Columbia 78 RPM shellac record, Claude Thornhill (not authenticated)

This physical item is a vintage 78 RPM shellac phonograph record housed in a standard, slightly aged off-white paper inner sleeve with a curved thumb-cut opening at the top. The record features a vibrant red central paper label with bold white and black typography characteristic of mid-20th-century pressing styles. The prominent brand name COLUMBIA appears vertically in bold white block letters on the right side of the label, accompanied by the company logo. Text on the label is clearly legible and reads as follows: 'COLUMBIA', catalog number '37092', matrix number '(CO 36707)', song title 'IT'S A PITY TO SAY GOODNIGHT', musical style descriptor 'Fox Trot', vocal credit 'Vocal Chorus by Buddy Hughes - Reid -', and artist attribution 'CLAUDE THORNHILL and his Orchestra'. Additional marginal text includes 'Mfrd. under U.S. Pat. No. 1,702,564 and Pat. Pending in U.S.A.', 'Marks Reg. U.S. Pat. Off.', 'Made in U.S.A.', and 'For perfect tone use Columbia Needles'. The black shellac disc shows a standard circular groove pattern typical of shellac records from this era, with minor surface dust and sheen consistent with age and storage. The attribution in the item name rests on the clearly visible printed text and typography on the center record label. The item appears stylistically consistent with a production date in the 1940s, though exact manufacturing dates and potential pressing variants remain unverified without physical playback or runout groove analysis. The overall construction displays typical industrial mass-production methods for the period, featuring a brittle shellac compound pressed over a rigid base.

Based on what I can see in the provided image, this is a vintage 78 RPM shellac phonograph record featuring a red Columbia label with typography suggesting the release of 'It's a Pity to Say Goodnight' by Claude Thornhill and his Orchestra, catalog number 37092. I can't verify from a photo whether the shellac is free from micro-cracks, deep scratches, or excessive groove wear, as would need physical inspection to confirm. The label displays appropriate styling for mid-20th-century mass production, but visual examination alone cannot establish whether this specific disc is a period pressing or a later pressing variant. General market conditions and demand for mid-century 78 RPM shellac records are relatively modest, as these mass-produced items are common, highly fragile, and require specialized equipment to play, typically resulting in low resale values unless associated with extremely rare jazz or blues artists. Claude Thornhill recordings from this era generally trade in a lower price bracket. The basis for the value estimate assumes the label details correspond to the actual audio content and that the disc is in playable, visually acceptable condition. What would be needed to confirm authenticity and play grade includes in-person visual inspection under magnification, runout groove matrix verification, and physical audio playback testing. If the item turns out to be a modern replica, unplayable due to structural damage, or an otherwise lesser variant, the value would likely drop to nominal bulk or decorative value of $1 to $3.