DECCA used several different innerbags for their records during the 60’s and 70’s. There are lots of LP’s around today that have the wrong innerbag as they have been changed during the years for many different reasons. Remember the parties 30 or so years ago when you woke up in the afternoon and found about 12 of your records all over the room without bags and sleeves and then you just took any bag for the record and put it in the correct sleeve…..Well, maybe you did not have those parties, but the guy who then had the record you own today for sure did have those parties.

It is also rather difficult to confirm dates when the bags were in use. Many of the bags may have been used simultaneously and did they use all old bags before a new design was taken into use? Probably not

Innerbag No 0

Bags with “This long playing record is a high precision product” was not used with LP’s intended for the young peoples pop market. Pop music for kids was not supposed to be a high quality product as per the production team at Decca. Only classical music and entertainment music for adults got he high precision treatment at the production line. If you find a Rolling Stones or other pop artist LP in this bag, then most likely there has been a bag change at some point of time.

Innerbag No 1

This bag has the text in an Arial looking font. So far I have only seen plain white bags. Some of the bags has no Patent text at all. These are probably form an early batch of manufacturing. There are also bags existing with the text “British patent No. 800513” together with “Foreign patents pending”. These bags would be from a later manufacturing batch.

Estimated time of use on LP’s are c. 1960 – 1965.

Innerbag No 2

Basically the same bag as No 1 but the text is in a Times New Roman looking font. Plain white bags and light brown striped bags are existing.
A number of Patent text combinations can be found, for example the following:

Striped bags – Patent applied for

Striped bags – Patent 800512 Foreign patent pending

White bags – Patent no 800513 with or without Foreign patents pending

Estimated time of use on LP’s are c. 1960 – 1965

Innerbag No 3

This bag was only used on stereo LP’s. The very first Rolling Stones stereo album Out Of Our Heads had originally this bag. No other Rolling Stones LP’s came with this bag. Used on Stereo recordings by Decca from the very first Stereo LP SKL4001 released in 1958

Estimated time of use on Decca LP’s are late 1958 – 1965.

Innerbag No 4

This bag has frames around the text with full lines. Usually without Patent text.
Bags with date codes from 1968 and 1969 can be found as well. I have seen one bag in a non-RS record with 1-71 date code.
This bag was actually taken into use later than version 5 which has the dotted lines around the text boxes.

Estimated time of use on LP’s are 1967 – 1971.

Innerbag No 5

This bag has frames made of stars around the text. Two versions are existing. Some has the “Equipment” box to the left and the “Record” box to the right and other bags can have them the other way around. Lots of Patent text combinations are existing.
This bag was most probably taken into use earlier than the bag number 4 with full lines around the text sections. No date codes have been found on this bag.

Estimated time of use on LP’s are 1966 – 1969.

Innerbag No 7

Decca took the mono/stereo hole on the sleeve in use 1968 and on the same time they had to change the bag design so that either a blue or a red part on the bag would be visible through the hole. The bag followed the same color code as on the labels, red for mono and blue for stereo. Most of the bags were used with non boxed label vinyls.

Most of the bags have British patent 800512 on the side with more text. Some bags can be found with the Patent pending text and number 1.072.844 on the flip side. Bags with Date Codes have usually dates in between 8-69 and 5-70. Many bags are missing the date codes.

Estimated time of use on LP’s are 1969 – 1970.

Date codes on the bags looks like this:

Innerbag No 7b

Here is the octagonal version of the same bag used in original Through The Past Darkly. The LP was issued in both Mono and Stereo versions.

Innerbag No 8

This bag was taken into use a bit later than version no 7. I have a few bags with the following patent text: “UK patent application No 43212/68”. The bags do also have the standard patent number 800513 on them. Most of the bags are dated but bags with the date missing are also rather common. Earliest date code in my collection on stereo bag: 6-70 and latest 10-71 / Latest date coded mono bag I heard about is from 1974. The Mono bag pictured here has a date code of 12-72.

Estimated time of use on LP’s are 1970 – 1974.

Innerbag No 9

This one has basically the same design as number 8. The big STEREO text is changed into smaller and longer text. The patent number has also been changed into 1.072.844. Lots of bags are without date. Earliest date code in my collection is: 4-72 / Latest date code in my collection is: 11-74.

Estimated time of use on LP’s are 1972 – 1974.

Innerbag No 10

This innerbag with only text on it was taken into use in 1975. The Patent number is the same as on number 9. The address of the Decca Office in the Important Notice box is Albert Embankment. Earliest date code in my collection: 4-75 / Latest date code in my collection: 9-79.

Estimated time of use on LP’s are 1975 – 1980.

Innerbag No 10 B

This bag is identical to bag number 10. The only difference is that “The Phonographic Performance Ltd” hs moved to a new address at the Ganton House in London. This text can be found in the Important Notice box. Date codes ae usually in between 4/80 to 9/80

Estimated time of use on LP’s are early 80’s.

Innerbag No 11

The last innerbag with text on it was taken into use around 1981. The Patent number is the same as on number 9 and 10. The address of Decca Office in the Important Notice box is Rockley Road. This bag has a date code of 1/81.

Estimated time of use on LP’s are early 80’s. Plain white bags has been used as well in the 80’s.