Charleston Is The Best Dance

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gunnarthefeisty
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Charleston Is The Best Dance

Post by gunnarthefeisty »

I'm trying to pin down an average value on this 78 (to see if it's worth my while to put out a wanted ad for it) but there seems to be some wild variation on popsike.
https://www.popsike.com/php/quicksearch ... best+dance+
In 2016 an E- copy sold for $94 (a reasonable price, IMO) but in 2019 an E+ sold for $449. So which, if either, is a realistic price for this record?

VanEpsFan1914
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Re: Charleston Is The Best Dance

Post by VanEpsFan1914 »

The record is worth what you can get for it--but I'd say $100 or less?

I paid $60 for a record, once, but it was worth it--the 1924 acoustic version of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, with the composer himself at the piano--and Paul Whiteman & his orchestra. It's a great record & I like it a lot, so the price is fine with me. Some of us only pay a buck or two. Most of my records were $2 or less, mostly in the 10-cent to 50-cent territory.

The record is fun but usually not the sort of thing I see for $500.

(Edit: The George has spoken; I stand corrected. See below.)
Last edited by VanEpsFan1914 on Tue Oct 26, 2021 8:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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gramophone-georg
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Re: Charleston Is The Best Dance

Post by gramophone-georg »

gunnarthefeisty wrote: Tue Oct 26, 2021 4:47 pm I'm trying to pin down an average value on this 78 (to see if it's worth my while to put out a wanted ad for it) but there seems to be some wild variation on popsike.
https://www.popsike.com/php/quicksearch ... best+dance+
In 2016 an E- copy sold for $94 (a reasonable price, IMO) but in 2019 an E+ sold for $449. So which, if either, is a realistic price for this record?
If you look at that E- copy- condition actually looks more like V-. That's why it sold so cheap.

I paid over $300 each for pristine copies of this record plus "You Ain't The One" by the same band with the great Monette Moore doing the vocal.
"Charleston" is an utterly fantastic and rare record, recorded quite loud, so the pristine copies are worth paying a premium for. Plus, the flip side is Lloyd Scott, so many collectors value this disc doubly. If you want something to play on a windup or vintage electric machine, go for a V+ or V copy. I have backup copies of each in V that I happily play on my old changers. They still sound great. Your soundbox and isolators better be in top shape or you'll wear it out fast.

EDIT: I also forgot to mention that Charleston is Benny Carter's first appearance on record, so Benny Carter collectors chase it, too.
"He who dies with the most shellac wins"- some nutty record geek

I got PTSD from Peter F's avatar

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