Columbia House Closes the Penny-Per-Record Chapter of Music History
Columbia House, the iconic mail-order music club famous for its 12-for-a-penny offer, is winding down its music operations after a long run that began in 1955 and peaked in the 1990s with millions of members. The company shifted to DVDs after 2009, filed for bankruptcy in 2015, and has since persisted in various ownerships—now announcing that, after September 15, 2026, it will no longer accept new orders. The piece reflects on the ads, the allure of a personal music library, and the harsh lessons about fine print and cancelation built into the club’s business model.