[78-L] $1,000 for a business card?

[Cary Ginell]

Here is part of what Paul Solarski told me about the card:
 
***********
 
What some(not you) on 78 L can't understand is that Rodgers was quite an assertive fellow-certainly enough to print business cards. And certainly business competitive enough to probably destroy most if not all cards once the union quickly fizzled-hence the scarcity! And who would bother to fake a business card-a contract or other legal documents maybe.
 
Re: one 78L guy's comments about all of the instruments. This was Rodgers and the 3 Tenneva Ramblers yes but as you know there were others that augmented the group and they were entertainers not necessarily the hillbilly thing people think of as Rodgers. I mean they were on the radio program for a full month-enough to justify the card description in the time's context of early radio. It was a variety show. 
 
It is well-documented that Peer had to unlearn Rodgers of the tin pan alley pop stuff they were performing. Peer took the lessons he had learned at OKeh with Fiddlin' Carson and others and applied them at Victor just like Phillips did with Elvis. Find the right-faceted performer, pair them with the right material and go. The cards were probably printed when Rodgers & they had a 6 week engagement at the (luxury)North Fork Mountain Resort near Marion, NC-before Bristol-again as a variety show.
 
And the font comment. My grandfather was a commercial printer and artist in the 1920's. Since I've seen that (common)font on his 20's paper I don't understand the writer's concern.
 
I agree that your valuing a card at less than an unknown recording or something similiar makes sense but in the context of relative values and supply and demand I don't feel the card is pricey. So there we disagree. No, I promise I'm not hyping. If a Rodgers picture record trades for more $, part of it is the visual appeal and the fact that it's so well known and in demand. Sometimes rare things just aren't that known or understood. Values are not established. Collectors are a paranoid lot-I can't tell you how many times unknown, great records are hard to sell as you know I'm sure. What is a King Oliver, Morton(we've seen plenty of those pictured at least, or Bix business card worth? Remember the fake Bix signature on ebay a few years back?
Early Oliver is known for his Chicago and California groups but he did play proms at Tulane - a business card might have been part of this. 
 
Cards are of course a more limited market but it's also how something's marketed. Should I posit that Country collectors are cheaper than Jazz collectors on 78L? Couldn't resist that but a commoner Morton card would go for more.
I bet Heritage Galleries could hype this to a couple thousand or more-get the right contemporary Country artist interested in their roots; that's what happened in the hype that pumped Blues records up when some performers became record collectors.
 
Thanks for listening,
Paul Solarski   
 
************
Cary Ginell

 

> Date: Fri, 27 Apr 2012 04:25:50 +0200
> From: goldenbough at arcor.de
> To: 78-l at 78online.com
> Subject: Re: [78-L] $1,000 for a business card?
> 
> .
> In those days it was indeed quite a plug to be on radio. 
> Da Costa Woltz's Southern Broadcasters, for example, 
> (on Gennett) were never on radio. 
> To me, the faulty spelling of the name is rather a hint 
> that the card is genuine. 
> 
> Benno
> _______________________________________________
> 78-L mailing list
> 78-L at klickitat.78online.com
> http://klickitat.78online.com/mailman/listinfo/78-l