[78-L] When the Holy Grail of 78s appears, what should you do?

[soundthink at aol.com]

I have many holy grail 78s, but one of the most interesting transactions I had involved a 10" LP. About 25 years ago, I found the Columbia House Party release of "Rock 'n' Roll 'n' Robbins" by Marty Robbins, one of the most desired country and rockabilly records. It was one of the last 10" LPs Columbia made. I got it for $3, only it didn't have the sleeve. I figured that I'd have to buy the disc twice to get the complete record & jacket. Lo and behold, about a year later, I was at the Pasadena City College record swap meet, and someone had the jacket only for sale. It wasn't in the seller's stacks, but displayed with other rare 10" LPs on a cement block. The guy wanted $75 for the sleeve. I knew nobody would buy it except me since I had the record. I made the mistake of telling the guy what I had and he said he'd pay ME $75 for my LP. For a while there was a standoff there. Neither of us wanted to sell our piece of the puzzle to each other. A complete copy of the LP was then worth about $500. Who knows how much it brings today. It was as if each of us had half of a thousand dollar bill. Eventually, I wore him down and he sold me the jacket. By itself, the jacket wasn't worth $75, but with the record inside, for my $78 investment, I had a $500 item. I haven't seen a copy of the record since, either the disc or the jacket.

Now, I'm looking for the yellow vinyl Sun 78 release of Elvis Presley's "Good Rockin' Tonight" and "I Don't Care if the Sun Don't Shine." This was part of a 1970s commemorative bootleg series of 78s, each pressed in a different color (blue, pink, orange, red, and yellow). I've managed to assemble the other four over the years but need just this one to complete the collection. The sound quality of these records is pretty good and the label reproductions are excellent. Occasionally, all five are available as a set, but it's difficult to find any one at a time as they were often purchased as a lot. So, I keep looking.

Cary Ginell


-----Original Message-----
From: Robert M. Bratcher Jr. <bratcher at pdq.net>
To: 78-L Mail List <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
Sent: Sun, Jun 14, 2009 8:09 pm
Subject: Re: [78-L] When the Holy Grail of 78s appears, what should you do?



At 12:41 AM 6/14/2009, you wrote:
>Congratulations,  Dennis.  It doesn't matter what you paid for it...when you
>have an opportunity to grab something you're pretty sure you might not see
>again for many moons,  then just go for it,  if you can afford it (and keep
>the news from the Mrs.!).
>
>I've never just happened upon some record treasure like that,  but get the
>same feeling when one of my "most wanted' turns up on a list or on eBay.
>
>I once paid $600 for a copy of the Jose Ferrer and the Pied Pipers 1932
>record of Sweet Georgia Brown...have never regretted it and have never seen
>as nice a copy offered since.  Was the price "too much"?  I'm sure some
>would argue that it was,  but who cares?    I paid more than that for the
>little blue Flexo record of sax player Larry Tice (Goldkette Orch)  from
>1928 of a few guys jamming on some tune and then Larry wishing you a Merry
>Christmas for 1928.  Don't imagine I'll see that one again,  and if I do,
>it won't be for sale!
>
>Taylor B

Try dropping $400 at a record collector show for a near mint 45 of 
Mickey Gilley's first record that he ever made. It was on the Minor 
label & yes I still own it. Another record I picked up at a different 
collector show was a near mint stereo copy of Offenbachs Gaite 
Pairisianne  by Author Fiedler & The Boston Pops (RCA LSC-1817) that 
was worth $350 at the time (collector book value) & I only paid $6 
for it. I still have that stereo LP as well as the 1954 mono copy of 
the same recording. Either the dealer didn't know that a valuable 
record was in the box I dug though or he didn't care at the time on 
what it might bring. Today that LP is worth about $500 & yes I'm keeping it.

Holy Grail 78's? I've found a few. One was Rag Mop (on Bullet) by 
Johnny Lee Wills & His Boys. Don't remember what I paid for it. Less 
than $20 I think..... 

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