How Do You Tell The Repro From The Original?

Posted December 10, 200519 yr

Hi there!

IÂ´ve just started collecting soul albums and like most people (?) I prefer buying originals. In my search IÂ´ve come across a lot of repros, f.i. Tyrone Davis- Can I Change My Mind, Candi Staton- IÂ´m just a prisoner. Some time a go I bought the repro version of Tommie YoungÂ´s Do you still feel the same way (what a wonderful album by the way!) and by looking at it I started thinking...How the *^@Â¤** do you tell the difference between the repro and the original?!? There are lots of "still sealed" originals out there and not all people are honest. Which classics have been subject to repro?

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Created 19 yr19 yr
Last Reply 19 yr19 yr

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pikeys dog 1 post
steve z 1 post

December 10, 200519 yr

Without having it in your hands its pretty difficult.

Original U.S. albums from the 60s and early 70s had thicker card covers with 'slicks' (the top layer of the cover pasted on) - modern repros tend to have thinner more flexible sleeves.

December 10, 200519 yr

Hi there!

IÂ´ve just started collecting soul albums and like most people (?) I prefer buying originals. In my search IÂ´ve come across a lot of repros, f.i. Tyrone Davis- Can I Change My Mind, Candi Staton- IÂ´m just a prisoner. Some time a go I bought the repro version of Tommie YoungÂ´s Do you still feel the same way (what a wonderful album by the way!) and by looking at it I started thinking...How the *^@Â¤** do you tell the difference between the repro and the original?!? There are lots of "still sealed" originals out there and not all people are honest. Which classics have been subject to repro?

Nearly all collectable major label USA SOUL LPs were REPROed about 10 years since. You can tell by the thickness of the covers and cover print clarity. But first, I s'pose you need to have a few originals to get the feel for it. The repro's do have thinner covers and the covers have been "camera'd" so the picture doesn't look as "sharp" as the original. The paper of thelabel is also made from much cleaner 90s paper non-grainy amd very smooth.... these repros are very good at the time i considered it all a synical attepmt my the majors to have a "pop" at the collecting market. Luckily with LPs like the Skull Snaps they couldn't be bothered with the extra expence of the "Gatefold" sleeve. As with your Tyrone Davis..Atlantic were one of the worst culprits..Archie Bell Lp often get sold as a first press and morely recently the super-duper Gloria Scott on Casablanca has been repro'd. At foirst glance they all look like the first press.