The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I have a few examples of overseas issues of 78s that have turned up in various collections I have bought.
I have a couple Made in England Sinatra Columbias, an Australian record and this odd Japanese Sinatra Columbia Christmas record.
Are these more collectible or valuable?

Click on thumbnails to enlarge.

Generally is just too general to answer. It would depend on the artist, rarity of the music, quality of the pressing vs. others. In this case your Sinatra stuff should merit no significant special value.

I have weird things like Japanese Eddie Fisher records and such, and I consider them basically junk records.

Oh well. Just figured they might be more desired. Not a big deal. Kind of neat to have the oddball record here and there. Worse comes to worse it goes in my label collection.
I don't really care for Sinatra anyway.

There are several reasons why a foreign 78 would be collectable.
Sometimes, foreign countries received different masters than the domestic plants. Some of the masters contained a different take than at home. If you were collecting every single record a particular artist pressed, you’d be looking for foreign pressings to get that last, elusive take.
Serious Beatles collectors will pay thousands of dollars for one of the few 78s that were made for the Indian market. There are some Elvis 78s pressed on HMV in Ireland that are quite rare and the Canadian pressing of “A Big Hunk o’ Love” is collectable because it was pressed on 45rpm in the U.S. .
But there’s hope for yours yet. Some records come into fashion and all of a sudden, in demand. There’s a strange interest in Andrews Sisters that’s sprung up lately.

Here in the UK, American pressings are "foreign".

Acoustic Victor Red Seals generally have better surfaces than the equivalent HMV pressings, which is why they are often preferred by compilers of CD re-issues, but I have not noticed any significant difference in prices.

Jazz records are a different matter. UK collectors will pay more for original American pressings than for the same recordings issued on UK labels.

Why do we do this?

Because we are collectors!

epigramophone wrote:
Jazz records are a different matter. UK collectors will pay more for original American pressings than for the same recordings issued on UK labels.

That also brings up the issue of which takes were issued where.

Kryptosmaster wrote:Oh well. Just figured they might be more desired. Not a big deal. Kind of neat to have the oddball record here and there. Worse comes to worse it goes in my label collection.
I don't really care for Sinatra anyway.

I like Sinatra, but I think the only 78's of his that have any worth are the early (Brunswick, 1939) sides he cut when he was with Harry James, they're scarce. Apart from that, if you don't like the music it's kind of pointless.

Wolfe wrote:

Kryptosmaster wrote:Oh well. Just figured they might be more desired. Not a big deal. Kind of neat to have the oddball record here and there. Worse comes to worse it goes in my label collection.
I don't really care for Sinatra anyway.

I like Sinatra, but I think the only 78's of his that have any worth are the early (Brunswick, 1939) sides he cut when he was with Harry James, they're scarce. Apart from that, if you don't like the music it's kind of pointless.

Swear I saw some harry James with Sinatra in the records I've bought. Didn't notice the labels. Were these re released on Columbia?
One thing I have noticed, so far all the Sinatra 78s have been worn out.

There is the James / Sinatra All Or Nothing At All that was re-released on Columbia when Sinatra was famous. Those are very common and not worth anything. I don't think any more Brunswicks were ever re-released on 78.

One thing I think would be sought after is Australian pressings of many things, as they made quality laminated Columbia-style pressings of (among others) HMV and Decca recordings for many years.