Record Label
Full legal company name: EFA Medien Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung Tonträger Produktion, Vertrieb + Verlag {see also [[label:199815]]} Incorporated: 86/07/17 Amtsgericht Hamburg HRB 36788 · there deleted 93/04/20 · registered: 92/12/17 Amtsgericht Göttingen HRB 2270 · dissolved 12/10/26. EFA stands for 'Energie Für Alle' (Energy For All). Founded in 1982 in Hamburg as a distribution network for the independent label scene, historically developed from the musicians' association [[label:April]] / [[label:Schneeball]]. EFA started out in Germany but had a number of labels from other countries in their stable as well. 1993 the administration and accounting department moved from Hamburg to Friedland near Göttingen. The company went bankrupt in spring 2004 and doesn't exist any more. Also referred to as: - E.F.A. If there is an EFA logo and catalog number on a release, EFA should be added to LCCN as a distributor. **How to interprete an EFA code?** Two digit codes used as suffix or inside of the EFA distributor box: The letter written by EFA Medien GmbH gives a table of price codes, which are explained within the letter. This two digit code is the price code used in the EFA price list. The prices are 'retailer prices' ['Einzelhandelsabgabepreise'] There is three categories for the price codes, which are assigned to real prices in Deutschmark. Category 1: National products by price list 11/1992, the following codes were used (from left to right increasing prices): 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 27, 28 Category 2: Import prices 11/92 (from left to right increasing prices) 40, 45, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 22, 23, 24, 25, 29 Category 3: Netto prices / Midprice (from left to right increasing prices) 01N, 02N, 09N, 18N If one of these codes is used, it is safe to use it as a price code in BAOI. The most often encountered price code 26 means 21,99 Deutschmark. Prefixes of Catalogue / distribution numbers: There may be a prefix be used in connection with the catalogue number. This prefix is a format indicator. Only a couple of prefixes were used for this purpose: CD (CD), MS (Maxi-Single, 12"), CA (Cassette, MC), 7" (7", Single), LP (LP, 12"). More rare: VC (Video Cassette VHS), TS (T-Shirt). Prefixes starting with 'Z' were special products: ZB (Books), ZZ (Non-music products as racks and boxes), ZL (self-released LPs distributed by EFA), ZS, ZC, ZK (Unknown meaning, seems to be related to distinct (one-off) labels). Those prefixes never had 3 digits, nor did EFA distinguish EPs and albums on compact disc, in opposite to vinyl, where they did. CDs are only distinguished by their price codes. [It is evident, that 3-digit format codes were not intended and seem to be a typo. E.g. the occurrence of 'MCD' on Umbra et Imago "Infantile Spiele" can not be found in the catalogue, where this release has the prefix 'CD' and by (high level) price code 26, it is an album and not an EP.] Catalogue / Distribution numbers: The catalogue number as it is listed in the catalogue is of the following scheme: xx yyyyy, where xx is the above explained format code and yyyyy is the core-catalogue number, which always consists of 5 digits. It does not contain 'EFA', as it is noted often in BAOIs, nor does it include the above price codes, which are separately listed as codes in a separate column, and in a different notation, see below. The two-digit price code is NOT part of the EFA cat#. Catalogue code: The price codes listed in the correspondance do not appear like this (with one exception) in the EFA catalogue. The catalogue codes are always 3-digit codes. Two catalogue code systems do exist: a) Price code + additional letter (D, E, N and S) The above defined price codes are the main notation of the catalogue codes. suffixes D and E are the two most frequently used suffixes. Their meaning is not following an obvious pattern. It seems, that they are connected to certain distributed labels. Suffix N is already defined above in the price code section by the netto prices used for mid-price releases. Their use in Price list and catalogue are identical. Suffix 'S' is used rarely and seems to be some special category b) Three digit numbers Certain catalogue codes are independently created and do not have a connection to the price codes. Their use is occasional, as price code + letter is the more frequently used case. The 3-digit numbers seem to be connected with special cases like box sets, Mini-LPs or releases by certain labels. Their meaning is not obvious, but it seems, the higher the number, the higher the price.