[78-L] Age of Collectors (WAS Kurt Nauck's Auctions)

[Matthew Duncan]

Hi all

I am 25 and have been collecting for about 15 years.  When I started collecting 
78s I already had a small collection of blues LPs, 50s and 60s pop and R&R 45s 
and some Jazz EPs etc...

I knew no other collectors but my local flea market got to know me as 'the kid 
who bought records', in particular - 78s...

I was the only one who ever bought 78s from any of the sellers there until a few 
years ago when some others started to do so - but I am still the only regular 
visitor who would buy 78s..

I mainly collect early jazz, blues, string bands, hillbilly, western swing, big 
bands and anything acoustic that looks interesting (especially music hall and 
marching bands playing ragtime) and try to keep my 78s to as close to 1900-1950 
as possible (my vinyl collection is 1950 to c.1965).

I now buy 78s from loads of sources and know many other collectors but the 
youngest one I know is 35.  I imagine there are a lot of collectors who are 50+ 
or 60+ but I would say there are enough under 40s to keep things going for a 
while...but you will have people who will stop collecting too...which may happen 
for several reasons and at any age..

I have never been influenced by any 'revival' or hype - I got into 78s through 
being a geek in general and being a lover of old music...I was captivated by the 
sound of 78s when I was  kid and I know I always will be a collector of 78s 
although I collect cigarette cards, postcards and music memorabilia too....

Matthew Duncan
England.




________________________________
From: Sammy Jones <sjones69 at bellsouth.net>
To: 78-l at klickitat.78online.com
Sent: Tue, 10 May, 2011 5:25:15
Subject: [78-L] Age of Collectors (WAS Kurt Nauck's Auctions)

I'm 28, and I've been collecting since about 1995 or 96 (OTR shows from
before that!).  I have a good friend who's 25 and he collects, too.

Pure speculation, but I imagine there are lots of under-40 collectors out
there...

To Steven C.:  I'd love the Complete Works of Henry Burr (though I'd prefer
the Complete Works of Billy Murray)!

Sammy Jones

Robert M. Bratcher wrote:
> 
> I thought we (I'm 52 now) 78 RPM record collectors were a shrinking
> dying out
> breed too. So there really are enough young folks interested in the old
> 78's to
> keep our hobby going for awhile? I sure hope so!! Or am I only
> dreaming?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ________________________________
> From: Cary Ginell <soundthink at live.com>
> To: 78-l at klickitat.78online.com
> Sent: Mon, May 9, 2011 10:52:47 PM
> Subject: Re: [78-L] Kurt Nauck's Auctions.
> 
> 
> Yes, but you are assuming that no new, younger members are joining our
> little
> group of collectors.
> 
> Older collectors dying out also brings the average age down, doesn't
> it?
> You can't assume that the entire group is remaining static with no new
> members
> and nobody dying.
> 
> 
> Cary Ginell
> 
> 
> > >
> > I no longer recall the exact details; however IIRC there was an
> > informal survey of 78-L taken per the age of its listeners, and the
> > result was near 60. Assume that was five years ago...and our
> > average age would now be at or a bit past 60...!
> >
> > Further, it would seem plausible that those who collect 78's probably
> > grew up listening to them; the last 78's were pressed in the late
> 50's
> > (a couple years later up here in Canada). If we assume this 78
> listener
> > was at least 12...he she it was born in the early 40's (as I was).
> That in
> > turn suggests an age in the sixties...!
> >
> > There was a brief "swing revival" a few years back; the result was
> > 3-speed players, usually without the .003" needles needed to
> > properly play 78's...! I am still buying 78's via a local record
> > store...which accepts lots for resale and then contacts me...!
> > I pay a few cents per record...and haul them home to be added
> > to my "half-vast shellac archive." I also buy many from "NickJay."
> >
> > Steven C. Barr


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