[78-L] Collecting vs. 'Investing'

[RUSSELL BARNES]

I do applaud Steven Barr who wrote :-
 
Well, I will admit that the collecting of 78rpm phonorecords DOES
require a substantial degree of eccentricity...which is probably why most of the authors in that field come from the British Isles (where> eccentricity is not only tolerated...it is to some extent admired!...?.
 
I'm fascinated by the reasons why we get into this in the first place.
 
In the spring of 1940 I was a Boy Scout and our 'Troop' was asked to help-out with the Nation Wide Campaign to collect shellac gramophone records which were required for various purposes including - we were told - crushing and mixing with gravel and asphalt (which was in limited supply) for road and aircraft runway maintenance.
 
On a given date people were asked to place their unused records in heaps out-side their homes.  Various local organisations (including Boy Scouts) would collect them.
 
This we did.  I still vividly recall visiting a house in an upmarket area of Bournemouth were there was a large quantity of one-sided records carefully stored in expensive folders.
 
The bright labels; Red, Pink, Blue and Orange were fascinating and I was horrified to see them being smashed.  They were, of course, Gramophone & Typewriter etc., although I knew nothing of that at the time.    As I grew older and saw this type of thing in junk shops I bought them - and I was hooked.
 
So ...  the next time you drive down the road, take care... you may be running over Angelica Pandolfini !!.
 
RB