[78-L] help req on a few 78s (prices or monetary value)

[Glenn Longwell]

The only book I know about regarding prices of 78s is Les Docks' American Premium Record Guide 1900-1965.
I've looked at pricing in here as merely a guide.  Many records he says are $5-8 or $8-12 you can get on Ebay for $1-3 and many of them don't even sell for that asking price.  So a price guide is only that - a guide.

Relevant to this discussion is a small collection of R&B 78's I bought on Ebay.  I paid a little over $2 each for a similar group of artists and labels.  Docks' book had one of the records at $100-150.  A few others were $20-30.  So what is the value of them really?  No one really can hazard a guess except to say they are now worth $2 each since that's what someone (me) paid for them.  I'm sure if they were E+ someone would have bid it up higher, but how much?  So value is exactly what Bill already said - what someone is willing to pay for them.  On any given day who knows what that price may be.  I thought I was "dumping" a small set of 4 records once and found that 2 guys in Japan bid it up to $600. They were the only two bidders and if one of them wasn't taking part they would have sold for $6 and I would have been happy to have them go. You just never know.
 
Having said all that I don't want say that Docks' book is useless as I do find it quite useful.  Value is just such a moving target that it's hard to have an authoritative book that can stay up to date. 
 
My 2 cents.

Glenn

--- On Thu, 2/26/09, P G C <re_p_g_c at yahoo.com> wrote:

From: P G C <re_p_g_c at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [78-L] help req on a few 78s (prieces or monetary value)
To: "78-L Mail List" <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
Date: Thursday, February 26, 2009, 10:04 AM

Excuse my English grammar.

I have noticed that the experts in the list are reluctant to give price
estimates or any monetary expectations.
It is understandable, but some newbies like me would like to have  a comment
with a list of rules, criteria or the like.

General "finger rules" we call it in Spanish.

I hope to have passed the concept or idea.

Also a comment of the more ikely vaue of very common 78rpm bases on the
condition or preservation.

As always, a link to some book or article in the web will help.
 
Regards, JorgeF. (PGC)
 __,,,^..^,,,__ 




________________________________
From: William A. Brent <bbrent at pipeline.com>
To: 78-L Mail List <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2009 1:33:27 AM
Subject: [78-L] help req on a few 78s

Hi

A friend dropped off a bunch of 78s and asked the magic question
"Are these worth anything, they're really old"
I gave my pat answer - "They're only worth what some one will pay for
them"
(at least in terms of dollars)


Bill

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