Aired June 6th, 2025
I want again. Welcome into the four zero five coffee break, guys. The weekend's almost here. Get you a cup of coffee, glass iced tea, bottle of water. Let's see what's happening out there.
OK Solberg:Spring week, $6.10. 6 dollars and a dime. 5 hundred and 50 pound steer calf, $3.97. 3 9 7. Butcher Hog in Omaha, 63 Cents a pound.
OK Solberg:And a hundred pound fat lamb in Billings at $2.54 a pound. But, guys, there's more, much more. Tune in Monday, living next door to Alice. But now I got a little information for you, an announcement. First off, there's tomorrow.
OK Solberg:Yes, sir. Class of 1975, my class, mister Sable and mister Vanderpan will be present tomorrow. So I wanna invite any and all of you to come to the Tin Cup tomorrow night from 07:30 till closing time. Come and visit and talk about the old days. Don't say you weren't invited because I just invited you.
OK Solberg:Okay. Today. First, our theme bible verse, Deuteronomy thirty two seven. You know it by heart, don't you? Remember the days of old.
OK Solberg:Consider the years of many generations. Ask your father, and he will show you your elders, and they will tell you. I like remembering the days of old. And today the topic is going to be Columbia House and all the records, cassettes, and eight track tapes they would send you. You gotta remember the ads in all the magazines.
OK Solberg:It said Columbia House thirteen records or tapes for $1. And if you go back, when I was in grade school, I remember an ad that offered 12 albums for a penny. Yes. That's right. 1 red cent.
OK Solberg:Did they send you the tapes, or was it a scam? Drumroll, please. Tune in tomorrow. Oh, we're not here tomorrow. Tune in Monday.
OK Solberg:No. I'm not gonna make you wait. Did they send you the tapes, or was it a scam? Yes. They sent you the tapes or records.
OK Solberg:They absolutely did. Guys, it's true. You guys got to remember, it went on for decades. Actually, Columbia House was in business from 1955 till '10 just ten years ago. 2015, it filed bankruptcy.
OK Solberg:But what a deal. Did you hear what I said when I was a kid? The ad read 12 albums for a penny. Did I sign up? Oh, you better know it.
OK Solberg:You bet I did. In fact, it was such a good deal that I signed up twice. And if you do the research, lots of people did sign up more than once. My first order, I thought it was really clever, guys, was sent to Orvin Solberg, box one zero zero nine Malta, Montana. My second order, oh, I was clever.
OK Solberg:Okay, Solberg, Harb Route, Malta, Montana. If you love music, it was an offer you couldn't refuse. How'd they do it? Well, here's the deal. You got your 12 or 13 albums for little or nothing at first, but then you had to buy one every month for a certain period of time at a regular price.
OK Solberg:Of course, their regular prices were high, even higher than you would get them in the store. But see, I didn't ever fulfill my obligation. I just got the cheap ones and then ignored the mail. I just ignored the rest. They would send letters, and I just ignore them.
OK Solberg:I know it wasn't right, but I was a kid. Kids are stupid. But, guys, the Columbia House did a banner business because most people fulfilled their obligation. In the mid nineteen nineties, their peak revenue, even though they're given these deals, their peak revenue in 1990 was $1,400,000,000. Billion with a b as in boy, bottle, bus, beer.
OK Solberg:What a memory though. All this great music and a way to get it mailed to you even in little old Malta, Montana. Let me know if you ordered music from Columbia House. The weekend's near. Remember tin cup tomorrow night, 07:30 till close and come out.
OK Solberg:Talk to us old guys and see mister Sable and mister Vanderpan. I'll close with a bible verse. I will turn my ear to a proverb. With the harp. I will expound my riddle.
OK Solberg:Psalm forty nine four. Music. It is as real as the air we breathe. So until next time, as you go out there, remember now, don't be bitter.