The other day I posted an item about two variations of a little box that was produced last year (2009) by Apple/EMI to hold up to four copies of the new Beatles Remastered series of CD’s, and it got me thinking about another “box” I have.

I don’t collect Beatles memorabilia (clothing, dolls, badges or Beatles wigs!), and I don’t have many paper-based items (posters, photographs, store-displays, etc.).  I tend to stick pretty solidly to just collecting officially released records, CDs and books – in all their many variations….

However, occasionally you come across some interesting Beatles-related paraphernalia that’s directly related to the Beatles and the record business that is of interest.

Back in the sixties and seventies Apple Records in the USA used to ship its 7-inch (45rpm) records out to record shops and stores in specially produced brown boxes that could hold up to 24 singles.

The one I have is a little worse for wear now, but it looks like this:

Official Apple 45rpm record Shipping Box

The catalogue number of the 7-inch record was written in large numbers on the top flap of the box to help identify the contents. This one would have been used to ship copies of John and Yoko’s “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” when it first came out in 1971. It carried the US Apple catalogue number 1842:

Apple Shipping Box - top flap with disc catalogue number

To give you an idea of the size of the box, here’s a shot with the 7-inch 45 rpm single alongside:

Apple Shipping Box with "Happy Christmas (War is Over)"

That’s not the US version of the single – it’s the Australian – but you can get the idea.