This Fred Invented Self-Service! "In the early days," Fred says, "the records were kept behind the counter. You had to ask the clerk to see the records. You couldn’t browse!" So Fred invented the 'Browser Box.' It was the simplest of inventions that allowed the customer to easily flip through the record selections. Fred says, "You gotta feel the tomatoes! You can’t have them wrapped up and out of the customer’s reach if you want to make a sale!" Fred’s invention propelled Capitol’s record sales and helped turned the small Hollywood record company into a major player in the recording industry. Over the years, Fred was sent to England, France, Belgium and the World’s Fair in Brussels to promote his self-service designs. The 'Browser Box' concept is still in use today. In 1954, Fred introduced the 'record inner sleeve.' It was a substitute for the green stock envelope that was used for the old ?78? records. Fred also began to market artist’s merchandise on the inner sleeve, another of Fred’s innovations that made millions of dollars for Capitol Records. Photo shown: Fred Rice (on right), then National Merchandising Manager at Capitol Records talks with host of the Televesion Show, "Success Story." The host is pointing to a model of Fred's "Browser Box" displays inside a record store environment.