45s used as stiffeners instead of cardboard

[Modularman]

Received a record from the US today and opened it up to find that instead of the usual cardboard stiffeners the sender had used two other 45s each side of my purchase to protect it. Not that unusual as you used to see it a lot years ago and occasionally still do.
Emailed the seller just to be sure he hadn't made a mistake and he replied that "I've stopped buying cardboard stiffeners and use old 45s out of a big box of $1 bargain bin junk".
One of the said "junk" 45s was Alexander Patton - A lil lovin sometimes and another was Aretha Franklin - One Step Ahead, both near mint!! The other two were a Slim & Little Ann 45 and a thrashed copy of Ruby Andrews - Casanova, both probably deserving of the $1 bargain bin!
Made me feel slightly better about the $24 postage charge!
Anyone else been lucky and had a similar experience?

One man's water and all that....

[Swifty]

I had the same but both the Stiffener 45's were shite lol ! Well done mate

[The Yank]

This didn't happen to me but, a few years back someone I know won a lot of 200+ 45's. He asked  the seller if  he had any more 45's could he just throw  them in? The seller threw in 10 + mint copies of Detroit Soul  "All Of My Life". 

[Smudger]

I had it once and it was a copy of virgil henry on tamla,looked dog rough and was coated in something and played like shite,i gave it to someone who gave it the pvr glue treatment about three times and it was fine.

i already had a great copy thank god.

[Corbett80]

Had this happen when i bought Little Tommy about 15 years ago - got stung badly on import tax but opened the box and found it stiffened with clean r&b 45s - copies of Randy Hobbs, Judy Clay on Ember and Willie Harper.

Edited October 4, 2018 by corbett80

[Mick Holdsworth]

Not really used as stiffners, but I did once have a bunch of records used for packing. All green RCA line dance records. so no bargain for me.

[Steviehay]

not had it with 45s but with album covers, doris day doesn't do it for me unfortunately 

[Louise]

Had this happen a few times on one occasion a guy used several copies of Odds and Ends "Let Me Try" (Today) and another occasion several copies of Danny White "Loan Me Your Hankerchief" and "The Twitch" on Frisco amongst others.

Dave

Edited October 4, 2018 by Louise

[Chalky]

Best 45 stiffener I’ve seen, the extremely rare King George on Audio Arts

[Davek]

End of Wigan, Clifton Hall period I bought The Q - "That's the way" off Richard Searling. He enclosed a letter apologising for not having any cardboard and had used 2 acetates as stiffeners instead.

The 2 acetates were Eddie Holman - "Where I'm not wanted" and "Hurt".

Two of the biggest nighter sounds of that period !!!!

Bloody hell Richard find some cardboard next time..........

[Modularman]

45 minutes ago, DaveK said:

End of Wigan, Clifton Hall period I bought The Q - "That's the way" off Richard Searling. He enclosed a letter apologising for not having any cardboard and had used 2 acetates as stiffeners instead.

The 2 acetates were Eddie Holman - "Where I'm not wanted" and "Hurt".

Two of the biggest nighter sounds of that period !!!!

Bloody hell Richard find some cardboard next time..........

We have a winner!!

[Corbett80]

18 hours ago, chalky said:

Best 45 stiffener I’ve seen, the extremely rare King George on Audio Arts

That's the winner for me 

[Benji]

On 04/10/2018 at 21:06, DaveK said:

End of Wigan, Clifton Hall period I bought The Q - "That's the way" off Richard Searling. He enclosed a letter apologising for not having any cardboard and had used 2 acetates as stiffeners instead.

The 2 acetates were Eddie Holman - "Where I'm not wanted" and "Hurt".

Two of the biggest nighter sounds of that period !!!!

Bloody hell Richard find some cardboard next time..........

You really want us to believe that?

[Bruv]

I can't contribute much to this thread other than when my copy of Shirley & The Shirelles - Look What You've Done To My Heart arrived it had two 45's as stiffeners,  Meat Loaf - dead ringer for love & Van Morrison with Cliff Richard - whenever god shines his light      

[funk brother joe]

Many moons ago at Tynemouth market I picked up a record in the 50p box, put it back two or three times then bought it. Turned out it was June Alexander, (Arthur Alexander) copy of Sally Sue Brown c/w The Girl That Radiates That Charm  on the Judd label.

[Mal C]

Had this happen a few times over the years, think some of them have been soul 45s as protection, or in one case two more copies of the track I was buying, that was Ernie Andrews on capital that one, on the lp front I’ve had lots of great sleeves used as stiffeners of one bloke in the states, perfect nick but no discs:-( 

Edited October 14, 2018 by Mal C