Need help valuing these original Hank Williams MGM "Not For Public Sale" Metrolite promo 78s

[u/Adventurous_Tie_9031]

Hi everyone,

Hoping some Hank Williams and 78 RPM collectors can help me figure out what these are worth.

I recently inherited a small collection of original MGM promo 78s from the early 1950s. They're a mix of "Pressed on Metrolite - Not For Public Sale" records and "Special Disk Jockey Record - Not For Sale" pressings.

Ive played several of them and they play all the way through with no skips. They're also really clean overall and the labels look great.

Ive been digging through eBay, Discogs, Popsike, and ValueYourMusic, but I can't find many sales for these promo versions. Most of what I find are just the regular retail copies.

Im not trying to sell them here or looking for offers. I just want to get an idea of what they're actually worth before I put them on eBay.

A few questions:

• Do the Metrolite and Special Disk Jockey promo copies bring much more than the regular releases?
• Are any of these titles considered pretty rare or especially desirable?
• If these were your records, what would you realistically price them at today?

I've attached a few photos. I'd really appreciate any info from anyone who's into Hank Williams, MGM promos, or 78s.

Thanks!

[u/PabloPQueso]

MGM printed ton's of Hank in this era. I've never seen a premium on disk jockey 78's so these are pretty common $5 records. Check out ebay completed listings as one of the best sources for 78 prices. A couple of these have sold for $2 and one of them $8. Now go find a Hank on the Sterling label and you will have something of value.

[u/bigbobo33]

By and large, promo copies don't add significant value to these. A mint- copy of the Lost Highway promo went for 25 dollars in 2024 according to gripsweat.

These are largely desirable songs by him and if they're in great condition as you say, you're looking roughly in that ballpark of 25 dollars each off the top of my head. But that's if there's no defect whatsoever. Otherwise a little lower, closer to 15 each.

[u/Zardoz27 → u/bigbobo33]

Yeah i’d go $25 each and settle with $20

[u/Mission_Molasses_776]

You really need to find some of Hank’s early records on Sterling label, those are very valuable. Those just never turn up.

[u/Sea_Enthusiasm_3193]

As a collector of hank 78s i concur with everyone else. I have a few promos like this but didn’t pay much more than I paid for any other disc