Our recent fashionable hit parade of the Soviet deficit did not include gramophone records - because not the most valuable food product, like stew, is not " last hope girls to marry”, like jeans, and not a status detail of the interior, like the roots of junk Dumas.
But there was a deficit, and a certain subculture formed around it ..
Music in the USSR was the subject of vigilant guardianship of the ideologists of the party. Starting with the repertoire plan of artists and concert organizations, and ending with a particularly tricky "mastering", i.e. the final sound processing of those recordings of Western artists that leaked drop by drop into the catalog of the All-Union Recording Company Melodiya. But even with the lower frequencies cut off, the records of the "firms" released by Melodiya were snapped up instantly, left the counter, and ended up on the black market - to the "plastomaniacs".
Objectively, the “plastomaniacs” were mostly not stupid swindlers, like those who pushed the More blocks.
It was still, with some exceptions, a subculture of people in love with music, music lovers and collectors.
But, since the price of everything is dictated by the market, then in conditions of shortage, the record of the Osmonds family, obtained from under the counter of the record store, in the hands of the “plastoman” was “valued” at 10 rubles, the disc of the “democrat” Cheslav Nemen - at 15-20, the Yugoslav "reprint" live deep purple- 40, fresh ELO - 70, and the newest "sealed" album Space reached 120 rubles, i.e. up to the monthly salary of a university graduate.
"Plastomaniac Activities"
So what did the “plastomaniacs” do anyway? These parasitic citizens spent hours huddled around a few specialty record stores, with a bag on their shoulder, in which there were packs of records. They exchanged these very records, and when the exchange was clearly unequal, an additional payment in money was used. Actually, goods-money operations were also performed by them.
And here sharp-eyed citizens from the OBKhSS - Departments for Combating theft of Socialist Property appeared on the scene. Under white hands, the plastomaniac was escorted to the nearest police station, where interrogators tortured him with questions, leading him to the line beyond which criminally punishable speculation began, i.e. buying and selling for the purpose of profit, confiscation of property loomed ahead, and, if not a trip at public expense to a "sanatorium" near the Arctic Circle, then "correctional work at the construction sites of the national economy."
Where did all this music get to the “plastomaniacs”? Yes, just like chewing gum, jeans and books - something was imported by the state in small batches and for a limited circle, something was brought on business trips from abroad.
But the time has come, article 154 for speculation has gone into oblivion, soon after it went down in history and Soviet Union, and "plastomaniacs" turned into ordinary music lovers who collect records. Although, the most cunning of them have turned their passion into a serious business, but that's a completely different story.
Many people are already interested in the highest sound quality of their loved ones. musical performers who performed and perform on different concert stages. According to many, vinyl records from the times of the USSR, which are still available in a fairly extensive and versatile assortment, have the best sound quality. Such high-tech products over time, with proper use, do not lose their original quality. They are in rather high demand among connoisseurs and at the same time cost very little.
The price of records can differ quite seriously - starting from hundreds of rubles, and ending with hundreds of thousands. Of course, this applies only to those records that were released not on the territory of the USSR, but, for example, in the USA. Finding out the real cost of a particular product is not always possible on your own - in some cases it will not be superfluous to consult with specialists who can give a real assessment and help you purchase the right record at a democratic cost. In some cases, one should compare different variants and only after that already to acquire the necessary gramophone record.
Speaking briefly about the cost of Soviet vinyl records, I can assure you that 99 percent of all records kept by our citizens do not cost even 50 rubles apiece. The price will be about 100 rubles if the record is in excellent condition, and at least not unpacked. Sometimes you can try to sell some copies that were released in a small edition, at a price of up to 300 rubles. This, for example, soviet rock, or a Beatles record released by Melodiya.
Someone may say, they say, I saw a Beatles record for sale worth 20,000 rubles. Everything is simple here - the concepts of “made in the USSR” and “branded record” are different. Or another example - a record with Vysotsky's recordings of any Soviet factory today costs 20-30 rubles, but if plastic with Vysotsky's recordings is made somewhere in France or in the USA, then its price increases 100-200 times. Maybe you have one too, if someone brought it to you from abroad. And they can also say that on some resources the usual Soviet records sold at a price of 500-1000 rubles apiece. Remember, if you are selling, it does not mean that you are buying. For example, on the forums of collectors, sets of Soviet vinyl records (in the amount of 100-200 pieces) can be bought for literally 1000-2000 rubles.
People who are far from collecting may ask a reasonable question - why then the records are cheap, because there are no more of them. The answer is simple - at one time there were records in every Soviet family, respectively, hundreds of millions of them have survived to this day. And there are not so many collectors of vinyl records. For example, I know about 50-60 coin collectors, but not a single record collector.
There are a number of different Soviet high quality and interesting vinyl records that have been released in limited editions, which is why they are in high demand and have high artistic value. Every year they are more and more difficult to get, which is why their cost is constantly increasing. It is easy to be really convinced of this by comparing the cost of certain records according to different years release. The total cost of records depends on a number of factors, namely:
manufacturer company;
- year of issue;
- the number of records in circulation;
- popularity and relevance of musical recordings;
- the general condition of the vinyl;
- label on the disc;
- the presence of the envelope and its condition;
- dedicatory inscription of the performer, etc.
The most famous factories producing various vinyl records in the time of the USSR were the following - the company "Melody", "Moskovsky experimental plant Recording", "Aprelevsky Order of Lenin gramophone records" "Leningradsky plant records", "Riga Order of Honor Records Factory", "Tbilisi Recording Studio" and some others. Such manufacturers produced products of the most highest quality, which fully met the standards of quality, reliability. You can easily verify this if you start listening to the available recordings. When choosing one or another record, you need to check its quality, since there are times when fakes come across or the product has received serious wear.
It is possible to find and select the desired record, both in the relevant music stores, boutiques, and on specialized portals and forums. At the same time, preference should be given to those who have already managed to prove themselves and offer products of the highest quality level. Soviet records are, although not the most profitable investment, but many modern collectors choose them for their collections.
On September 1, 1910, a factory for the production of domestic gramophone records was opened in Aprelevka near Moscow. Over time, it became the largest producer of records in Russia, and then in the USSR. The first record released at the factory was a record with a gypsy song "Tramp", this record weighed about 400 grams. Now record collectors are ready to pay a lot of money for such a rarity. During the first year of the factory's operation, 400,000 gramophone discs were produced. And within a few years the factory took one of the leading places in Russia in the production of gramophone records.
New life factories began after the revolution, when production was nationalized. In those years, gramophone records were used for propaganda and agitation, they produced recordings of speeches by new Russian leaders, including V.I. Lenin.
By the beginning of the 1930s, the factory began to produce records again, and was soon transformed into a plant, where the annual production of records reached 19 million.
During the war years, the production of records decreased significantly. And after the war, at the end of the 40s, the factory mastered the production of long-playing records. In 1961, the first stereo records were released, but regular 78 rpm records continued to be produced until 1971.
In 1964, the Melodiya recording company was established in the USSR and began new stage the life of the plant and the production of records. The plant began to produce not only musical records, but also a significant number of records for children. Entire generations grew up in the USSR on fairy tales recorded on April records. But the main shortage in the 60-80s were records of pop singers.
In the early 90s, the production of records began to fall, and in 1995 the production of records completely stopped and the plant switched to production of tape cassettes.
I would like to believe that the age of gramophone records has not ended. And the old recordings, many of which were made in Aprelevka, will please for a long time to come true connoisseurs music.
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Considering the vinyl records of the USSR, the price of which today is very different, it should be noted some Interesting Facts and the numbers associated with them. Thus, the world's first gramophone discs made of plastic material containing a sound recording for playback were made of celluloid. In 1897, they were replaced by products made from shellac, soot and spar, and they were very expensive due to the use of shellac, an organic substance produced by a varnish insect called Tachardia lacca. So for one disk it was necessary to use the labor of 4 thousand worms.
According to experts, the most expensive vinyl in the world is estimated at 100,000 pounds. This is a single from the Quarrymen and is dated 1958. Sir Paul McCartney became the owner of the only edition known to collectors. Expensive vinyl records of the USSR, of course, are highly valued, but they do not reach such fabulous heights.
The best vinyl comes from Japan. Experts began to add a special vinylite component to the plastic mass, which reduces the noise from the sliding of the needle, which is noticeably audible in the pauses between compositions. In addition, thanks to this substance, the appearance of electrostatic charges was minimized, and the service life of the disk also increased in general.
Collecting vinyl records
One of the entertaining types of collecting is the collection of sound recordings of various content, which is called philophony. The most common direction in philophony is the collection of music recordings on various media (from laser CDs to gramophone products). Of particular note are the records released in the USSR. Of course, collecting is associated with certain difficulties - you have to tirelessly look for them, find out how much old USSR vinyl records cost, invest money, and then ensure careful and careful storage.
Often the basis of many philophonic collections, as a rule, is a home record library, for example, children's records of the USSR. When philophony becomes a serious hobby, the circle of collecting is narrowed. The personal taste of the collector prevails here. The collection of certain records of any direction or a specific artist begins. Fans of documentary recordings with interest collect performances of public and statesmen. The cost of vinyl records of the USSR is very different.
What do vinyl collectors pay attention to?
For collectors who once decided to buy vinyl records of the USSR, and began to pay due attention to the emerging collection, a number of factors related directly to copies are important. As a rule, the price of a particular product is formed from them. So what matters is:
- year of issue (old discs are of great value)
- circulation (good luck - to get a limited edition disc, for example, one in a thousand, these are rare records of the USSR)
- performer (there is a category of popular)
- condition (is the disc sealed, has it been played and how many times, are there any chips, scuffs and scratches)
- manufacturer's label
- an image on a disk (a unique illustration by a famous artist, master, or a rare photograph).
For those who were born and raised in the Soviet Union, his vinyl is a special world. Unfortunately, the domestic assortment of gramophone records is very small and mainly consisted of the work, of course, of Soviet performers. Basically, foreign records were imported into the country - semi-legally from different countries peace. Advertisements like Buy/Sell old USSR vinyl records were relevant, but it was not easy to get such discs. They were considered fashionable and covered with an aura of something forbidden. And today, collecting them has become a way of self-expression, a special subculture for several generations of Soviet citizens. Therefore, announcements like Buy / Sell records of the USSR are relevant.
It is known that for the first time vinyl records of the USSR, which are not difficult to sell today and the price for which is very different, were released at a factory near Moscow in Aprelevka. Over time, this factory became the largest disc manufacturer in the Land of the Soviets. On the first released products there was a gypsy song "Tramp", and they weighed 400 grams. Now these are rare vinyl records of the USSR, their price is very high.
During the war years, the production of discs dropped significantly. But after the war, the factory even mastered the production of long-playing vinyl. In 1961, the first stereo discs appeared, but ordinary 78 rpm discs were produced until 1971.
Despite the speed of technology development and qualitative changes in the modern world, many interesting things remain unchanged today. Despite the rapid passage of time, they retain their value, remain all the same popular, fashionable and in demand. These include vinyl records of the USSR, especially rare ones. More than one catalog offers them, and the price increases every year.
And the popularity of such products is due not so much to the sound quality. As you know, the sound is simply incomparable with the sound of various digital media. Music gourmets and experienced collectors know that the sound of CDs is characterized by coldness and neutrality of sound, but this cannot be said about vinyl. Therefore, the prices for USSR records are, as a rule, higher compared to other media.
Our catalog of USSR vinyl records is always at your service!
