[78-L] Reprising Record Price Guides

[Geoffrey Wheeler]

Steven C./ Barr says: “In almost 40 years of 78 
collecting/accumulating...I tend to assume that
99.9% of 78's are worth $1 when sold individually...and MUCH less in
"lot sales!" There are, of course, a few exceptions; they tend to reach
much higher TEMPORARY values...which generally dissipate in fairly
short order...!

Further, actual RARE 78's (I own a Radiex disc promoting the label
being electrically recorded, which is so far unknown among collectors;
and an Okie record, issued by a Whiting,IN label, which may be the
last surviving example of its kind...?!) do NOT bring prices reflecting
their ratity,,,?!

Steven may be quite right about “99.9% of 78s are worth $1 when sold 
individually,” but the 78s I am looking for and buy cost more, 
sometimes much more! Price obviously depends on seller, location, and 
trends. I started re-buying bop records in the early ’80s when prices 
were far lower and one could get a Parker Dial or Savoy in E+ or better 
condition for $5. Prices on those peaked during the late ’90s and 
remain fairly high even now. In my experience, buying from a private 
individual usually gave me the best price, like 10¢ a record. One of my 
principal sources in the late 1980s was a guy who sold me nearly 1000 
mint records in original sleeves at three for a dollar. Next would be 
junk stores, Salvation Army, and Goodwill (usually 50¢). Next after 
that would be record bashes and second-hand record stores that 
sometimes offered great finds at low prices (I bought my Bix Victor 
Memorial album in E+ condition for $12.50). My two favorites was a 
store in Boonton, New Jersey and Novotny’s in Glendale, California. I 
bought many hundreds of records from them at $2 to $3 apiece. Both 
stores are unfortunately out of business. Next would be mail-auction 
lists, and finally, E-Bay where some rare-record sellers have MBs of 
either $9.99 or $19.99 as their standard starting prices (those who 
want to bid lower need not apply). The promotional 78s Steven refers to 
simply don’t come up. Even if they did, very few collectors would 
understand their historical value or care. Last are book albums which 
most 78 buyers eschew. Why? I haven’t a clue. Sometimes I could buy an 
entire album for much less than the price of a single record from the 
album