by shane »
Fri May 11, 2007 10:04 am
Correct me if Im wrong, but it sounds to me, that the info your after is value. Generally speaking, most 78s are only worth a dollar or two. Having a look through ebay should give you some idea what they go for. Of coarse, don't go by "buy it now" prices or reserves- just the price that they are bid upto during and at close of auction. Condition is another factor that comes into play as well.
I recently saw an early "Caruso" record on an early zonophone label go for over $3000. The same recording on a later zono label would probably get about $50. Find it on a hmv/victor label from the 40s, and the values down to about $2, so age and rarity also play a part.
Like I said, only go by what a record brings in the end though. I've seen Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" sometimes being offered for hundreds of dollars, but because there was hundreds of thousands of this recording made, they wont ever get a single bid- it's a $1 record in perfect condition.