Lot of Ten (10) Pristine Canyon 78 RPM Navajo Records in Original Sleeves & Box!

Description

In my decades of accumulating 78 RPM records – I don’t call myself a collector, since I only buy them to play, and have no idea how to grade their condition, but I have “accumulated” many thousands of them – this is one of the most remarkable things I have come across.  It is a lot of ten (10) 78 RPM records released on the legendary Canyon Label by the Arizona Recording Productions company of Phoenix in the early 1950’s.  Canyon was (and I believe still is) a label dedicated to bringing Native American music, chants and culture to a broad audience – or, as their sleeves proclaimed, “The Label of Authentic Songs & Chants by THE AMERICAN INDIAN.”  Canyon was way ahead of its time, putting these out in an era when Native Americans were still portrayed in popular culture with crude and demeaning stereotypes; some of these early discs are highly prized by record collectors, anthropologists, ethnographers, historians and enthusiasts for both their content and their pioneer contributions.
I found this set in a lot of hundreds of records I bought somewhere in the Metropolitan New York region a couple of decades ago; I didn’t know they were in their, hidden away in the original box (still bearing .23 in postage stamps) in which they were shipped from Arizona to New Jersey, until only recently, when I discovered them in a hidden side compartment in one of the wooden trunks that came with the lot.  (Why they were hidden away, I will never know.)  All ten records are in their original sleeves; none look like they have ever been played.  They are so pristine, in fact, that I have decided not to play them, either, so that whomever buys them will get them as pristine as I found them.
The records are all identified as Navajo music and chants.  What follows is a complete listing:
1.
153: a - A Group of Navajo Step Dance Songs by Natay, Navajo Singer with drum accompaniment/b - Navajo Riding Songs by Natay, Navajo Singer with drum accompaniment
2.
163: a - Navajo Round Dance by Joe Lee of Lukachukai//b - Navajo Shield Dance, as Danced by Red Wing, vocal by Joe Laughing Boy with drum & bells
3.
159: a - Squaw Gift Dance Song by Joe Lee of Lukachukai with singers & drum/b - Navajo Hoop Dance, vocal by Joe Laughing Boy with drum & bells
4.
144: a – Squaw Dance by Natay, Navajo Singer with drum accompaniment/b – Kiowa War Dance by Natay, Navajo Singer with drum & bells
5.
146: a – Grinding Song, dolls with singer/b - Grinding Song, dolls with singer Part 2
6.
164: a – Old Time Squaw Dance by Joe Lee of Lukachukai with singers & drum/b – Modern Squaw Dance, solo by Laughing Boy with drum & bells
7.
145: a – Yebechai Chant by Grey Mountain Yebechai Team/b – Yebechai Chant by Fort Defiance Yebechai Team
8.
152: a – Navajo Two-Step Song by Natay, Navajo Singer, w drum accompaniment/b – Navajo Love Song by Natay, Navajo Singer, w drum accompaniment
9.
143: a – Navajo Squaw Dance by by Natay, Navajo Singer, w drum accompaniment/b – Song of the Sky City by Natay, Navajo Singer, w drum accompaniment
10.
158: a – Navajo Sun Dance Song by Tseyia Chee with singers & basket/b – Navajo Goat Song, Squaw Dance (“You Will Have a Goat”) by Laughing Boy with drum & bells
As I mentioned, they are all still in their original shipping box with .23 in postage and the original Canyon Records mailing label, which will be included with this lot.  This is a once-in-a-lifetime find; you will never come across anything like it again.
Best of all, I am offering it for sale here with NO RESERVE – high bidder takes it!
I will ship this lot 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 lot 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!