Collector's Issue Series

Reissue Series for RCA Victor and RCA Victor Red Seal, with first releases in March 1951. Most of these releases were reissues of 78 RPM masters that, RCA wrote, "are felt to retain interest to the collector in spite of their older date." This material was released in the form of 45 RPM boxed sets (WPT prefix), 10" LPs (LPT prefix), 45 RPM singles (27 prefix), and 78 RPM singles (42 prefix). The 45 RPM RCA Victor Red Seal variant sported gold labels and bore a 17 prefix; boxed 45 RPM sets used a WCT prefix, 10" and 12" LPs had a LCT prefix. Some boxed sets were also issued as EPs with the prefix EPAT. Following RCA Victor's reshuffling of prefixes in early 1952, the 27-/42- prefixes were replaced in April 1952 with a 420- (78 RPM) and a 447- (45 RPM) prefixed series that both started over at -0001. The release of the popular movie "The Glenn Miller Story" in February 1954 occasioned a Glenn Miller-focused sub-series on a special yellow label that said in red print, "The Best of Glenn Miller" and listed the series name only as "(Collectors)" to the left of the spindle hole. These records came in specifically designed sleeves entitled "Glenn Miller Plays His Favorite Recordings." At first, only 78 RPM discs were issued with this yellow label, but by November 1954, 45 RPM versions had appeared as well. Starting around 1955, LP releases on the Red Seal label adopted the regular LM prefix. In mid-1955, the silver labels were replaced with black labels featuring the dog Nipper in color, and the series title became a simple tag "(Collector's)" under the catalog number. In 1956, the new Gold Standard Series replaced the Collector's Issue series. The blurb on the back of Collector's Issue LP covers reads: "The Collector's Issue Label designates a recording of great historical and musical interest which, although technically not representative of RCA Victor's present day high quality standards, has been re-issued in response to widespread public demand." For the Austrian Blues Label, please use Collector's Issue.