Great BESSIE SMITH 78 At The Christmas Ball (E-)

$

65

Great BESSIE SMITH 78 At The Christmas Ball (E-)

BESSIE SMITH. Columbia 35842 (US) At The Christmas Ball (previously unissued)/Preachin’ The Blues (org rec. Feb-27)
Here is a nice copy of one of the holy grails of Christmas 78 collecting. Although Bessie recorded ‘At The Christmas Ball’ (Acc. by Joe Smith, c / Charlie Green, tb / Fletcher Henderson, p.) in New York, November 18, 1925, the side lay unissued until finally being released on this 1940 disc. It must have sold poorly because it rarely shows up. I finally found this copy about a year ago, only to find a slightly better copy a short while later. Here’s your chance to add this gem to your collection. Good luck. No reserve.
Part of a great batch of Christmas 78s I have on eBay this week.

Christmas comes but once a year, and to me it brings good cheer,
and to everyone who likes wine and beer.
Happy New Year is after that, happy I'll be, that is a fact
That is why I like to hear, folks I say that Christmas is here….

This 78 visually grades a strong E- with some very light water staining that doesn’t adversely affect play. As the fine seller who sold this disc to me said, ‘It looks like the record got wet, then dried and there is a light deposit left behind. Don't know if it can be removed, but probably wouldn't be necessary as it is virtually inaudible’. Nuff said. The disc plays strong with a touch of mild surface noise, inherent in these laminated Columbia pressings. Labels are fine with a light mark on side ‘B’.
Good luck adding this gem to your Christmas collection.

Please check my other auctions for more great 78s. I’m happy to combine multiple auctions to help get the best shipping rates. And, don’t forget, I can ship up to two 78s for the same price as shipping one.

Unless otherwise stated, 78s are carefully cleaned by hand before listing. Upon receiving, your only job will be to enjoy the music.
78s come in used but nice vintage green sleeves or, when possible, original paper sleeves.
I do my spot-checking and play testing on a Technics 1200 turntable with a Stanton 500 cartridge using a standard Stanton 2.7 stylus. The amp is a mid-70s Pro-Linear with the mono switch activated. The speakers are small professional recording studio monitors (Yamaha NS 10) that are known for being overly bright – great for spotting that mild surface noise!
I ship 78s as I like to receive them - using the four-sheet 10” cardboard sandwich, foam chips, 12" x 12" x 4 "(or 6") box method.
I use standard 78 grading (E+, E, E-, V+, V, V- etc). I’ll sometimes use double plus or minus signs to really hone in on the shape.

S&H INFO:
I charge actual postage plus an extra dollar (give or take a few cents, depending on the state of the constantly fluctuating US and Canadian dollars) to help pay for packing materials.
There is no ‘handling charge’ for the time I take to properly pack your precious slab of shellac for safe travel.
NOTE TO CANADIAN BUYERS. The postage amount I’ve posted is a guideline only. Once I have your postal code, I’ll invoice you with the proper shipping cost which varies, depending on your location in Canada. Thanks.
NOTE TO US AND INTERNATIONAL BUYERS. The Canadian dollar is strong at the moment which has caused a slight increase in shipping rates.
US Surface S&H for up to two 78s is $11.00 US.
US Air S&H for up to two 78s is $13.50 US.
International surface S&H for up to two 78s ranges from $12.50 US to $14.80 US, depending on your location.
International Air S&H for up to two 78s ranges from $29.00 US to $33.25 US, depending on your location.

INTERNATIONAL AND US BUYERS – PLEASE NOTE:
eBay has requested that sellers include the following information.
Import duties, taxes and charges are not included in the item price or shipping charges. These charges are the buyer's responsibility.
Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding/buying.

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