[78-L] Pack em up and move em out

[Steve Shapiro]

As a friend quoted Spotts as saying about having a lot of 78s,

At what point "does one own the records or do they own you"?

Besides all the records pitched in the trash heap, 78s got recycled for their shellac during the two World Wars.  How many 100-year-old records are still around in quantity today?

When I was a boy, Confederate paper currency was still largely without much value to collectors.  Has this changed?  Also, when I was a boy, a friend gave me stacks of worthless U.S.-issued paper currency for Japanese P.O.W.s.  We used these as play money.  Are they worth anything more (or less) than a half century later?  Some 1950s 78s and 45s are worth a lot, but many probably not worth much.  The Crew Cuts' Sh-Boom was always a great record, but its value lies in the hearing, not in the collecting.

Yes, our 78 collections provide us a wealth of enjoyment in the listening, but unlike Scrooge McDuck who loves to roll around in his money bin (still in 2010?), our records, even our cds, have the potential to overwhelm with their inexpensive abundance.

During the course of the next 100 years, can we expect the records we have in our collections to become in greater or lesser demand?  Others have said, and I agree, with 78s it's generally best to collect them only if you enjoy them.  As a financial investment, too many factors over time have the potential to see today's valuable records lose most of their worth.  Look at what happened to the market over the last 30 years for soundtracks and original cast lps.  The late Alan Lomax promoted the concept of a digital audio/visual "Global Jukebox".  In the coming years, the technology may make this possible for all of our 78s, especially since most countries don't have the restrictive copyright laws past 50 years that the United States has./steve (who is perpetually culling but continues acquiring selectively)
____________________________________________________________
Natural Arthritis Cure
Say goodbye arthritis drugs. Aches disappear with raisin remedy.
http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/4c5309445441d4cdd39st03duc