[78-L] Darren Harte "valuing" 78's tonight on BBC

[Andrea Walsh]

I agree, but these guys are internet friends, and I think while they
definitely know a lot about music and artists, even I (who admittedly would
never call myself an "authority" on any aspect of collecting) wince at least
once during every one of their shows at something they say about
collecting.
But still it's interesting that they are out there trying to get the older
music on the modern airwaves, and they are a big part of the resurgence in
popularity of live 78 spinning gigs at big outdoor shows in the UK.
Andrea


On Thu, May 7, 2009 at 10:37 PM, Steven C. Barr <stevenc at interlinks.net>wrote:

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Andrea Walsh" <petquality1 at gmail.com>
> > Sorry guys!  I recorded it online- let me convert it and upload it to my
> > box.net account then you can hear it.  I was disappointed, they talked
> > about
> > 45's, LP's and Cd's as well as 78s.  But still it was an interesting
> hour.
> >
> To make things worse, this seems to exemplify two of the MOST common
> fallacies about "collecting" hobbies...ESPECIALLY 78 collecting!
>
> The first is the common myth that 78's (or ANY sorts of phonorecords?!)
> have specific and unchanging values which can be looked up somewhere!
> This fallacy is based to some extent on collecting coins and stamps; both
> have quasi-official "values" which can be looked up in quasi-official
> guides
> (Scott for stamps, and standard works on coins...!). In the current day
> and age, as soon as things become widely collected some fundamental
> orifice immediately releases the "Official" guide to the supposed "value"
> of each and every known example/variety...even freakin' Beanie Babies (TM
> Reg!).
> Inevitably, ALL the dommed things rapidly acquire values of $0.00 once the
> fad has expired (anybody want "Billy" beer cans cheap...?!)...and some poor
> suckers wind up with a basement/attic full of worthless "junque!!"
>
> The second related fallacy is that one "SHOULD" collect only the most
> "officially valuable" phonorecords! In 30-odd (some VERY odd) years
> of 78 collecting, I have always intentionally avoided "valuable"
> records...I
> think the most I EVER paid for one 78 was $20 (for a c.1930 or so
> Brunswick 12" disc with an all-star cast, including the
> Boswells...favourites
> of mine!!)!
>
> In fact, the "rarest" 78 I own is a special Radiex disc which seems to have
> been issued to promote the fact they are "now electrically recorded!"
> Neither the record or its matrices are numbered in existing sequences...and
> I have NO idea from whence they emanated! No one I know has ever
> seen this record, nor knows SFA about it...?! Cost me $5 from the late
> Jim Hadfield...!!
>
> ...stevenc
>
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