Description
VINTAGE 7 45-RPM PLATTER-PAK STYLE CARRYING CASE ~ COOL & CLEAN This week on Ebay we are offering up this vintage, classic, green, 7 45-RPM, thick cardboard record storage box or carrying case. Its bright, clean, and very solid & sturdy. Looks well-loved and used, but still looks great! Fabulously 50s! This Platter-Pak style case likely dates back to the late 50s or early 60s, and is unmarked, but was most likely made by the Amberg company in Illinois, who made many of these Platter Pak style cases. Theres no makers mark, but the style and build of the inside of the case is very similar to other marked Platter-Pak cases. Its very high quality and is built strong and sturdy. These green record storage boxes were a standard type of record case made at the time. Im not sure why, but green, burgundy, and tweed colored boxes were all the rage back then. It is made of thick sturdy cardboard-like material, with a sturdy carrying handle and strong, solid, rounded, brass-plated hardware. All of the surfaces are covered in green, and all of the surfaces are clean, but do show some signs of use and wear. The corners are slightly bumped and the bottom shows some signs of use and wear, but as you can see, it still looks retro, loved, and cool. I tried to show all sides of the case and details of the hardware in my photos. The seams are all strong & tight, the inside is clean & bright and the snap-shut latch closure works fine and holds tightly, even when full of records. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~THE STORY BEHIND PLATTER-PAK RECORD CASES Although this case has no makers mark or identification, vintage record cases like this one, were often made by the Amberg File & Index Company (Amfile), originally based out of Kankakee, Illinois, a Chicago suburb. Amfile started making their Platter-Pak record cases in the mid-50s as the new 45-rpm records started taking off. DJs at the time used the word Platter as a hip term for vinyl records. Their first record cases were made of thick durable steel, but were rather expensive. Realizing that teens were a big record buying market, in addition to Steel, they started making them out of less expensive pressed paperboard, with very cool modern 50s designs, as well as solid colors like Blue, Tan, Burgundy, and Green, like this cool one. If youre reading this, youre likely too young to remember, but In the late 50s and early 60s many music audiophiles collected their music on Reel to Reel tapes, whose storage boxes fit nicely in Platter-Paks, just like records. When Lear Jet, Ampex and Auto makers introduced the 8-Track tape in 1965, they fit in these boxes as well, but I remember there was a big debate among us music collectors whether the Metal cases affected or demagnetized the exposed tape of Reels and 8-tracks. Amfile took the cautious route and phased out their Metal cases and switched to what they called Kivar, a paper based, plastic impregnated, water resistant, binder board that was mostly used to make luggage at the time. Strong and durable. The Amfile workers called this material Beaverboard as it was made by the paper mills in nearby Wisconsin. In 1966, owner Bud Amberg died suddenly and the company merged with Boorham & Pease, a Brooklyn Company that made office filing products. Bud Ambergs hip young nephew Peter took over Amfile and continued making Kivar record storage boxes, introducing new psychedelic and Op-art designs, focusing on the teen market, that have now become very sought after and collectible. Amberg/Amfile continued to make their excellent record cases up into the early 1970s, when foreign makers forced them to focus on Office Products instead. As mentioned, this record case is not marked Platter Pak but has a very similar design. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~This record carrier was full of early 60s, pre-Beatles era, 7-inch Singles when I purchased it many years ago, so I suspect thats when it was made. Ive had this cool retro carrying case for over 20 years and have used it many times to bring my rare and precious 45s to and from various Record Shows and friends homes in the NYC area over the years. As I said, its covered in dark green and made out of thick paper-board stock. Its very solid. This 7 45-rpm carrying case looks very nice, but as you can see, it does have a few bumps and dings, which I think add character and history. I tried to show detailed pictures of the worse areas. There are a few corner dings from years of wear, but nothing horrible or anything that affects its function or use. There are no major chips, or tears. Corners and seams are strong. No broken parts or serious damage and the cool retro green color just pops. The inside is basically smooth raw cardboard, but is clean and really protects the records. Ive used this case for years and it always kept my records safe and protected. The size is 7 1/2 wide and tall. Enough room to safely hold records snugly, and let them breathe, but not too much room to have them shifting around. A perfect size. Its about 5 deep and holds about 40-50 sleeved 45s. Ive had this packed full with records many times and the strong handle and latch has never been an issue. The solid, green, plastic handle is attached firmly with brass hardware. The hard plastic handle is wide enough and tall enough to let you really get a good grip. I added a ruler to a few of my pictures to give you an idea of the size, but these old 45 carrying cases are all very similar sized. 7 1/2 wide. I took some pictures with some 45s inside to show you the general idea. The records are NOT part of the auction, and are just for display purposes only. Sorry. I also took some pictures with some vintage numbered record dividers inside. The dividers are from a different record case, but I thought they might be handy for the new owner. Id be glad to include them with this case. As I said, it has very nice clean internal compartment. Its never damaged a record. The compartment is clean, dust-free, stain-free and solid. The bottom, underside, of the case has the same green color and has a few small dings and nicks from wear, but again, not bad at all and the case overall looks decent for its age. The construction is very durable. The top hinge is strong and solid and attached with durable brass finished hardware. I tried to show a detailed photo. The front has a nice brass-plated snap-shut closing device which closes tightly and opens easily. I like how the latch hooks over the top, to make sure it doesnt open unexpectedly. It holds the top down nice and secure. The fit of the lid is snug, and this case has a raised inner lip, so there are no exposed areas to let moisture, dust or dirt in. Overall, the condition is gently used, but still fantastic and it looks just like it did decades ago. Every 7 45 record collector will tell you that proper storage and handling can mean the difference between warped, ruined records versus a collection to be proud of. This case has protected my records, and the owner before mes records, for decades and will protect your records for decades to come. I tried to show pictures from every angle. You can see from my pictures how nice, well-loved and gently used, this vintage record case still looks. This is a very nice, solid, durable 45 carrying case that would be a great place to store your records or would make a great carrying case for a record collector, travelling DJ or record spinner. I used it for many years to carry records back and forth to friends homes and record shows, back in the day. As I said, it holds about 40-50 sleeved 45-RPM Singles. My record show crate-digging and dealing days are long over, and its time to pass this great carrying case on to its next owner. It served me well for decades, but needs a new home. Its built well, very sturdy, and will definitely protect your records from damage. It displays great as well, and would look terrific in your music room, mancave, or bedroom. It has a great retro vintage mid-century look, which is all the rage right now. I tried to show pictures of this great carrying case from every angle, so you can see how cool it looks and how much life it still has in it. They certainly dont make them like this anymore. A real gem. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Shipping cost within the lower 48 states is $4.50 for this item. If you would like insurance, or anything faster than Economy Mail, please let me know and I can arrange it for you. I’ll work with you to make sure you’re happy! Im a 0ne-man operation, this is a hobby, not my job. I do this for fun. I do this because I love collecting and searching out records and want others to share in that same experience. I take my time researching, grading, listing and packaging. I will NOT sell any items that I personally would not want in my collection. My descriptions and grading are fair and honest and I will ALWAYS refund you for anything you’re not happy with. I have had over 3,400 happy and satisfied EBay customers, with 100% positive feedback, over the years and I have been buying/selling on ebay for over 25 years, so please bid with confidence! All orders are processed and shipped within 2 business days of receipt. We package and ship our items with the greatest care, using the proper packaging materials to ensure that your rare and collectible treasures arrive in pristine condition. Payments can be made by any of the options EBay offers. I will be happy to exchange feedback with anyone I complete a transaction with. THANK YOU for looking and reading if you got this far, and please keep record collecting alive. -- JOHN
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