ELVIS PRESLEY Sound Of Leadership RCA SPD-19 MINT 8 ep box & rare mini VICTROLA

$

656

Elvis Presley (and others) - The Sound Of Leadership: Souvenir Of The Miami Meeting June, 1956 - RCA Victor SPD-19 original extremely rare eight (8) 7-inch 4-song EP's limited promotional-only souvenir boxed set from 1956 with even MORE rare souvenir tiny boxed RCA plastic "Victrola" PHONOGRAPH kit for assembly and hand play, with rare 78-rpm 7-inch record entitled "A New Sensation In Sales" (RCA GS-NS-5403). This historic recording discusses how this portable, light, hand-played victrola phonograph was designed to be donated to the State Department to be sent to poor "communist" countries so that they could assemble them in secret and experience and share western media! It is made of hard black plastic with a clear red translucent plastic sound diaphragm and a finger crank to be played by hand (works great). All of this is unassembled in the original box which is in fabulous condition and has the following inscription on top: "The tiny phonograph you have here...is a very unusual souvenir;...It needs no electric power to play....It was invented last year by RCA." These things are very rare in any condition - extremely rare in this beautiful condition. All eight (8) of the records are Near Mint (almost like new) condition. The EP box is VG++ with all corners and even the paper seam intact (never seen with this seam intact!). This is one of the rarest Elvis Presley collectibles. And the phonograph is one of the rarest collectible Victor machines, as they were never made available commercially and the State Department did not follow up on the offer. These promotional packages were prepared as souvenirs for company distributors attending the June 1956 Miami meeting (RCA sales convention). The records contain the 32 top selling RCA songs for the previous 50 years (1906 - 1956). The records were originally un-sleeved with RCA advertisement paper seperators which are included (we put the records in white sleeves for protection). The package originally included a sheet with brief information about the set and a listing of the songs - this sheet is missing and not included in this otherwise complete and Mint set. An excerpt from that sheet is as follows: "In the first four months of 1956, three RCA Victor records reached the golden million mark - Kay Starr's Rock and Roll Waltz; Perry Como's Hot Diggity; and Heartbreak Hotel, a disc by a bright new star, 21-year old Elvis Presley."
Heartbreak Hotel is on side 16 of 16, the last song, as this was mid-1956. It is estimated that approximately 75 sets of the EP box were distributed at the convention, and about ten (10) of the tiny assemble-able phonograph kits at a side-meeting for new RCA products. Of course, very few were saved. Finding these items in this close-to-perfect condition is unusual (finding them at all is difficult)...finding them together is almost impossible. The EP outer box is close to Near Mint with the smallest amount of surface wear and one corner starting...otherwise all corners and seams are intact (amazingly including the paper hinge!...which usually separates after being opened several times). Colors are bright and sharp, including gold edges. The eight (8) vinyl ep's are all Near Mint. The plastic tiny phonograph is almost like new and plays records by hand once assembled (instructions on side of box). Phonograph box has all corners and seams intact with just the mildest discoloration and a couple very small moisture stains. This is once in a lifetime. Only about a dozen of the RCA SPD-19 box sets have surfaced over the last several years and we've NEVER seen the special phonograph for sale anywhere. For serious collectors - don't miss it!
Nice!

Enjoy!