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When RCA Victor debuted the 45-rpm format (March 31, 1949), they color-coded their record releases by genre. Country records were released on translucent green vinyl, while children's records were released on opaque yellow, blues records were cerise (orange and/or pink in color), classical were red, etc. By the end of 1950, RCA decided to drop the color-coding and press all of their 45s on black vinyl. It was a short-lived, but super cool experiment.

For the past decade, I've been trying to collect all 305 U.S.-pressed green country 45s between 1949 and 1950 (that's me in the first picture with my collection). Not only do these records look amazing, they contain some of my favorite music: Blistering guitar instrumentals (Chet Atkins), hilarious country novelty tunes (the Carter Sisters with Mother Maybelle and Chet Atkins, Homer & Jethro), honky-tonk (Spade Cooley, Ernie Lee, Johnnie and Jack), western swing (Bill Boyd, Jim Boyd, Cecil Campbell), classic country standards (Eddy Arnold, Hank Snow, Pee Wee King), cowboy and western tunes (Roy Rogers, Sons of the Pioneers), atomic country tunes (Elton Britt, the Harmoneers Quartet), yodeling (Slim Whitman, Rosalie Allen), polka (Six Fat Dutchmen), boogie (Jim Boyd), old-time (Woodhull's Old Tyme Masters), proto-bluegrass (Charlie Monroe) and so much more.

In my efforts to collect them all (I am currently missing just four), I have amassed A LOT of duplicates--82, to be exact--and those are the records I am offering in this one auction. I prefer to sell them as a lot because it is quicker for me, but will part these out only if they are not purchased as a lot.

In this lot are 82 country RCA greenies. The labels are notoriously difficult to read, but I've done my best to photograph each label for you. Conditions vary from G to NM, but all are graded (see photos or list below) and based on Goldmine standard grading. Sleeves are mostly generic, but a few have company sleeves. There is one Canadian pressing (blue label), but the rest are all U.S. pressings circa 1949-1950. There are a few duplicates in the lot, but not many. Included in the bunch are some truly great ones by Chet Atkins (One More Chance), Jim Boyd (Truck Driver’s Boogie), Jim Boyd (Dust On My Telephone), Spade Cooley (Honky Tonkin), The Carter Sisters and Mother Maybelle doing an early Joe Maphis tune (A Picture, A Ring, and a Curl), Ernie Lee's bopper (Headin’ Home to Old Kentucky), and all those Charlie Monroe 45s (Bill Monroe’s brother) are just amazing. The Harmoneers Quartet 45s and the Johnnie and Jack 45s are particularly hard to find and this grouping also includes the infamous 48-0001 by Eddy Arnold (among the very first ever 45s pressed), to name just a few.

There were only 305 green vinyl 45s pressed in the U.S., and in this lot you can get a fast start on collecting them all. I'm starting the auction at $160 (less than $2 each), truly hoping it goes higher (as I've invested quite a lot more than that collecting these over the years), but I'll leave that up to you the bidders. Thanks for looking and good luck!

Shipping is a flat rate of $15 within the US. International shipping will be determined by ebay. Payment via paypal.

48-0001 - Eddy Arnold - Bouquet of Roses / Texarkana Baby G
48-0009 - Roy Rogers - On the Old Spanish Trail / The Yellow Rose of Texas G+
48-0010 - Roy Rogers - Along the Navajo Trail / San Fernando Valley VG
48-0027 - Spade Cooley - Spanish Fandango / The Best Deal in Town VG+
48-0035 - Roy Rogers - Pecos Bill / Blue Shadows on the Trail VG
48-0036 - The Blue Sky Boys - Speak To Me Little Darling / Dust on the Bible G
48-0036 - The Blue Sky Boys - Speak To Me Little Darling / Dust on the Bible G
48-0038 - Harmoneers Quartet - Tell Me the Old, Old Story / Rock of Ages VG+
48-0040 - Harmoneers Quartet - Just As I Am / I Love To Tell the Story VG
48-0040 - Harmoneers Quartet - Just As I Am / I Love To Tell the Story G+
48-0042 - Eddy Arnold - Don’t Rob Another Man’s Castle / There’s Not A Thing (I Wouldn’t Do For You) G
48-0049 - Elton Britt - Lorelei / Rainbow In My Heart VG
48-0054 - Montana Slim - (There’s A) Bluebird On Your Windowsill / All I Need Is Some More Lovin G
48-0055 - Johnnie and Jack - Trials and Tribulations / She Went With A Smile VG+
48-0056 - Hank Snow - The Star Spangled Waltz / Marriage Vow VG+
48-0064 - Rosalie Allen and Elton Britt - Swiss Lullaby / Tennessee Yodel Polka VG
48-0071 - Texas Jim Robertson - Wedding Bells / Slipping Around VG+
48-0074 - Roy Rogers - That Palomino Pal O’ Mine / Home on the Range NM
48-0078 - Spade Cooley - The Eighth of January / Wake Up, Susan G
48-0083 - Eddy Arnold - One Kiss Too Many / The Echo of Your Footsteps G
48-0091 - Elton Britt - Two Hearts Are Better Than One / Reaching For the Moon G+
48-0093 - Jim Boyd - Save the Next Waltz For Me / Dust On My Telephone VG
48-0098 - Shorty Long - The Queen of My Heart Is In Heaven / The Warm Red Wine G+
48-0103 - Charlie Monroe - Our Mansion Is Ready / A Valley Of Peace G+
48-0104 - Hank Snow - My Filipino Rose / The Law of Love nm
48-0105 - The Carter Sisters and Mother Maybelle - A Picture, A Ring, and a Curl / Walk A Little Closer G+
48-0107 - Dolph Hewitt - I Would Send You Roses (But They Cost Too Much) / I Wish I Knew (blue label) G
48-0107 - Dolph Hewitt - I Would Send You Roses (But They Cost Too Much) / I Wish I Knew (green label) G+
48-0111 - The Blue Sky Boys - Shake Hands with Your Mother / Little Mother of the Hills VG
48-0115 - Roy Rogers - A Little White Cross on the Hill / My Chickashay Gal G
48-0116 - Roy Rogers - No Children Allowed / I Wish I Had Never Met Sunshine G+
48-0122 - Pee Wee King - Fisher’s Hornpipe / Devils Dream G+
48-0123 - Pee Wee King - Arkansas Traveler / Sally Goodin G
48-0125 - Elton Britt - Tears From the Sky / Driftwood on the River EX
48-0134 - Shorty Long - This Cold War With You / I Wasted A Nickel (Last Night) G+
48-0137 - Eddy Arnold - There’s No Wings On My Angel / You Know How Talk Gets Around G+
48-0139 - Montana Slim - Shackles and Chains / When the Ice Worm Nests Again G
48-0140 - Harmoneers Quartet - Hide Me Rock of Ages / Jesus Is Coming Again G
48-0143 - Elton Britt - Put My Little Shoes Away / Chime Bells NM
48-0150 - Eddy Arnold - Mama and Daddy Broke My Heart / Take Me In Your Arms and Hold Me G+
48-0155 - Woodhull’s Old Tyme Masters - The Bum Song / Bloom on the Sage G+
48-0159 - Jim Boyd - Truck Driver’s Boogie / Sweetheart of Hawaii VG
48-0161 - Roy Rogers and the Sons of the Pioneers - Stampede / Church Music VG
48-0163 - Blue Sky Boys - One Cold Winter’s Eve / When Heaven Comes Down VG+
48-0168 - Rosalie Allen and Elton Britt - The Yodel Blues / Quicksilver G+
48-0168 - Rosalie Allen and Elton Britt - The Yodel Blues / Quicksilver NM
48-0169 - Cecil Campbell’s Tennessee Ramblers - One Little Flower / No Blues, No Blues For Me G+
48-0173 - Chet Atkins and his Guitar Pickers - The Old Buck Dance / One More Chance VG
48-0175 - Eddy Arnold - I Wish I Had A Girl Like You, Mother / Bring Your Roses To Her Now VG+
48-0182 - Ernie Lee and the Southerners - Second-Hand Heart / Headin’ Home To Old Kentucky G+
48-0193 - Charlie Monroe - If We Never Meet Again / When the Angels Carry Me Home G+
48-0197 - Eddy Arnold - To My Sorrow / Easy Rockin’ Chair VG
48-0197 - Eddy Arnold - To My Sorrow / Easy Rockin’ Chair VG+
48-0304 - Texas Jim Robertson - Rubber Knuckle Sam (Leader of the Washboard Band) / Wedding Bells Will Never Ring For Me G
48-0305 - Rosalie Allen - My Dolly Has A Broken Heart / Choc’late Ice Cream Cone G
48-0307 - Pee Wee King - The Kissing Game / Blame It All On Nashville VG
48-0307 - Pee Wee King - The Kissing Game / Blame It All On Nashville VG
48-0311 - Dolph Hewitt - An Empty Promise / When A Dream Is Broken In Two G
48-0318 - The Blue Sky Boys - Lord, Be With Us-Amen / The New Golden Rule G
48-0318 - The Blue Sky Boys - Lord, Be With Us-Amen / The New Golden Rule VG
48-0113 - Homer and Jethro - Tennessee Border No. 2 / I’m Getting Older Every Day G+
48-0072 - The Blue Sky Boys - Alabama / You’ve Branded Your Name On My Heart G+
48-0023 - The Six Fat Dutchmen - Saturday Waltz / Old Lady Polka EX
48-0066 - Ann Stephens - Teddy Bears’ Picnic b/w Eve Young - Time For Your Lullaby VG
48-0339 - Elton Britt - Stars and Stripes Forever / The Last Straw NM
48-0342 - Eddy Arnold - Enclosed One Broken Heart / Cuddle Buggin’ Baby VG
48-0382 - Eddy Arnold - A Prison Without Walls / The Lovebug Itch VG
48-0004 - Sons of the Pioneers - Chant of the Wanderer / Cool Water VG+
48-0017 - Eddy Arnold - Molly Darling / It Makes No Difference Now EX
48-0029 - Henri Rene - Adios, Pampa Mia! / Mexican Hat Dance G+
48-0042 - Eddy Arnold - There’s Not A Thing (I Wouldn’t Do For You) / Don’t Rob Another Man’s Castle VG
48-0044 - Elton Britt - In A Swiss Chalet / Maybe I’ll Cry Over You G+
48-0324 - Johnnie and Jack and their Tennessee Mountain Boys - You Better Get Down On Your Knees and Pray / Jesus Remembered Me G+
48-0325 - Charlie Monroe - You’ll Find Me There / Gonna Shake Hands With Mother Over There G
48-0326 - Charlie Monroe - The Saviour’s Train / Springtime In Glory G+
48-0328 - Hank Snow - With This Ring I Thee Wed / I’m Moving On VG+
48-0330 - Spade Cooley - Hillbilly Fever / Honky Tonkin’ G+
48-0356 - Hank Snow - I Cried But My Tears Were Too Late / The Night I Stole Ol’ Sammy Morgan’s Gin VG
48-0370 - The Blue Sky Boys - Drop Your Net / Sunny Side of Life G+
48-0375 - Bill Boyd and his Cowboy Ramblers - Bill Boyd Rag / Yes I Do, Yes I Do, Yes I Do VG
48-0381 - Elton Britt - There’s A Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere / The Red We Want Is The Red We’ve Got (In the Old Red White and Blue) NM
48-0390 - Eddy Arnold - Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town / White Christmas VG+