The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Yep...alot of ebay sellers seem to look at this forum. A reasonable price for the Charleston would be 75.00 to 150.00. Again condition and market are factors.

A lot of those Charleston records got worn out.Same way with the Black Bottom.edisonplayer

These must the toe-dippers who think the 1925 song the be-all and end-all of 20's jazz, and therefore inflate the price for an original disc far beyond its actual worth. The Varsity Eight version (Cameo) is always over-priced, but is dull in comparison to that band's verion of Doo Wacka Doo, which has much more interesting solo work. Oh, but sorry, "Charleston" isn't in the title of that latter selection, and of course, that alone exemplifies the 1920's and justifies paying $50 to said pea-brained individual.

Any other versions (Brunswick, Victor, Columbia, Edison, etc) that I've listened to are ok, but there's much more out there if people would try to get beyond some childish urge to adorn their collection with "The Original Charleston." Have fun wasting your money on what is barely a passable 1920's song, and, as has been correctly pointed out, not the "original," but two years late. But again, the toe-dipping mentality; have to love it. Stupidity like that lines a seller's pockets.

The "Charleston" fixation must be similar to those who just HAVE to get the Schweinfest version of "N****r Fever."

Stupid, stupid people.

I've seen some versions of the Charleston titled as The Original Charleston. What does that mean and why do they have to say The Original? Are there some unoriginal Charleston records? Do they mean that this is a re-issue of the first Charleston record or what?

Rastus10 wrote:These must the toe-dippers who think the 1925 song the be-all and end-all of 20's jazz, and therefore inflate the price for an original disc far beyond its actual worth. The Varsity Eight version (Cameo) is always over-priced, but is dull in comparison to that band's verion of Doo Wacka Doo, which has much more interesting solo work. Oh, but sorry, "Charleston" isn't in the title of that latter selection, and of course, that alone exemplifies the 1920's and justifies paying $50 to said pea-brained individual.

Any other versions (Brunswick, Victor, Columbia, Edison, etc) that I've listened to are ok, but there's much more out there if people would try to get beyond some childish urge to adorn their collection with "The Original Charleston." Have fun wasting your money on what is barely a passable 1920's song, and, as has been correctly pointed out, not the "original," but two years late. But again, the toe-dipping mentality; have to love it. Stupidity like that lines a seller's pockets.

The "Charleston" fixation must be similar to those who just HAVE to get the Schweinfest version of "N****r Fever."

Stupid, stupid people.

Well, yes and no. The Charleston was indeed a big enough dance craze that it inspired lots of copycats, some of which were even referred to as "Charleston Fox Trot" on the record labels of the day... Charleston Cabin... I'm gonna Charleston back to Charleston, Charleston Is the Best Dance After All, etc. not to mention spinoffs like the Black Bottom, Baltimore, "Sweet Man", and "Jig Walk"... you hear echoes of "Charleston" in all these, and they were all big hits, too.

"Charleston" actually grew SO big that it became almost a caricature of itself and that's the picture we see today. Why aren't there lots of copies around? Because collectors were still snapping them up and wearing them out decades later, that's why.

That tune, like it or not, basically defined the era and lived on in other copycats pretty much until "Puttin' On The Ritz" and "Happy Days Are Here Again" which was written just before the depression as a jazzy love song, incidentally. And, to me, "Puttin' On The Ritz" echoes the Charleston in structure and tempo as well.

Rastus10 wrote:The "Charleston" fixation must be similar to those who just HAVE to get the Schweinfest version of "N****r Fever."

Stupid, stupid people.

Say, what? That is the first time I ever heard that "N****r Fever" was in such demand. Apart from the shocking title, it is actually a very delightful tune on the piccolo. I bought a 7" Consolidated Talking Machine Company (pre-Victor) record for the merit of its scarcity, but that happened to be the title. I posted a link to my copy of the song from this website a few months ago and I may get around to posting it on YouTube one of these days. So, I'll just finish by saying that the incidental purchase of "N****r Fever" does not signify stupidity.

Isn't it obvious? The reason they're so rare is they all got sold on eBay and shipped in pizza boxes. None ever made to their destination in one piece.

A lot of Victor batwings on ebay with the Whiteman Victor 19671 just went for over 100 USD the other day. and i thought I was the only one who saw the pic of it in the lot and somehow my crazy low bid didn't win it

Kryptosmaster wrote:Isn't it obvious? The reason they're so rare is they all got sold on eBay and shipped in pizza boxes. None ever made to their destination in one piece.

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I actually found an eBay seller that advertises shipping 78s in "pizza style boxes" with "4 pieces of card stock as stiffener". This, in my opinion, sounds like a recipe for broken 78s.

gramophone-georg wrote:

Rastus10 wrote:These must the toe-dippers who think the 1925 song the be-all and end-all of 20's jazz, and therefore inflate the price for an original disc far beyond its actual worth. The Varsity Eight version (Cameo) is always over-priced, but is dull in comparison to that band's verion of Doo Wacka Doo, which has much more interesting solo work. Oh, but sorry, "Charleston" isn't in the title of that latter selection, and of course, that alone exemplifies the 1920's and justifies paying $50 to said pea-brained individual.

Any other versions (Brunswick, Victor, Columbia, Edison, etc) that I've listened to are ok, but there's much more out there if people would try to get beyond some childish urge to adorn their collection with "The Original Charleston." Have fun wasting your money on what is barely a passable 1920's song, and, as has been correctly pointed out, not the "original," but two years late. But again, the toe-dipping mentality; have to love it. Stupidity like that lines a seller's pockets.

The "Charleston" fixation must be similar to those who just HAVE to get the Schweinfest version of "N****r Fever."

Stupid, stupid people.

Well, yes and no. The Charleston was indeed a big enough dance craze that it inspired lots of copycats, some of which were even referred to as "Charleston Fox Trot" on the record labels of the day... Charleston Cabin... I'm gonna Charleston back to Charleston, Charleston Is the Best Dance After All, etc. not to mention spinoffs like the Black Bottom, Baltimore, "Sweet Man", and "Jig Walk"... you hear echoes of "Charleston" in all these, and they were all big hits, too.

"Charleston" actually grew SO big that it became almost a caricature of itself and that's the picture we see today. Why aren't there lots of copies around? Because collectors were still snapping them up and wearing them out decades later, that's why.

That tune, like it or not, basically defined the era and lived on in other copycats pretty much until "Puttin' On The Ritz" and "Happy Days Are Here Again" which was written just before the depression as a jazzy love song, incidentally. And, to me, "Puttin' On The Ritz" echoes the Charleston in structure and tempo as well.

I have to somewhat agree. I will gladly cherish my Vulcan cylinder of the "Charleston", but I will refuse to pay over $100.00 for a copy of "The Charleston" in any format. There is just too much good music to buy in the same genre than that. I may never own a copy of the "Charleston" on 78 or Edison Diamond Disc, but oh well. If it is meant to be it will be it will happen. I have never paid over 35.00 for 78 and that's far and few. I am a collector, a listener and not a dealer.

The same can be said of many of these worn out copies of McKinney Cotton Pickers, Duke Ellington etc. recordings on Victor Scroll, all over priced at 30.00 or more on ebay. I truly believe that as the younger generation steps up, there will be less interest in these old recordings, we are already seeing that, so we should find records for far less in the next 5 years. Many record shops are going out or relocating to save money, "Jazz Mart" in Chicago had to relocate due to expenses. I think the Vinyl record craze will last another 5 years but its a hype, as for 78's that is another story, it is losing favor.