tracks per side so the cut quality was quite poor and the songs were often cut short.

Britannia was a music club. You bought albums at full price and accumulated points which could be traded in against another album. I seem to recall this working out at about one "free" album for every 4 or 5 purchases, but it was a friend who was a member. They were the ones who took out full page ads in the glossies with introductory offers where you could buy any 3 albums at 50p each or whatever.

The "not in shops" ads on telly and radio never really took off until credit cards became more common in the 80s. The big players were Time Life and Tellydisc; the former is still going strong. I think n3llyo's longed-for punk compilation is unlikely; they have always tended toward the more conservative end of the spectrum with their rock and country compilations, but tracks being licenced by the rights holders is the real limiter on what they can use.

I agree with you there, you could buy K-Tel & Ronco from the shops. Britannia was definitely mail order, I was a member at one time.

[WhiteChristmas]

Re: Mail Order Albums

I think memories are getting mixed up here (my own included, in all probability).

The K-Tel and Ronco compilations were never mail order only - they were very much "Woolworth fodder" - something to entice people into the record department; a forerunner of the "Now That's What I Call Music" series. They aimed for 10 or 11 tracks per side so the cut quality was quite poor and the songs were often cut short.

Britannia was a music club. You bought albums at full price and accumulated points which could be traded in against another album. I seem to recall this working out at about one "free" album for every 4 or 5 purchases, but it was a friend who was a member. They were the ones who took out full page ads in the glossies with introductory offers where you could buy any 3 albums at 50p each or whatever.

The "not in shops" ads on telly and radio never really took off until credit cards became more common in the 80s. The big players were Time Life and Tellydisc; the former is still going strong. I think n3llyo's longed-for punk compilation is unlikely; they have always tended toward the more conservative end of the spectrum with their rock and country compilations, but tracks being licenced by the rights holders is the real limiter on what they can use.

[victorbrunswick]

Re: Mail Order Albums

Another K-Tel advert from 1974 -- this time for the German market.

[Richard1978]

Re: Mail Order Albums

I think I remember that set of composers box sets being advertised a lot, along with the 8 disc sets of 1970s & 80s songs.

My Dad has the 1980s set.

[victorbrunswick]

Re: Mail Order Albums

The two biggest purveyors of mail order albums that I remember were Sessions and K-Tel

Here you can see why K-Tel's adverts were widely parodied
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OuGNkMgSKo

[shilton dipper]

Re: Mail Order Albums

i remember my ex hubby had a complete composers collection consisting of many albums bought over many many months..........wouldn't like to think how many times i dusted them

[Powdered toast man]

Re: Mail Order Albums

I remember being laid up for 2 months with a broken leg in a full cast and watching VH-1 for most of the time. This was in 1995 and they used to advertise these compilations all the time. There was one called Rock Festival which my dad bought and there was one cool compilation CD advert that had musical instruments being crushed in a scrapyard car-crusher at night. Can't remember what is was for though.

[agfagaevart]

Re: Mail Order Albums

Look here:
I'll say no more.

[Richard1978]

Re: Mail Order Albums

When CD's started to outsell LP's in the late 1980's there seemed to loads of compilations of oldies out, often the first time you could get them on CD.

My Dad bought a few but often complained that he didn't like duplicating tracks he already had on CD.

[n3llyo]

Re: Mail Order Albums

theres still alot of those "not available in the shops " cd albums still out there they get advertised on several sky tv channels introduced by `stars of yester year` ive never heard of . trouble is some are getting closer to being up to date
it wont be long now till theres a 3 minute infomercial advertising time lifes 5cd box set of all your favourite sing-a-long punk and oi classics with all your favourites from acts like the 4 skins -the toy dolls - and who could forget those naughty sex pistols

[80sChav]

Re: Mail Order Albums

I remember in the 1980s & 1990s there were a lot of compilations that were only sold by mail order or over the phone, normally combined with a TV advert, often stating Not Available In Any Shop! In the late 1980s there was the option of getting a copy on X records, Y tapes or Z CD's.

Tellydisc was one company which I remember selling a lot of records this way, I have a The Shadows two disc set that was originally my Grans.

I think a few other companies sold albums (often largish compilations) this way.

Yeah. Brittania and Magpie etc ... those where the day's indeed! Though it was a bit of a naf way to buy music now on reflection, it had a sort of magic appeal (pre-'net day's or similar other new way's to buy music from specialist places like) I think.

[Malc London]

Re: Mail Order Albums

K-Tel and Ronco and I think Telstar. I also recall Arcade (?)

K-Tel also sold all sorts of "advertised on TV" products. I seem to recall one that took the place of a needle and thread for putting on buttons.

[Jacqueline]

Re: Mail Order Albums

I remember K-Tel adverts.

They always began "K-Tel proudly presents..."