The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I have often mentioned and I am going to do it yet again. I am amazed at how expensive Edison disc records can be. Forget Electric ones, commoner acoustics as well. My real gripe is here were paying often much higher prices than what it most likely worth, and then to top if off the condition of the record turns out to be faulty to boot. And that is a very common complaint. I would still think if half the records were in decent shape when I get them thats pushing it, and more likely only a third are.

What prompted this is the fact that so many list records at starting prices that considering the condition is really off. I did get a buy it now on and offer of a record the fellow wanted 15.99 for at 8.99. But when I get the record it sounds like its been played with a bad needle, that sort of hissing sound and distortion that grates on you.. If I had paid 15.00 for I would really be irritated at myself..

Lately it seems there is again a group who will pay nearly anything to get copies of records that sometimes sell for a fraction of what they just bid it up to. In fact a couple weeks ago I got a record for 2.00 that had been just run up to almost 30.00 by someone? A fairly common violin piece at that. So someone else paid 28.00 more for the same record and no guarantee that the one they got sounds any better than my copy. From the same seller I got a absolutely wonderful, silent surface semi classical piece that no one bid against.

I know, if you don't want to pay that then don't bid, and lately I haven't.. But it still is such a crap shoot that I pause to wonder the wisdom of such high bids. When I was selling and still am, some records, for the most part I try to keep them very reasonable to start, partly because I don't want someone to pay exorbitant prices and then think I sold them something in poor shape, which I wouldn't any way.

There I got it off my chest once again..

If you referring to ebay, it's mostly a mixture of different phenomenons which all together lead to a heavy market & price distortion. Because there is no constant availability, records (even common ones) appear only for a short time. Within this time frame only two cash cow bidders have to cross their ways. And boom - the price goes through the roof.

I have bought records for $10 while other copies of the very same record in similar condition did sell for well over $100. Bargains are still to make but they're getting harder and harder to find, plus the that you'll need a good portion of luck. And of course we all enjoy those sellers who try to grab $150 for a $3 record, claiming it to be one of a kind...

On eBay it's quite annoying when someone MUST have a record that would be worth around $10 and lifts the price up to $90.
It seems like well known songs on common Diamond Disc tend to go for high prices. "Yes! We Have No Bananas" and "California, Here I Come" to mention a couple. After bidding on other copies I finally end up with paying $88 for 51304-L "Egyptian Rose" by Kaplan's Melodists and the R side "California, Here I Come" by The Atlantic Dance Orchestra. Of course was it the R side that pushed the price up. But I think it's all about luck to. Who you're bidding against it also important, that also decides how high the price will be. Then again I got two bargains last month, I got 52199 "Without You Sweetheart" and "Mary Ann" by Walter Scanlan for $20 and 52184 "Our Bungalow of Dreams" and "Highways Are Happy Ways" by Harry Reser's Rounders for $37.
So I think it all depends on luck, because you never know who you are going to bid against or if him/her tends to push the price up on auctions.

Paal.

I knew it couldn't last.. One of the records I watched that ended up at 58.00 a few weeks ago just brought 3.37 tonight! So which is the real value.. While checking over some past sales of a rather hot seller it would seem lately, I noticed to me a unbelievable bid of 187.00 on a early etched reed orchestra piece. I don't know what has happened but I am glad I got a whole stretch of those for in the 2.99 range about 6 months ago..

Congratulations Larry! I'm glad you didn't have to wait too long before the title was listed again, and most of all that you got it for sensible price.