[78-L] largest record collection (in Pittsburgh)

[Michael Biel]

On 3/2/2012 4:05 PM, Anthony G Pavick wrote:
 > I also wonder what the RIAA thinks of the statement in the article:
 > --quote--
 > Of course, I also noticed in researching Mawhinney that one common 
comment among people who visited his shop
 > was that if he'd actually sold people records instead of insisting 
the dozens of copies of a title they had on the shelf
 > were too precious to part with and offering a $50 CD-R instead, he 
probably wouldn't be sitting on millions of
 > records he can't move now.
 >--unquote--
 > Sun, sea and piracy! T

Actually that is following a long established model.  Back in the 50s in 
NYC there was a shop called the Bell Bros which sold lacquer dubs of 
records.  My mother once took me there when I was around 10 just to see 
it.  The collection of about 150,000 discs was sold to Syracuse Univ in 
the early 70s and became the backbone of their collection.  When I 
visited Walter Welch there in 1977 he gave me a copy of the Bell's 
published catalog.

20 years later Mort Savada also operated in much the same way except he 
would sell the dups when he had them, but otherwise he would sell you a 
cassette.  As you all probably know, Mort's collection has ALSO gone to 
Syracuse University.

This is what Paul has been hoping could happen to his collection, but 
the type of stuff he has is different (mostly 45s and lps) and he wants 
a hell of a lot of money.

Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com