78: SUPERTONE 9447 HOTTENTOTS (FLOYD MILLS MARYLANDERS)

$

200

Presenting Musical Selections From

"Blackpool Bertie's Melody Pub"

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Hello All!  This is a ten-inch 78 rpm. grammophone record featuring 1920s hot-jazz band Floyd Mills and his Marylanders (as The Hottentots) on Supertone 9447:

Side A - 15276-B "Hard Luck" (Recorded: Richmond IN, 26 June 1929; Condition: V+, plays very strongly with some surface scuffing and light scratches - some greying of the grooves).

Side B - 15277-A "Chicago Rhythm" (Recorded: Richmond IN, 26 June 1929; Condition: V+, as with Side A, label has scratches and old sticker residue).

This band hailed from Cumberland MD and made only one record which was released on Gennett, Champion, and Supertone. For those who put stock in such speculative discussions, our consignor imforms us that an old issue of "78 Quarterly" opined that only five copies of this record were known to exist on Supertone as "The Hottentots". We shall leave it to you lot to sort out just how accurate that decades-old statement may be, particularly since this copy is evidently not one of those five!

This nice recording is a consignment from the personal collection of a long-time collector of vintage jazz, blues, country, and gospel records in Silver Spring MD.

We utilise the following commonly-recognised grading standard for 78 rpm. records: New (N), Excellent (E), Very Good (V), Good (G), and Poor (P) and qualified with plus (+) or minus (-) increments as warranted. Any defects or flaws will be noted after the condition grade. We do not sell cracked records (even "hairline") or any with rim chips affecting play. Our grading is mainly visual by necessity as we haven't the time to play them all the way through, but tends to be conservative - meaning that the record may actually play a bit nicer than we've let on (better safe than sorry, yeah?). Please refer to our listing pictures to see each side's label.

Each record comes in a standard goldenrod sleeve and will be packaged quite securely and safely for shipping, however insurance is recommended most highly - we cannot assume responsibility for loss in transit. NOTE: Due to excessive transit time and unreliable service, we will not ship grammophone records via Media Mail, so please don't ask us to! The USPS will no longer trace such parcels should they go missing or excessively-overdue. Obviously, posting overseas will cost a good bit more than domestic shipping as 78s are right heavy, so we shall need to sort out that bit on an individual basis.

ALL OF OUR GOODS COME FROM A SMOKE-FREE ENVIRONMENT!

Unless noted as a consignment, the 78 rpm. records in our auctions have come directly from our lifelong personal collection, which is rather like a massive old oak tree... it needs a bit of pruning now and again to keep the whole thing stout, healthy, and harmonious!

Cheers and Happy Bidding! - "Blackpool Bertie"

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GENERAL INFORMATION, BIDDERS' REQUIREMENTS & POLICIES

WINNING BIDDER INVOICE: We will transmit an eBay invoice as soon after the close of each auction as is practical (the wee hours notwithstanding!). After receiving the invoice, you may use eBay's checkout system to complete your transaction. To speed your transaction, please make your payment arrangements straight away - the quicker we get your money, the quicker you get your newly-won goods!

ACCEPTED PAYMENT OPTIONS: PayPal (preferred), Money Order in US Dollars, Personal or Company Cheque in US Dollars, Cashier's Cheque or Banker's Draught in US Dollars, or other methods as agreed upon between seller and buyer. We ask that you make your payment or arrange to do so within seven days of the auction's closing time. NOTE: Some eBay sellers are now passing PayPal fees on to their customers - that's neither right nor honourable! Since PayPal promises that its services are free to buyers, then so it shall be. We shan't engage in such a dodgy practice in order to save a few bob!

WE'RE NOT CLAIRVOYANT!: If sending your payment by mail, please enclose either a copy of your invoice or a note telling us who you are and what you're paying for (the item's title should suffice). Occasionally, we receive a money order with a scribbled and illegible name in an envelope having no return address and nothing to indicate what the payment is for. This requires trying to sort out the transaction by matching the dollar amount and postmark with unpaid items - a Royal waste of time that doesn't need to be!

PAYMENT CLEARANCE: Merchandise paid for by PayPal, money order, goods in trade, or by other special arrangement will be despatched on our next weekly posting day after receipt. Merchandise paid for by cheque will be held for several days to ensure bank clearance. Purchases by our regular eBay customers may be posted at our discretion without awaiting cheque clearance.

POST & PACKING: We ship only via the United States Postal Service. Transport and other limitations on our part preclude utilising UPS or FedEx - as there can be no exceptions, please don't ask. We will ship most items anywhere in the world and use the following classes of US Mail: domestic First Class post and Priority Mail (for flat, light items or mailing tubes), Parcel Post (for anything that must be shipped in a box), Media Mail (for books when weight is substantial), Airmail Letter Post (for flat or light items going overseas and cross-border). Airmail Parcel Post (for anything going overseas or cross-border that must be shipped in a box). We will utilise other classes of mail in unusual cases or by request with the appropriate rate being charged. NOTE: Our post & packing charges are both reasonable and appropriate for the specific merchandise. A $1.00 surcharge will apply to large parcels to compensate for the packing materials - all others are calculated at - or reasonably close to - the actual postal rate. We do not believe in making a profit from post & packing charges!

COMBINED POST & PACKING: For multiple purchases, we will combine shipping whenever possible to save you money and save us time and labour. Exceptions to this will occur only if the items are not able to be shipped together due to size, shape, fragility, or similar impracticalities.

THE SHIPPING FORECAST: Our eBay parcels posting is done on a single day each week, usually Friday. Cleared payments received up to the morning of our posting day will be despatched on that day. Items shipped via First Class post are collected by the postman directly from our Home Office letterbox and will ship as quickly as they can be made ready. NOTE: Having neither motorcar nor public transport and being over a mile distant from the Main Post Office puts our weekly posting day at Mother Nature's mercy. We'll not "pack up our troubles in our old kit bag" on rainy and snowy days or in excessive heat - our tubby, middle-aged self is no longer up to making the "Laurel Death March"!

WILL-CALL MERCHANDISE PICK-UP: Our Home Office is located in Laurel, Maryland USA. Buyers within a reasonable distance are invited to arrange for a "will-call" pick-up of their merchandise to save on post & packing. An appointment is required - please contact us via E-mail to request a visitation.

POSTAL SERVICE DELAYS & TARDINESS: Recently, a number of our customers have reported that Parcel Post and Media Mail parcels have taken anywhere from two weeks to longer than a month to arrive. It was explained by a local Postmaster that this is due in large part to the shift in parcels shipment from Amtrak trains to private-haul lorries. It appears that the American trucking system has been unable to absorb all the parcels that once travelled efficiently aboard speedy passenger trains. USPS have also enacted - at least on a localised basis - a policy of not sending out a parcels lorry trailer until it's been filled completely. If such is indeed the case, the delay potential for certain remote destinations is quite sobering! Please do not enquire about the status of a Parcel Post or Media Mail shipment until thirty days have passed since the despatch date shown in our original E-mail shipping notice - the USPS will not initiate a mail trace until a parcel has gone missing for sixty days! Do not fear the Postal Abyss, however - we have never, ever had a shipment lost yet! They always turn up eventually.

O' CANADA!: As already stated, we will sell to buyers in any country eBay allows us to trade with under American and British law (dual-citizenship is a wonderful thing!). We have, unfortunately, had to impose a few restrictions on our good Canadian customers to avoid recurring problems and losses. Due to difficulties encountered with US and Canadian Customs, we will not artificially-lower valuations to lessen import duties - the sale price is the declared value. We cannot ship anything that may be considered contraband and seized by Customs agents (ie: goods originally produced in Canada, Great Britain, or France, for export or otherwise). Lastly, due to a US $5.00 processing fee assessed by our bank on Canadian banker's draughts, we have no choice but to pass that fee on to the buyer. NOTE: There may be special exceptions to our worldwide sales policy due to legal issues involving the importation of certain types of merchandise - please read each item description carefully. We do, however, have a "don't ask - don't tell" policy on worldwide sales arranged through third-party goods brokers - where and with whom our merchandise ultimately ends up after a transaction is completed is of no further interest or concern to us!

NO-QUIBBLE REFUNDS: If you should be unsatisfied by your purchase for any valid reason (damaged in transit, not working properly, spousal abuse over your wicked eBay spending addictions, etc.), we will refund your original purchase price (less any shipping charges associated with either the original sale or the return of the item) as soon as the merchandise is returned. It is our hope that each transaction will be satisfactory to all, but do realise that the occasional prang-up will occur. Please contact us to resolve any problems you may have with our service and we will make it right with no quibbles! Prompt and clear communication is paramount to completing a successful transaction to everybody's satisfaction and happiness.

FEEDBACK EQUALS "BOB'S YOUR UNCLE!": We will leave favourable feedback upon receipt of payment and would request that the buyer do likewise upon delivery of the merchandise. The previous paragraph applies and it is hoped that an unhappy buyer would contact us to resolve any problems prior to leaving feedback, favourable or otherwise. We are quite proud of our exemplary eBay feedback record and wish to keep it "sunny side up"! A quick word from the "Bureau of Redundancy Bureau" - when leaving feedback for multiple items, it's really not necessary to compose a completely different message for each item - a single kind testimonial works just as well for six items as for one!

HOME OFFICE WORKING HOURS: We are at your service six days per week, Sunday through Thursday from 08.00 (US Eastern Time Zone) until 24.00, Friday from 16.00 until 24.00 (parcels posting makes for a short office day). Saturday is our official Day of Rest (catching up the B.B.C., watching EastEnders, listening to vintage jazz on radio, etc.) and after a working week of 100-or-more hours, we bloody well need it! We often work through American bank holidays as well.

OI!  GIVE US A SHOUT THEN, YEAH?: You're welcome to contact us via E-mail at royalbluelimited@aol.com if you wish to discuss our auctions, your transaction, or if you fancy a lively discourse on some of our favourite subjects: cats, railways, British brass bands, fire brigades, cats,  Billy Cotton & His Band (WAKEY! WA-A-A-A-KEY!), Penna. RR GG1 electric locomotives, cats, German U-boats, the Bluebell Railway, cats, Sir Winston Churchill, New Jersey Diners, Prince Harry (our Royal hero!), cats, LNER 4472 Flying Scotsman, Victor "scroll" 78 rpm. grammophone records, more cats, steam locos, Blackpool Tower, the B&O Railroad, and The Doctor's TARDIS. Oh, and we mustn't forget about cats, must we?! For business E-mails, we'll respond as promptly as possible - for all others, we'll soon get them all sorted out in good time. Right! Well don't think too hard on it, you might strain something! Off ye go then . . .  there's a good chap!

OUR SERVICE PLEDGE: We endeavour to serve you honestly, quickly, reliably, and efficiently. Our merchandise is presented in accurate detail and pictured in a manner that will give a true representation of its appearance. Any flaws an item may have will be duly noted within its description, especially if not readily apparent amongst the listing pictures. Please contact us with any questions you may have before bidding and we shall do our best to answer your query straight away. Mind you, with many of our auctions involving consignments, we may not actually have a working knowledge of everything we're selling, but ask away and we'll give it a go. We thank you kindly for your interest in our eBay auctions and sales and eagerly await your custom!

Cheerio & Godspeed Everybody! - "BLACKPOOL BERTIE" and our Industrious All-Feline Staff: "Honey Bun" (aka. "The Bunster"),"Sweet Pea" (aka. "Chunky Monkey"), "Miss Kitten" ("Little Luv"), "Moggy" (aka. "Mog the Merciless"), and our three newest kittenly apprentices "Sir Winston" (aka. "Winnie"), "Millicent" (aka. "Millie"), and "Toby" (aka. "Tobyola").

Blackpool Tower

 "Steadfast and Stalwart in our Resolute Endeavour to Preserve a Tiny Bit of the British Empire at the Very Heart of the Former Colonies"

RULE BRITANNIA! - BRITANNIA RULES!

ROCK ON, MATES!!