Rare Columbia "Twentieth Century" 6-inch Cylinder Record in Original Case!

Description

This is one of the more interesting and unusual pieces of phonographic history:
A Columbia “Twentieth Century” 6-inch cylinder record in its original case.
These extremely rare records – also known as Columbia “BC” cylinders – represent a bold experiment Columbia undertook, in the era before Edison introduced 4-minute Amberol cylinders, to give the public recordings that lasted longer than the standard 2 minutes that represented, at that time, the maximum program length possible on wax cylinders.
Columbia’s ingenious solution was to produce cylinders that were literally longer – 6 inches, as opposed to the standard 4 inches on standard wax cylinders.
Columbia also claimed that these records played louder than normal cylinders; experts and collectors can disagree on that, but there’s no doubt that they play longer.
Nor that they’re extremely rare and hard-to-find:
Columbia only offered these for less than two years, and produced fewer than 200 recordings in all in this format.
Serious collectors go decades without stumbling upon one in the wild; most collectors never find one at all.
I found this one at a yard sale here in Maine, but I have never owned one of the several models of Columbia phonographs that came with the 6-inch mandrel required to play these, so I have never listened to it; and now that I am downsizing, it’s time to pass it along to another collector.
The “Twentieth Century” or BC cylinders were particularly susceptible to mold, much moreso even than standard wax cylinders; as you can see, this record has some, but not nearly as much as just about every other example I have ever seen in photos. (I took care to photograph it from every angle so you can see its condition in full.) This particular record is number 85010, making it the eleventh one Columbia ever produced. It dates to 1905. Its title is “Coax Me – Medley and Two-Step,” the artist is Prince’s Military Band, and the composer is Harry Von Tilzer. When I found this the case had no lid; I added a period-appropriate Columbia lid from an empty case I had.
If you are a collector, you know how scarce these are; if you’ve been looking for one, this is your lucky day. Who knows when you will come across another one in playable condition. Best of all, I am offering it here with NO RESERVE – high bidder takes it!
I will ship this item ONLY within the United States. If you live elsewhere and are interested in it, please contact me BEFORE bidding so we can discuss the shipping charges, which can be very expensive outside the U.S. I ship once a week (whenever possible). Having received, over the years, some items that did not survive shipping, I always take care to pack very carefully. If you prefer, I will be happy to drop it off at a nearby UPS store and have it professionally packed and shipped at your expense. I reserve the right to raise or lower the shipping charges should they prove to be significantly different than those determined by the shipping calculator. I reserve the right to refuse sale to anyone with excessive negative feedback or an otherwise suspicious history. Payment is due within three (3) days of the auction's close. Due to its age I am selling this item without any warranty. All sales are final. I am not a dealer, and don’t have a big operation with a staff, so I would appreciate your patience while I take the time to pack your items with the care they deserve.
Be sure to see all the pictures! I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have, but please try to ask as early as possible, as it sometimes takes me a while to get to my email. Please see my other listings, as I am running out of space and am thinning out my collection considerably. I have several fine items up on Ebay right now, and will be listing many more in the weeks and months to come, so please keep checking. Good luck and happy bidding!