[78-L] 78 Prices--was:Here is the article on Tefteller andParamount fromtheNY Times

[Taylor Bowie]

Argh...I thought Mr.  Barr had gotten this self-pitying and self-rewinding 
rant (included blow if anyone wants to reread it)  out of his system but I 
guess not.

So,  and knowing full well that it will change no one's mind,  here I am 
snatching at the bait dangled right in front of me.   I would make a few 
observations...


1.  Record Research is long,  long, LONG  gone.  You might as well wish for 
the days of good quality 78s for a nickel or a dime  at the Salvation Army. 
The RR minimum when I started bidding in 1965 was 50 cents per record. 
Minimum wage then was 90 cents per hour.  Now Nauck has a $3.00 minimum , 
and minimum wage in Washington State  is over $8.00 an hour.  So using Steve 
B's special "good old days pocket calculator" I  guess Record Research was 
actually too expensive back then,  right?  I wonder if Vice President 
Marshall would come back today and still hope to find a good five cent 
cigar...

2.  Anyone who could drive the value of the "average 78" up to $10 each 
would not be a  "screaming idiot."   That person would be a financial and 
marketing genius.    But I'd wager if Steve's 78s are mostly worthless now 
(his own take on it) they would still be worthless then.  There will always 
be the "crash and burn" potential with things which are intentionally 
manufactured to be "collectables" which 78 records were not.  Comparing them 
with or likening them to Beanie Babies is ridiculous...it's an insult to 
records and to beanie babies as well.

3.  Kurt Nauck sells many great records,  often for very low prices.  If 
someone does not care about quality but only about quantity,  this would not 
be of interest.  But to most collectors,  quality is important.  Kurt  ships 
your winnings in very sturdy and well packed boxes...I guess that's all he 
can do since he doesn't have any milk crates.

4.  The idea that "most" rarities first  issued on 78 have been reissued or 
are now available in some form is so patently stupid and ignorant that I 
can't even think what to say...oh,  wait,  I already said it:  STUPID AND 
IGNORANT.  To list that as a reason for not buying "overpriced rarities" and 
then also mention that they  "fall outside of my budget" sounds very much 
like our old friend the fox from Aesop,  talking trash about the grapes 
which remained out of reach.

Please...let's just give the boo-hoo-hoo poor mouthing a rest for at least a 
week.

Taylor




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steven C. Barr" <stevenc at interlinks.net>
To: "78-L Mail List" <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
Sent: Sunday, July 12, 2009 6:40 PM
Subject: [78-L] 78 Prices--was:Here is the article on Tefteller andParamount 
fromtheNY Times


>>
> A-MEN!!!!
>
> As a dedicated pack rat, I have watched other "collecting" hobbies blaze
> up...and usually
> then "crash and burn," leaving bunches of speculators holding 
> suddenly-empty
> bags!! As
> I type, there are probably MANY hapless souls stuck with "very rare and
> valuable" (?!)
> Beanie Babies (TM Reg'd) which have puce tags rather than the common mauve
> ones...
> which they were desperately holding onto, assuming the market might just 
> go
> a bit
> higher...?!
>
> Collecting hobbies all try to imitate long-time genres like stamps and/or
> coins; some
> durn fool will immediately publish "The 'Official' Price Guide to..." and
> then he/she/it
> will be the ONLY party who actually makes any money, once that particular
> collecting genre reverts to its more sane reality (of c. $0.01 per
> each...?!)?!
>
> Note, however, that I own around 55,050 78's...about 99.9% of which are
> worth $0.00/each on a GOOD day...?! Should some screaming idiot manage
> to drive the "value" of routine 78's up to around ten bucks per 
> each...well,
> I
> could dump around 45,000 of the jun...er, common 78's...then take my
> 450 grand and see if I live to spend it (considering $450,000.00 will buy
> well over a million beers, it will be a race between my liver and my net
> assets...?!).
>
> I think back wishfully to the days of Record Research, listing a few
> thousand 78's with a <$1 minimum bid (I bought bunches therefrom!)...
> and Don Keele's VERY-low-price 78's (which, AFAIK, he still
> offers...are ya listenin' Mr. Lennick?!). I deliberately avoid all the
> overpriced "rarities" since they (1) fall outside my budget, and (2)
> have virtually ALL been reissued...on CD's or "pirate" 78's...?!
>
> At some point in the near future (mebbe next month?!) I'll start
> receiving my US Social Security (providing the US Of A doesn't
> go spectacularly broke...an eventuality which will cause a LOT
> more problems...?!)...and have about $700 a month which WON'T
> be needed for survival! Mebbe then I can once again buy 78's...
> with my goal of "Information On EF78REM" in mind...?!
>
> However, even though newly "rich," I doubt if I will be sending
> Kurt N a lot of bids...I can't get my head around his $3 minimum
> bids...?!
>
> ...stevenc
>
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