Collecting log: You Can Collect, But You Better Not Fold? — Japan's early 3-inch CD singles in snap-packs (including promotional sample copies)

My recent hunting in the domestic market yielded three rare "sample" copies of very early 3-inch CD singles, originally issued in Japan-only snap-pack packages. Here, “snap” refers to the perforated section of the long cardboard sleeve that could be bent along the crease and folded into a compact square. For collectors, intact (unsnapped) packs are obviously the most desirable, but casual purchasers — and radio-station staff handling sample copies — typically followed the package’s instruction and snapped them for easier storage, as shown here. The inset shows the rear side of each release. 

With the Japanese currency (yen) remaining weak against the U.S. dollar and international postage becoming increasingly expensive, my overseas-focused collecting has fallen to an all-time low — these days, I actually find more pleasure in uncovering bargain finds on the domestic market. To be honest, I was never especially keen on domestic releases (as I explain here), and a major gap in my Japanese collection lies in CD singles — both commercial editions and promotional samples.

Collecting log: One Step Up / Roulette — the only cassette tape single commercially released in Japan

My first cassette tape purchase was Chimes Of Freedom (US
Columbia 4CT 44445) issued in 1988, featuring the awesome
live version of Tougher Than The Rest. I used to play it on a
brand-new Walkman portable cassette deck—a great Sony
product—wherever I went. This particular copy is still sealed
with a gold promo stamp on the inlay card.

This short post continues from the previous one, featuring a Japanese collectible. Many collectors probably rank music cassettes third among the three primary physical audio media—vinyl and CD being the other two. I also tend to overlook them unless they are particularly rare, uniquely interesting, or complement existing vinyl or CD rarities, such as custom promotion-only releases (see, for examples, 07/12/2015, 05/14/2017, or 07/05/2017). Here, I revisit a standard cassette tape from CBS/Sony Records (1968—1991) that I acquired long ago but never regarded as particularly significant, leaving it long forgotten in the vault.

Collecting log: My Lucky Day (when I happened to get a rare sample record)

In Japan, Brilliant Disguise, the first single off the album TUNNEL OF LOVE in 1987, was released twice commercially as a 7" format: one as a standard two-track disc (backed w/ Lucky Man) and another as a low-budget, one-track reissue (CBS SONY 07SP 1070 and 04SP 1075, respectively). To boost the sale of these singles and the album, CBS/SONY distributed three promo/sample 7" counterparts (the same catalog numbers as aforementioned and XDSP 93096). Two of them have become highly sought-after collectibles, one solely for its rarity (center; this post) and another not only for its scarcity but also for the unique promotion-only sleeve design (left; see also 11/20/2016).

Collecting log: a plain white test pressing for TUNNEL OF LOVE U.K. limited edition picture-disc LP (Part 2 of 2)

It was January 2003 when I got what was advertised as a "test" pressing for the picture-disc edition of this album at $29.00 from an eBay seller in Bethpage, New York (disc's images shown previously in the following posts on 03/01/2015 and 01/01/2020). It came in a plain white sleeve but not in a clear plastic bag used for the regular picture disc. This pressing is indistinguishable from my copy of the commercial version in almost all aspects but the plain white appearance.

The commercially available picture disc (upper) and its plain-white test pressing (lower) share the same dead-wax inscriptions and stamps on each playing side (left, Side One; right, Side Two).

Collecting log: a plain white test pressing for TUNNEL OF LOVE U.K. limited edition picture-disc LP (Part 1 of 2)

The lineup for the officially released U.K. picture disc vinyl pressings. If my memory is correct, the last known picture disc to be manufactured is The Ghost Of Tom Joad / Straight Time (live) EP (Columbia 663031 7), released in 1996 (bottom, second from the left). Sadly, my copy of the flag-shaped I'm On Fire / Born In The U.S.A. (CBS WA 6342) has fully developed discoloration (middle row, far right), although Dancing In The Dark / Pink Cadillac (CBS WA 4436) shows no such symptoms (bottom, far right). 

A picture disc rarity continues. The last blog (2021/04/20) introduced a test pressing for an old picture-LP bootleg from the early 1980s (courtesy of the fellow collector from Italy). Here's an example of such a rare pressing for an official picture record from the late 1980s. As you collectors know, all the official picture discs of Springsteen in the album and 12"/7" single formats, including shaped discs, were released from the CBS U.K. Records label, except for the U.S.-issued DARKNESS promo LP. Note that in the mid to late 1980s, several picture discs featuring Springsteen's interviews also floated around the market, mostly originating in the U.K. These picture discs might not technically be illegal, but certainly, grey-area products since they were neither issued from the CBS label nor authorized by Springsteen (i.e., Interviews are not necessarily protected by copyright laws).

Collecting log: The best acquisition in 2016

Big box arrived here from upstate New York. Inset shows the eBay
sticker probably for global shipping (overlaid on which is the semi-
transparent lilac-colored label of the domestic delivery service).

Now we're coming to the end of the year, it's time to look over the best acquisition in 2016. It's a volume purchase won on eBay this spring with a cumulative bid of 12, which resulted in the final amounts just exceeding 80 bucks. The amounts were happily way less than what I had expected to pay, but as always, the shipping cost too much from East Coast of the US (slightly more than the half of the final bid). Speaking of the shipping option, as many non-US buyers already pointed out, I am also quite discontented with eBay Global Shipping Program because it charges additional costs that probably results from handling, custom/import duty (pre-paid is mandatory; Note that the zero rate is usually applied for importing vinyl discs here, unless an item is quite expensive or highly valued) and the US domestic delivery from seller's address to the Global Shipping Center.

Collecting log: Brilliant Disguise Japanese custom promotion-only advanced 7" vinyl

Two major Brilliant 7" rarities: Promotion-only pre-release in Japan and Italian jukebox pressing, both coming with a unique custom insert sleeve. One of the Japanese copies I own is in fine condition (center) while the other has cellotape removed on the insert sleeve (left), as generally observed with Japanese promo 7" singles leaked and floating around from radio stations. The Italian single contains a colored title strip with a misprint (Brilliant "Disguide").

Collecting log: Brilliant Disguise/Lucky Man US45 with no large hole

Unplayable garbage or highly collectable?

Been busy lately, and that has made me completely away from blogging for more than a month. To give myself a short break (BTW, which was and still is the initial intention to start this blog), I made a quick note on a recent acquisition of a rare, one-of-a-kind erroneous 7-inch item. Shown here is a US stock copy of Brilliant Disguise/Lucky Man (US Columbia 38-07595), the first single from TUNNEL OF LOVE released in 1987. At the first glance, it looks like a small-holed Australian copy with the yellow/red sunburst CBS labels. As you find, however, glued on the 7" record are the US Columbia labels with NO LARGE HOLE!  So, this record is unplayable on any turntables, which makes it totally useless as music medium but appeals to curiosity seekers like me. As occasionally shown in this blog, I own several erroneous products of single and LP releases of Springsteen titles. This type however is never seen before.

Collecting log: TOP 3 collectible acquisitions in 2015

Ready to send out 2015?  Near the close to another year, I have looked over the collectibles that were acquired this year, just like I did in the final blog last year. Here is the TOP 3 collectible acquisition in 2015, as selected by my own subjective criteria.


THE WILD, THE INNOCENT & THE E STREET SHUFFLE (US Columbia KC 32432)

The original US copy with the catalog number prefix "KC" used for promotion.
Behind is the second issue (PC 32432) with the album title printed in yellow.
Inset: Red promo stamp on the rear sleeve.

For Springsteen's first and second LP releases, no white-label promotional copies are known to exist concerning the US pressing. So, regular copies with red Columbia stock labels are issued for promotional purposes. These copies are housed in regular picture sleeves with a timing strip pasted over the front and a gold or red "Demonstration Not For Sale" indication stamped on the rear. This is a rare promo copy additionally accompanied by a 10-page original copy of song lyrics from Laurel Canyon Music, Ltd.

Collecting log: Bolivia-only Tunnel Of Love 4-track EP

TUNNEL vinyl rarities; still lacking the Spanish advanced promotional package, though.

Nearly 20 yeas ago, I obtained this EP (Tunnel Of Love / Ain’t Got You // Brilliant Disguise / One Step Up), originally released in late 1987 or early 1988 in a west-central South American country.