[78-L] When 78s "convey" with a house

[Steve Shapiro]

David L's selling his house in Toronto got me to wondering whether his records "convey" or whether he plans to move them to his new place.

A Croatian-American neighbor who had given me a bunch Croatian 78s before phoned me 15 years ago.  He had just bought the house next door and was planning to move there.  The previous owners had left a bunch of 78s upstairs.  Did I want them?  I said I'd come over and take a look.  They were mostly 12" Red Seals - nothing rare - and some other 12" records.  He said, Please take them away, as he had no use for them.

To my amazement there was a Spanish 12" U.S. Columbia sleeve from the early 1910s.  Discos Dobles Columbia.  Toda La Musica del Mundo.  Many countries were listed in the repertory on the back, including Trinidadense (probably referring to Lovey's records), Curazoleno (Curacaon), Ecuatoriano, Jamaiquino, Venezolano; as well as Vizcainos, Swatows (now Shantou in Guangdong China), and Krimer (Crimean) - among early recorded repertoire not often if ever seen here.

I've looked at my share of records in many places over the years, but this is the only sleeve like this I've ever seen.  And to think that it showed up two minutes from my house.

I met a local fellow a year ago who empties houses that have been sold.  He then sells some of the merchandise on oyVey.  He likes music, but sells some very interesting 78s that come his way from these houses.

And then there's the carpenter in Oregon who sold me 200 early electric Chinese Victors he found in a house he was working on.  These included what appear to be some complete Opera sets.  When I took some of these to two Chinese men for translation, each knew these operas.  I think one opera was "The Red Door".  The carpenter built four special super-strong crates to ship these records.  He sold me the records at a very nice price.

Then again there was the enormous factory stock group of early electric Victors (c 1926-1931) that surfaced in a Camden basement 12 years ago.  The records had been in the basement from before 1938 when the parents of a friend of a friend (who is a 78 dealer) moved into the house.  I bought the ethnic.  There were a few fine Cuban records among the bunch.  I still have a load of Italian records, few of which I have played; I wish there had been more Sicilian records among these.  The band records went to Fred.  The jazz, blues, dance, jug, and country were sold on auction.  On auction I bought a nice clean Frank Stokes at a reasonable price;  I think I also won a Floyd Ming; it was a great list, back in 1998./steve 
____________________________________________________________
Small Business Tools
Compete with the big boys.  Click here to find products to benefit your business.
http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2141/c?cp=VVzM_hyvQdsM8bX_OaLaxAAAJ1AuJEYQAH2je3i-R67rd8P6AAYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARMQAAAAA=