[78-L] Harsh, Harsh, Sweet Charlotte

[Taylor Bowie]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steven C. Barr" <stevenc at interlinks.net>


> The harsh reality is that the values/prices of 78's do NOT reflect their
> "rarity" (insofar as that can be established...?!)! I have two particular
> 78's for which this applies...?! The first is an Okie record; the label
> would appear to have been aimed at "okies" (folks from OK) who
> worked in the steel mills in/near Gary, Indiana...?! The contents are
> routine "hillbilly" material (probably NOT in the c&w discog?!)!
>
> Steven C. Barr


Steven,  The "harsh reality" of the values of records or any other commodity 
is dictated first by demand and THEN by rarity.  This is true of records, 
books,  food,  stamps,  coins,  art,  real estate, etc.  A two-cent tax 
token from Upper Wazoo may be the only one known to exist,  but no one wants 
it or is willing to pay anything for it.  I have had books come through 
stock,  some of which were only known in a handful of copies...or even one 
copy.  But so what...if no one wants to pay something for one,  then it is 
not "worth" anything in terms of money.

Same with records....you can pontificate all you want that this,  that,  or 
the other thing "isn't worth" what people are paying for it,  but it is. 
I'm not talking about some odd stray sale where a Six Brown Brothers Victor 
sells for $200 but when copies of a record in demand sell over and over in 
a certain price range.


Taylor