Old 78s

[velorush]

Guys, I've got around 50 (a guess, I'll catalog as soon as I can) 78-speed records from my Grandmother's estate. Being that they belonged to her (and to her 3rd husband - survived all three and died at 90!) they're great old talents like Dinah Shore, Harry James, Woody Herman, etc. I'd love to listen to them, but I have nothing on which to play a 78, nor do I have the space to store them. They are in excellent condition (as far as I can tell, I can't play them to find out) and most are in original paper jackets and these fiberboard collection cases. Don't know if any of you would be interested, but maybe someone would know an outlet for these.

eBay was my knee jerk reaction, but I can see that being a swamp of condition definition, goofy questions, dissatisfied customers, etc. I would have listed them in the FS thread, but I have no idea what they are worth, so that wouldn't really fit the rules of the board.

My dad has designated that any proceeds go to my kids (her great grandchildren) so I'd like to get, not too much, but at least in the ballpark of what they are worth, while allowing the purchaser room to make resale worthwhile to them too. Anyone know an outlet for this sort of thing? Finding a real pro that knows their stuff would be an immense help.

And mods, if this is too off the wall I apologize. If you need to move this to the OC I'll understand completely.

[mc2]

Generally speaking, old 78s aren't really valuable just because they are "old."

If they are just a bunch of the really popular artists of the era and hit songs, they are likley not valuable.

What IS valuable are some of the more obsure pressings on smaller labels or non-hits...especially blues and opera stuff.

It might be easiest to catalog it all and sell it as one lot on EBAY. That way, if you do happen to have a couple rarer, desireable discs in the bunch, a collector will really bid to get those and take the whole pile along with it of non-valuable ones...plus you avoid a lot of the annoying inquiries TIMES FIFTY.

[Guest pirateflynn]

I don't know too much about 78's. I don't think the demand is the same as it is for 45's or LP's but I could be wrong. There are collectors out there for this kind of stuff.

These guys will know:

Atomic Records

[velorush]

Generally speaking, old 78s aren't really valuable just because they are "old."

If they are just a bunch of the really popular artists of the era and hit songs, they are likley not valuable.

What IS valuable are some of the more obsure pressings on smaller labels or non-hits...especially blues and opera stuff.

It might be easiest to catalog it all and sell it as one lot on EBAY. That way, if you do happen to have a couple rarer, desireable discs in the bunch, a collector will really bid to get those and take the whole pile along with it of non-valuable ones...plus you avoid a lot of the annoying inquiries TIMES FIFTY.

I agree completely, and all things considered, these aren't really that old. I have no illusions of being able to fund college out of this, more like a trip to Chucky Cheeze or something. And if there were any Charley Patton, or Son House, trust me, I wouldn't be trying to sell them, I'd be putting up a WTB: one 78 rpm turntable!

I hadn't considered but do like the idea of selling it as one lot on eBay. That's a great suggestion and for the reasons you site.

I don't know too much about 78's. I don't think the demand is the same as it is for 45's or LP's but I could be wrong. There are collectors out there for this kind of stuff.

These guys will know:

Atomic Records

I'll give them a call in the morning (if I can get a list together tonight). If that doesn't pan out I'll try the eBay lot idea.

Thanks guys! This has been quite a chore going through all this with my dad and trying to figure out what to do with it all. Cuckoo clocks, a wagon seat, furniture, tons of stuff... My dad says he's taken a lesson and is going to sell off all his stuff before he goes. We'll see how that turns out...

[specialk]

My dad says he's taken a lesson and is going to sell off all his stuff before he goes. We'll see how that turns out...

This is a lesson I learned two years ago today. After that experience I have every intention of dying broke and naked!

Good luck with the sale.

[Armitage]

Anyone know where to sell a lot of 78 speed records?

1955

Sorry... couldn't help it...

[acb]

1955

[Steve Haynie]

Sadly, old 78's show up in antique stores priced at $3.00 each. They are more of a novelty than anything else because you can find rereleases of the more popular recordings on 33's and CD's.

It is possible to find a record player that can play those. You can amaze your kids with making sound from a plastic disc!

Sell those records before summer gets here. In the old days, like the 80's, record shows avoided the summer months because heat in a truck or trailer could cause some old records to get damaged.

[crunchee]

Sadly, old 78's show up in antique stores priced at $3.00 each. They are more of a novelty than anything else because you can find rereleases of the more popular recordings on 33's and CD's.

It is possible to find a record player that can play those. You can amaze your kids with making sound from a plastic disc!

Sell those records before summer gets here. In the old days, like the 80's, record shows avoided the summer months because heat in a truck or trailer could cause some old records to get damaged.

+1. The 78's I've seen are shellac-based and usually not made of vinyl. I've never seen an old shellac 78 warp from heat, but I've seen them shatter and chip from even a short fall or careless handling. Shellac records weigh a ton and can be really brittle, so keep this in mind when (or if) you ship them.

[Hamerhack]

One day, back in the late '60's or thereabouts, a friend of mine brought out a whole bunch of '78's. They weighed a lot! We stood on a hill and threw them so they'd shatter in the street or embed themselves in the ground.

Remember those things they threw in "You Only Live Twice"? That's how we chucked 'em (rather than frisbee style). Luckily we didn't hit anybody!

[velorush]

It is possible to find a record player that can play those. You can amaze your kids with making sound from a plastic disc!

Sell those records before summer gets here. In the old days, like the 80's, record shows avoided the summer months because heat in a truck or trailer could cause some old records to get damaged.

I keep an eclectic collection of thirty or forty odd albums I listened to while in college (Vai's Flexable, Satriani's Surfing, Miles Davis' Water Babies, the Clapton Crossroads collection, etc.) and back when we still had a turntable I would play them from time to time. One night my kids decided they wanted to hear what ended up being "Rubber Biscuit" off the Blues Brothers album, but they didn't know the name of the song. They kept trying to describe it and finally they said, "you know, on one of the BIG CDs."

That's an excellent point on the warmer weather. Be a shame for them to ruin in shipment. And yes, they are much heavier than a similar vinyl 33.

[crunchee]

I keep an eclectic collection of thirty or forty odd albums I listened to while in college (Vai's Flexable, Satriani's Surfing, Miles Davis' Water Babies, the Clapton Crossroads collection, etc.) and back when we still had a turntable I would play them from time to time. One night my kids decided they wanted to hear what ended up being "Rubber Biscuit" off the Blues Brothers album, but they didn't know the name of the song. They kept trying to describe it and finally they said, "you know, on one of the BIG CDs."

There's a similar story in Richie Flieger's 'Amps! book (p. 71), where some kid said he thought that 'tubes were recently invented to make guitar amps sound better'.