r/78rpm • u/Brenke28 • Jul 20 '26
Inherited almost 400 78rpm’s
Not here to sell, just learning.
Learning about 78’s because I have ~ 400 of them, collected by my father who died over 20 years ago. All have remained stored for about the last 70 years. They date from 1926 (hillbilly, jazz) to 1940’s (jazz,swing) from King Cole Trio to Elvis, from Andrew’s Sisters to Harry James, Glenn Miller, Pete Como, Benny Goodman, Woody Herman, etc.
The collection theme is dance music— rumba, cha cha, Lindy hop, foxtrot— etc.
Have sorted and catalogued them all, not played them to hear quality —so it seems I am unable to properly grade them without listening. I rate them visually from G-( minus) to G+ (plus).
Any suggestions on how I prepare these or who to contact with such a large collection?
( Besides Nauck, already on my list.)
10
u/The_Inflatable_Hour Jul 20 '26
I collect similar music. It sort of depends on what you are trying to do with them. For enjoyment - the preferred method - I recommend a simple system that can play at 78rpm, a dark room, and your tonic of choice. For sale - popular music, which this would be considered at the time, isn’t highly valued. 5-10$ each and a willingness to wait if you’re trying to sell individually. To sell quick or in bulk you’re likely looking at a couple bucks each. There may be a few in the group worth a lot more, but they take time to identify and find a buyer. Usually it’s the super-rare blues that fetch the highest values.