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Kudos again, Andy! Once again, you nailed it perfectly! As one who was there, I can happily vouch for the feelings about colored (sorry, I'm in America....I love "u" madly😍, but have never spelled it that way) vinyl and pic discs. I will tell you (from my memories), there was a definite belief, if not realization, that vinyl quality was far lower with these.

I don't recall record co. reps addressing it, or any "official" info on the quality of the records, either "street" editions or promos. I do seem to recall a disclaimer on some, if not all...something to the effect (it would've been on the back of the jacket) of "Not intended for play." I wish I could verify that (I sold my collection at the turn of the century).

I also seem to recall a vivid conversation with fellow record store employees (late '70s) about the paper that had to be sandwiched in between what had to be two slices of vinyl on a pic disc (still not sure of the actual composition of a pic disc)!

Requests, please: It sounds like you're closing in on a dive into the secondary market, and all the strategies/cautions out there for that slice of the vinyl. Great! Also, maybe an expose on the physical construction of a pic disc (and maybe even a colored and/or swirled disc, and just how they're made! If there is swirling, is it constant and identical, or is each one necessarily different?)

Also, the mystery behind the matrix numbers etched into the run-out grooves of both LPs and 45s. There are some mysteries, some hidden personal notes, and the pedestrian record company cataloguing digits that have to be there. Inquiring vinyl minds wanna know!

Also, I have a deep, abiding fandom for the jacket spine....a whole world of rationale, purpose, and even art about a part of the record few notice, and even fewer appreciate! If you get to that, holla back, yo...I have 2 cents I'd like to contribute! Hamlet, you're a prince!🤴

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Thanks a lot, Brad! All those memories from the 70's are pure gold. Thanks a lot for bringing them to this humble place! For someone like me, these memories are a real gem. Much appreciated!

Thank you also for your very interesting requests, which I'll make sure I'll address in the next posts. Most of them are already in the pipeline (creation of picture discs and splatter colour vinyl, and I already confirm, each splatter colour/swirled disc is slightly different!), some others are easy to include/address. What I will probably do (and was already planning to) is a separate post on the manufacturing of vinyl per se, where I can include info on matrix numbers and jacket spine. I briefly discuss the basics of manufacturing in "Part 2" of this series (which will be my next post), but I was already planning on making a separate post on manufacturing at some point, and seeing as there's interest in the topic, I most certainly will!

Once again, thanks ever so much, and see you around!

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