[78-L] Where to find 78 rpm ?

[Michael Biel]

There are two questions here -- where can you find 78s in general, and
where can you find SPECIFIC 78s you are looking for. They have different
answers.  ANY shop is the-luck-of-the-find.  To get specific records you
need the auction lists (Nauck, Holdridge, etc) or ebay searches and
inquiries on 78-C.  As for 78s in general, antique and junk stores are
not as helpful as they were decades ago. I find nothing at home in
Kentucky anymore. There are still some specialty shops in the U.S. --
Europe might be a different matter, although it has been over ten years
since my last European visit.  I found some fun general antique shops
and specialty shops in the 80s and 90s. But I have really had a blast in
recent years at the annual Jazz Record Bash and the semi-annual
Mechanical Music Extravaganza, both in Northern New Jersey.  And I found
some good 78s at the largely LP WFMU Record Fair in NYC last year.  Some
were under the table because of weight and the guy had so much other
stuff. We weren't going to be able to go to WFMU this year, but it got
cancelled because of the hurricane.  Maybe we might have a second
chance, but no word yet on rescheduling.  

So the records are out there, and if Leah and I are able to make it to
London this spring, we'll want some advice from the Brits at that time.

Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com 


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [78-L] Where to find 78 rpm ?
From: Rjholtin <rjh334578 at yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, November 22, 2012 9:41 pm
To: 78-L Mail List <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>

And yet - why when many of our listmates post stuff to unload we hear
tales of unsold for which they paid a listing fee. If I could unload my
common Miller Bluebirds for 25 bucks I'd give other stuff away before
the trashman follows the undertaker to visit my widow. Read the recent
St Louis news article for the flipside of the story. 

Sent from my iPod

On Nov 22, 2012, at 2:36 AM, Matthew Duncan <recordgeek334578 at yahoo.com>
wrote:

I too have noticed the bidding on common records getting out of control
- I assume that will die down over time and go through several phases
before doing so.

Very common HMV BD series etc Glenn Miller discs going for £15 to £30
is one example - but I have noticed it isn't all the time and it's only
certain titles. "In the Mood" and "Moonlight Serenade" will go for much
more than some of the lesser known titles so I think the 'younger
generation' get caught in the moment based on a few tunes they have
heard.

Maybe they have missed the 'junk shop era' as I call it and wouldn't
ever seek out 78s elsewhere anyway....or are after only so many for
their themed home or similar (as it tends to be WW2 era discs that go
for a lot).

I am, I suppose 'the younger generation' being 27 but there are several
buyers of 78s younger than me in the UK. I came into the hobby through
flea markets/junk shops/car boot sales etc and have got to know about
prices along the way....which could have easily been missed if I had
been born 5 or 10 years later. I am not being critical or saying that I
have never overpaid for a record but I am sure I have plenty of 50p
records of some rarity to balance things out.

"Vintage" things and "Retro" buzz words and their connected products is
a bit of a fad at the moment and has been for a while so that may be
something accelerating things in the world of common 78s for high
money...just like other bric a brac and furniture of the same era
...time will tell whether the prices will change or whether the buyers
continue to collect after the 'scene changes' so to speak ....

Matt in the UK




--- On Thu, 22/11/12, Tim Huskisson <timhuskisson at btinternet.com> wrote:

From: Tim Huskisson <timhuskisson at btinternet.com>
Subject: Re: [78-L] Where to find 78 rpm ?
To: "'78-L Mail List'" <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
Date: Thursday, 22 November, 2012, 2:32

In my opinion, if you're looking to buy 78s, most of the 'good stuff' is
now
on-line. I can't remember the last time I found anything interesting in
2nd
hand shops or Car boot sales. Excellent 78rpm collections are being
inherited by younger families of the deceased, and the records soon end
up
in the hands of collector/dealers who take what they want, and list the
remaining 'good stuff' on Ebay. 
Certainly here in the UK, apart from record fairs, Ebay is now the way
to
go; and I've been buying 78s since the early 1970s.

For all its faults, searching through the Ebay listings is not that
different from going through boxes of records in flea markets. It is
true
that there are risks involved - particularly with the safety of the
records
in transit. But taking sensible precautions - i.e. sending packing
instructions, and getting to know sellers, their grading and general
quality
of service before taking bigger financial risks, all helps. There are
also
plenty of long time established 78 collector/dealers on Ebay who offer
extremely good services and regularly list desirable records. 
One interesting modern phenomenon is a number of (I presume) younger
collectors who will often bid way too much for fairly common discs, but
ignore a lot of the rarer stuff. THAT has worked to my advantage often.

Regards,

Tim Huskisson


-----Original Message-----
From: 78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com
[mailto:78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com] On Behalf Of Ron L'Herault
Sent: 21 November 2012 21:16
To: '78-L Mail List'
Subject: Re: [78-L] Where to find 78 rpm ?

I must have missed that.

I try not to buy on line. You never know for sure if the record will
arrive
in one piece, if it plays as well or as badly as the verbal grading etc.
I look for yard sales, adverts in papers and I tell everyone I know that
I
am looking for shellac. Sometimes they tell a friend or relative and you
come up with some nice stuff. Local auctions are also a source.

Ron L

-----Original Message-----
From: 78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com
[mailto:78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com] On Behalf Of Thomas HENRY
Sent: Wednesday, November 21, 2012 3:54 PM
To: 78-L Mail List
Subject: Re: [78-L] Where to find 78 rpm ?

Hi there,
I didn't get many answers from the list following my request...
Shall I conclude that you only buy your records online ?
Anyway, I already added 24 places on the map, don't hesitate if you have
any
other suggestions ! http://ceintsdebakelite.com/where-to-find-78-rpm/
Cheers,
Thomas

2012/11/18 Thomas HENRY <thomashenry81 at gmail.com>

Hello,

Even if a lot of us buy 78 rpm on the internet, some may still prefer 
finding records in stores or markets. Each time I visit a new city, I 
try to find a place to buy records, which is not always easy... I went 
to Sweden a few months ago and made a research on the internet 
beforehand but I didn't find anything, so I asked our Swedish fellows 
to help me. I wouldn't have found anything without them.
So I decided to create a new section on my blog called "Where to find
78 rpm". This section consists of a list of places and a dynamic map :
http://ceintsdebakelite.com/where-to-find-78-rpm/
I just started and added a few places where I found 78 rpm, mainly in 
my city Paris. But I'd like this map to be useful for everybody : who 
wants to help me completing my list of shops and markets worlwide ?
Thanks !
Greetings from France !

Thomas