Treasure of EPs.....

mahaaprasaad

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2012
Messages
207
Points
63
Location
Bangalore
Dear friends,

I don't know how actually the 45 rpm EPs are considered in the Audiophile community. But some time I come across some EPs and Super 7 discs which sounds very good bright. It seems, many of the Indian Movie albums, particularly Hindi and South Indian Language records for the period 70s and 80s are available only in EP records, targeting mass market at low cost.

Recently, I come across one of the Garage fellow near my house stored lot of EPs in his junk yard, in 2 Gunny Bags since a long time. Due to recent Rain in Bangalore, his Junk yard went under 1 Feet Water. Couple of days, accidentally I have seen these bags and by its shape I thought it would some old Paper waste. But due to wetness, the gunny bag is opened at bottom and some of the EPs were peeping out, which could not escape form my Eyes. When I enquired the fellow, He informed that, He had got some old CD Plates(??) Along with old furniture and racks from a Audio library, which was closed 20 Years back and the building is demolished now.

On my request, He opened and shown me the bags. The stuffs seems kept in these bags since many years before reaching the junk yard. Everything is full of fungus and most of the sleeves are eaten by Rats and Cockroaches. Added to the that, the rain water and mud entered inside the bag and spoiled everything. Due to wetness, the sleeves of discs attached together and prone to damage while separating.

He told me to take the bags if required and discuss the rates afterwards.

Since the Bags are not a condition to lift, We have emptied the stock to a box and I brought to my home. I have spread all these in three rooms to see the condition and to allow to dry. Every thing is very bad smell to the extent of a dead rat.

The lot contains most Tamil, Telugu, little Hindi and very few Kannada discs.

Being a Stock from Library, I could able to make out that, the lot is having very rare titles of 70s/80s and most of the EPs are in very good condition(Except the Sleeves), no scratches or damages. Some Angel Records, Color Records were also there.

Now the questions,
1) is it worth to have these EPs, or to leave it to the Junk yard?
2) If it is worth, how much we can pay. There are nearly 2000 Discs and the fellow is expecting around Rs. 5 per disc.
3) Is it worth the put efforts to clean and restore all these, which would be a very big challenge.

I seek your valuable advice on the above points.

The photos are as under(Sorry for the bad images, it is from my mobile):

Room-1
lot1.jpg


Room-2
lot2.jpg


Room-3
lot3.jpg


Closeup 1
closeup1.jpg


Closeup 2
closeup2.jpg


Closeup 3 - You can notice an Angel Records at top center.
closeup3.jpg


Closeup 4
closeup4.jpg


Closeup 5
closeup5.jpg


Closeup 6 - You can notice an Angel Records at top center.
closeup6.jpg
 
Considering the volume here, I'd say browse through all. It won't take you much time. Just select the rare and relatively clean ones. You may fix up a rate which is slightly more than 5 per record, say even 20 bucks a piece and ask him that the rest you'd not be able to manage considering the effort required to bring these to playing order. Let him sell the rest to some dealer. Maybe somebody here might be interested.
 
My Dear Friend,

First of all nice that you had good eyes to spot them!
This means that you "value" these records (I mean not just in financial terms)

The last thing that we should do now is to again put them into garbage and dump them! That would be the sadest part!

IMHO, these are part of our history and our heritage. It really saddens to see these in such condition :( But good that they have an opportunity to revive and relive again credit to you! :clapping:

I can completely understand how frustrating it must be with the bad condition and odour.
But I just could not help and stop by and post that these are part of our heritage and we need to do everything possible in our capacity to preserve these for ourselves and our future generations!

Hope you can work out some golden solution! :)

Many thanks for spotting them and giving them a chance to revive. Although they may look old and stinky they are indeed very beautiful from the pics you have posted!

Best luck!
 
A side note: I have had some LPs and EPs which have been really muddy but on giving them a clean rinse they almost played like new. Now althought the condition may be bad visually dont underestimate the quality of music they can play back!

Also covers can be restored to some extent. There are external sleeves as well available. So even if outer sleeves are completely lost external sleeves can easily be used.

Good luck!
 
Dear friends,

Now the questions,
1) is it worth to have these EPs, or to leave it to the Junk yard?
2) If it is worth, how much we can pay. There are nearly 2000 Discs and the fellow is expecting around Rs. 5 per disc.
3) Is it worth the put efforts to clean and restore all these, which would be a very big challenge.
I seek your valuable advice on the above points.

This is a jackpot.
1) is it worth to have these EPs, or to leave it to the Junk yard?
Anil: Yes, very much worth keeping. God has given it you.
Please clean them , sort, search in the web regarding any historical importance... you may turn lucky to find a Kohinoor in them. I have many such experiences.


2) If it is worth, how much we can pay. There are nearly 2000 Discs and the fellow is expecting around Rs. 5 per disc.
Anil: Normally such lots are taken by weight (as the shop owner does't value them and for him it is a just another junk). Normally Rs. 50 per Kg. Rs. 5 per disc is ok,if no other go.

3) Is it worth the put efforts to clean and restore all these, which would be a very big challenge.
Anil: Do not see it as a big lot. Once dry, restore them back to the box.
Make a plan to clean just 2 or 3 discs a day... after few months or so , you will be a happy man.


Wish you a nice time with these little angels.
Note: If the paper got stuck to the disk, just make it a bit wet again. Once the bond is released, just use a thin cardboard(bind of an old notebook will do) to separate them.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for everybody for suggestions. I brought this to my premises with lot of love and placed it in my office in three rooms. Since all these were spread across the floor for drying and there is no other way, I have given Holiday for my staff Yesterday and Today.

As suggested by Anilkumar, Once it dry, I will separate based on the condition and start restoring from the discs which were more attached with the mud and fungus.

For all practical purpose, I have narrowed down my collections to Kannada Discs, and already having a good lot of 78rpms and EPs.

I will try to create a catalouge of all these and share with the Fellow FMs(along with my other collections of 78rpm/EPs). I am ready to spare wherever multi copies and if someone is interested in Tamil/Telugu rare ones, for exchange of Kannada LP/EP/78rpms so they will find right hands. I feel happy to exchange if someone is ready to spare their Kannada Discs.

All these may take some time and I will share the progress. Till then everything will be kept safe.

Thanks once again.
 
"Since all these were spread across the floor for drying and there is no other way, I have given Holiday for my staff Yesterday and Today. "

This brought a big smile on my face! :)
True audiophile spirit!

Your staff must be more happy than you for finding these! :D
You can invite some of them to help you. I'm sure there must be some music lovers among them! ;)
 
you've dug up a treasure, congrats for that

its really sad that people do this to records

nice to know that you plan to share them, that's the spirit!!
 
I brought this to my premises with lot of love and placed it in my office in three rooms. Since all these were spread across the floor for drying and there is no other way, I have given Holiday for my staff Yesterday and Today.

A salute to your passion on vinyls... Don't miss it.
 
What a Man a true Music Lover and value the EP's. Hats off for your effort :clapping:.

Kindly let me know in case you need any helping hands to clean the Disk's. I would be available tomorrow, In case you are interested;).

Hi, So much thanks for your offer. I am not planning to do anything tomorrow. I will put off the dust and keep the things in the box for couple of days. I will be working on this little slowly, day by day during free time.

Sure, we will meet some time. I will keep in touch with you.
 
All the best and Wish you find Gems from it.For sure the fortune is going to pay back you with some gift for taking such pain of cleaning and testing ,which is almost second birth for those Ep's.
 
An Update..

All the EPs were dried and I could able to collect those kept aside.

As guessed by the FMs, Most of the EPs are with the old titles with the Music direct by Ilayaraja, KV Mahadevan, MS Vishwanathan, Shankar Ganesh etc..

I could able to notice the EP sleeve of Movie ANNAKILI, first movie of the Ilayaraja, but the Disc is missing, it might be mixed with other covers, I have to check up. When it comes to Ilayaraja discs, all most all the EPs were bearing very young photograph of the Ilayaraja of 70's.

Some of Christian Devotional songs and also to my surprise, Muslim Devotional songs EPs are present.

Due to abuse in handling, the quality of the many EPs seems average to good with little scratches. Fine condition EPs also there.

I could able to get very few Kannada titles, that too Devotional songs.

After drying, I found that, the disks were strongly stick to the paper Sleeves and Sleeves are stick to Outer Plastic sleeves. Being already with the Fungus and the paper quality is deteriorated, If I try to remove the EPs or the Outer sleeve, the paper sleeve with Artwork is tearing and parts are either sticking to outer plastic sleeve or to the surface of the disc. Around 20% of EPs are facing this problem. I will try to separate such discs from the sleeves as much as possible without damaging the paper sleeves.

So, as per my plan, I will start cleaning, and make a catalog and share with you people. Try to post the images wherever I feel it is rare. In case any FM is interested, they can take by exchanging with Kannada Discs(if they can spare).

But, all these process takes some time and I will keep the thread updating.

With regards.
 
Does one clean these just they way one cleans LPs? Or some additional steps are involved?

EP cleaning is not a big task since all these attracted only dust and fungus. There is no Glue or something sticky. A bath in warm water and cleaning with IPA will get the EPs back singing. But the problem is with the sleeves. Removing fungus from Sleeves is difficult. While removing the fungus with brush, the printed matter/art work is also coming as particle.

The sides of the Covers eaten away by Rats and Cockroaches, hence the sleeves are become two parts and in some some cases it become powder. I have to carefully cut the available good portion of the paper sleeves and paste it on a paper envelops. Unlike CD covers, the EP/LP sleeves carries its own theme and memories. I will try to get these into life as much as possible.

Will post some pictures tomorrow.

With regards.
 
Unlike CD covers, the EP/LP sleeves carries its own theme and memories.

+1 to this. I spent most of my childhood admiring cover art and reading the interesting articles about the musicians/artists and even about the recording and mastering techniques used. while listening to Dad play his records. Some how, he would never let me have the LP covers of Gil Ventura LPs. Later on when I got my own record collection, I found out why :eek:hyeah:
 
Some how, he would never let me have the LP covers of Gil Ventura LPs. Later on when I got my own record collection, I found out why :eek:hyeah:

+1, I used to go to a local elder listening Venture for two reasons. First being the cover photo and second was less logical (then).
 
Order your Rega Turntables & Amplifiers from HiFiMART.com - India's reputed online dealer.
Back
Top