78rpm FAQ

Frequently asked questions from the new collectors

this page first published by John Wright, 13 Feb 1999
last update 14 March 2006vintage@jabw.demon.co.uk

FAQ 6

What are my old 78's worth?



This is the difficult question. I often get e-mails from people who have a box of 78's in their basement. These days most boxes of records contain either big band records (Glenn Miller, Harry James etc) or popular classical, not collectable so not valuable.
Occasionally someone finds something more interesting. Before e-mailing me for value information check out the pages on this website on 78 values, there you will find typical values for many types of 78's. Some of the sites listed on my Buyers and Auctions Page quote minimum bids for their auctions as a value guide, but if you are in USA you might be better to look for a book which suggests values for a lot of jazz and popular music 78rpm records. It is 'The American Premium Record Guide', by Les Docks, is 450 pages, has illustrations, and gives prices for over 60,000 records. The 5th Edition is in large bookstores and libraries. I have to advise caution, some of Dock's values are way higher then most dealers would pay.
78 rpm records are worth what someone will pay. There was recently a collector on the NET claimed to be offering $200 for any records by a Czech pianist. Maybe they are rare but last year I wouldn't have given $2 for any of his records because I didn't know they were collectable.

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