[78-L] Keep Young and Beautiful (and collecting)

[Taylor Bowie]

> Keep in mind that (as I noticed at the most recent CCC?!) we
> 78-ophiles are almost all "senior citizens" or close thereunto...and
> thus approaching the end of our life-spans!

> ...stevenc


I think Steven is overstating the situation.  I have personally met several 
collectors who are in their 20s and 30s,  and encountered quite a few others 
when I was selling 78s for a while on eBay around 2002.    And that was 
without even really trying.

One undeniable benefit from the internet for 78 and all kinds of 
collecting...it has provided a market place and forum for all sorts of 
information,  and for materials which might have stayed in attics and 
basements for many more years...or even been tossed in the garbage.   This 
is not to say that there isn't plenty of misinformation out there,  as well 
as junky junk being offered as "collectors items,"  but the general results 
have been well to the good.  Unlike the old days,  when a budding record 
collector's opportunities often depended on how many junk stores he or she 
could visit,  now anyone can browse through the internet and find the same 
range of stuff...from crap to gems...and depending on one's budget,  all 
available to whoever comes up with the money.

BTW the same idea about few or no young collectors circulates in the rare 
book trade as well,  and again I've found the opposite to be true.  It's not 
like there are millions of collectors out there,  but that's never been the 
case.  It's always been a matter of a few dedicated individuals followed by 
a certain number of more casual  participants.

There will be a market for this stuff in 50 or 60 years,  after most of us 
have been returned to the Great Distributor in the Sky.

Taylor