78 records still get a bad reputation.

[Edisonfan]

The one thing I know about 78 records, is that they still get a bad reputation. I still find 78 records in the wild, being mistreated. Mostly un-sleeved, on the floor, or shelf or table. Usually stacked on top of each other. It really bothers me, that people can treat these records in this way. What really breaks my heart is when I find a broken 78 record. The same thing happens to the Edison Diamond Disc records. I only know of two record dealers who bother put there 78 records in sleeves, and put them up right in bins, for people to look though. I always put mine in sleeves. What a lot of people fail to realize is how much good music is on these records. I, like my fellow collectors on here, are trying to preserve these records, so future generations can enjoy them. Of course I love the music on them as well.

Well I will get down off my Soap Box now!

[Roaring20s]

Agreed.

On the bright side a 78 is a durable product
and often survives the mishandling.

James.

[Edisonfan]

Ture! That's why so many of them survived!

[epigramophone]

Whether at flea markets, car boot sales or in secondhand shops, 78's are usually found at ground level.

This can present problems for those of us whose joints are not as supple as they once were.......

[Edisonfan]

Yea, that can suck. Although, I know one dealer in 78 records, who does not keep his 78's on the floor. He has them in bins a bit higher up on tables at waist level so you don't have to bend down.

[Nat]

I was once at a party where a pile of on-sided Victors were being used as clay pigeons... I rescued a few; no idea what happened to the upright that was also there.

[alang]

I recently looked through some boxes of 78s at the local farmers market. Another guy saw me do that and told me that he has hundreds of them and always uses them for target practice. I told him that I might be interested in looking at them and he might make some money, but he wasn't interested and left. He's probably already used them up.

Andreas

[XCaptBill]

I stopped at a local antique shop last week. They had advertised a Starr phonograph and 50 78 records for sale on Craigslist. Although I wasn't interested in the Starr machine, they had advertised antique fishing lures, which I also collect. So I decided to stop in for a look. Ya never know when you might get lucky and run across something worthwhile. The proprietor showed me the records that were for sale with the phono. He said he would sell them separately...for $5.00 each, so I took a look figuring he may negotiate that price if I found anything. 80 percent of them were cracked or completely broken!Of the few that were in fair condition, I did find a few titles of interest and I made an offer that he accepted. It amazed me that not only were the majority of the records totally trashed, but he was trying to sell them in that condition

I often dig through piles of junk with the hope of finding one or two records/titles that can be salvaged and added to my collection. I too wish they would put them up a little higher, as it gets tiring kneeling down in some cramped corner of a dealers booth and then coming up empty more often than not.

[FloridaClay]

It is sad that 78s, like Rodney Dangerfield, get no respect. So many people just view them as irrelevant relics of a by-gone age and never stop to think what treasures of the past are recorded on them. And so many were stored in damp places and allowed to deteriorate over the years.

I am now working my way through a lot of 700 +, none of which were sleeved, I bought recently. Some have surfaces that were destroyed by mold and are not worth keeping and some are badly scratched or cracked. But I think when I get through cleaning and testing them about 90% will be worth adding to my collection even so. They won't be prime examples, but they are good enough that the music on them is still playable with an acceptable noise level.

I guess it is up to folks like us to preserve a portion of the remaining stock so that people will know about them in the future. Still I wonder how many interesting titles have just disappeared forever.

Clay

[Nat]

On the other hand, I wonder how much stuff I regard as junk or clutter might be collectable for someone else? If I never threw anything away, I'd be buried in a midden of potential treasures.