Arthur Shimkin was an expert at selling records to children. In 1948, he talked the New York publishing house Simon and Schuster into bankrolling GOLDEN RECORDS, an instant sensation with the kiddies. Golden Records were pressed on bright yellow wax, measured a pint-sized six inches in circumference, and at the beginning listed for only 25 cents. When Shimkin set his sights on a more mature demographic in 1952 by launching BELL RECORDS, he retained his maverick mindset. Instead of creating fresh material for his artists to record, Shimkin covered the hottest pop sellers of the day with lesser-known singers, again marketing them at vastly reduced prices but insisting on hiring top-flight session players and utilizing some of New York's best recording studios.