Identifying 78's at a Thrift Store - a brief tutorial

[donniej]

After several rounds of digging through record bins, combing through the LP's for 78's like a crack addict who thinks he's just dropped his last rock, here's what I've learned...

Tip 1 - The entry
When you walk into the store and the pretty young cashier says "can I help for find something", your answer should always be "no, thank you". Her help, while potentially entertaining, will not help you find the records you're looking for.

Tip 2 - Pricing it out
If you're in a major metro area, and they're priced at more than $2 each (and even that's high here in Philly), leave. If you're just looking for some new records to try out or add to your collection, $2 is it.

Tips 3 - Feeling it out
You see the sign; "All records, $.25" and see a large selection, now it's time to get to work. Big and Heavy should be your mantra. 78's almost always come in albums (at least the singles are long destroyed or are on Ebay), unfortunately so do a lot of 33's. 78's however are usually at least twice the weight, the albums are longer (depth wise, to support the binding) and come in packaging colors so austere that they were likely developed by (a) the same people who recently got laid off from packaging WWII cans of rations, ammunition, etc... or (b) the guy in the USSR who was just too "radical" in his use of color.

Tip 4 - Quality Control
Once you've found your large, brick-like Soviet style album, you probably know before opening it that they're 78's. But just to be sure, open the album and look for "LP", "Stereo", "33-1/3RPM (of course)" or "micro groove". Or for that matter, pictures, colors and clever advertising. If you see any of the above, it's probably not a 78. Also look for cracks, broken records (look at each one) and missing ones.

Tip 5 - It's Like gold mining
There's at least one in that pile, and your hard work will pay off, someday (assuming you like Classical or children's music).

And I'll leave you with this question... why can't I ever find any swing, foxtrot, jazz, or anything other than classical or children's music???

PS. Most of the above is meant to be light hearted and humorous and not necessarily practical

[estott]

If you see a stack of unsleeved 78's look at the edges- thick & smooth generally equals acoustic.

[78recordpicker]

I might add:
check each record you do find for chips and cracks, needle drops etc etc. The 47th copy you found that month of "White Christmas" will likely be pristine, and since you already have 8 copies you pass. But when you pull out a copy of Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, you get all excited for 2 seconds till you see the crack right to the center hole (actually happened just last month).

[Squire]

I might add:
check each record you do find for chips and cracks, needle drops etc etc. The 47th copy you found that month of "White Christmas" will likely be pristine, and since you already have 8 copies you pass. But when you pull out a copy of Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, you get all excited for 2 seconds till you see the crack right to the center hole (actually happened just last month).

It's funny because it's true! Every 78 collector knows the special feeling of here we go again disappointment when you find something you've been after only to find it cracked or totally played out. I had thrift store fun not long ago. As I was perusing the shelves (mostly LP's) an employee started grabbing records and throwing them into a dumpster cart. I asked him why and he said "they haven't been selling so it's time to trash them". He didn't even give me a chance to look at everything! The only 78's they had were the ubiquitous Crosby Christmas album and The Al Smith Memorial Album which I saved from destruction only because it was Duraflex and not Shellac. I thought it made an interesting oddity.

[estott]

The local Goodwill seldom gets 78's & you never know what they will be. Once I found an album of interesting european pressings, like Eileen Joyce playing RHAPSODIA SINFONICA by Turina. Another day it was more pedestrian but still fun- the 78 album of Mario Lanza in "The Great Caruso"

[Wolfe]

There are thrift stores where pretty young cashiers ask if you need help finding something ?

What would I ask for ? The slightly used pair of men's size 12 tube socks hanging near the northwest corner ? Or that one copy of that Two Black Crows 78 I've been hunting down ?

[marcapra]

I still remember going into Goodwill in downtown San Diego circa 1970. Downstairs in the basement were the used records. They did have 78s, which I did sometimes buy, but it was all classical, such as Bach's massive thick album of The Mass in B Minor. The only popular records I remember seeing then were albums of the original cast recordings of Oklahoma! and South Pacific. I think the price was about 25 cents a record. Miserable and lonely!

[Wolfe]

Classical albums are still semi common at the thrifts I've visited. Some are fun to pick up if the price is right. I've really leveled off my visits in the last few years because the amount of leg work one has to do to find anything halfway interesting has become not really worth it.

[oldphonographsteve]

I once found some acoustic records in a Goodwill once. It was a Joseph C. Smith's orchestra records from 1918, and a Caruso. Also, I found an album of German 78s in a Maine Goodwill for $3.00. Perhaps the best bargain I've gotten on a record, freebies aside, was a 1908 Victor Grand Prize label record of a March that was only 10 cents.

-Stephen

[Wolfe]

I found an electrical Victor black label Amelita Galli-Curci disc in a Goodwill last year. Best Goodwill 78 score I've found in some time - which isn't saying very much. Goodwill sells 78's in their online auction site now.