Signed Elsie Baker Record

[phonogal]

I was going through some of my records tonight and found one that is signed on the label Best wishes to Miss Spencer from Elsie Baker Oct 1926. Record is Shadows Across My Heart Victor label. Is this pretty common to find or is one I should keep? Thanks, Jan.

[phonogal]

I found another one signed by Elsie in the same album. Also signed Oct 1926. Jan.

[phonogal]

I have looked on the internet for Elsie Baker signed records and have not found any. Have any of you found any of these? Thanks, Jan

[gramophoneshane]

Im a little surprised you've had no responces to this post so far Jan.
There must be a few fans here on the board who'd at least find these interesting, or have some knowledge as to whether signed copies have turned up in the past?
I think she was great, but I've only ever found one (unsigned) Elsie Baker disc out here in 30 yrs sadly.
I'd presume that if the internet has no info on other signed copies, then these must be relatively rare items.
Either way, I think they're a great score! Congratulations.

[bbphonoguy]

I don't know much about this, but every once in a while I'll come across a record signed by the artist. I have one signed by Ernestine Schumann-Heink, and a few others. While it does make the record more interesting as an artifact, I don't think it really adds to the value, but, as I said already, I'm not sure about this.

[Swing Band Heaven]

I don't know - if it was an artist you collected then I think it could only add to the desirability of the record and hense its value. To know with certainty that the said artist handled the record would certainly enhance its desirability to me.

S-B-H

[gramophoneshane]

I don't know - if it was an artist you collected then I think it could only add to the desirability of the record and hense its value. To know with certainty that the said artist handled the record would certainly enhance its desirability to me.

S-B-H

I'd have to agree, but just how much added value is anyones guess.
I dont own any signed 78's, so I've never really looked into it, but as far as I know regarding vinyl discs, it usually only adds what's refered to as "signiture value". In other words, if artist "X" signs a record, an autograph book or a napkin, they're all valued at around the same price, although in the case of a record, you could also add the price of an unsigned copy to the signiture value.
So if you've got a record that usually sells for $10, & the signiture at around $100, then you'd probably get between about $100-120 or maybe a little more.
Generally speaking, I think the exceptions to this would be highly desirable & collectible artists like Elvis, The Beatles or Caruso etc.
Of course, I could be wrong, and we've all been floored at times to see what some people are willing to pay for different stuff. It only takes 2 people with deep pockets to want something bad enough for a price to exceed all expectations.
I guess if they were mine, I'd try and find a signature value to start with anyway. Elsie's career spanned from vaudeville to hollywood, so there must be signed postcards, programmes, movie promo px or something floating around that's been sold in the past, which would give some sort of ballpark figure as to what they could be worth, and how desirable she is amoung the full spectrum of Elsie Baker memorabilia collectors out there.

[Wolfe]

Based on absolutely nothing, I'd reckon a common Elsie Baker record with an autograph could be a 20 or 30 dollar item. If it was mine, I'd keep it.

[bbphonoguy]

If I remember rightly, and there's a fair chance that I don't, we've been around this mountain once before, when the discussion was regarding some signed Caruso recordings that got appraised on "The Antiques Roadshow". The appraiser stated that the records were worth some great amount (don't remember, $100 per record, or something). The consensus of those on the board was that signed 78s were not that unusual, and that the appraiser was nuts.

I am open to correction on this.

Caruso is still a well known name. Who, outside of record collectors, has heard of Elsie Baker? Or almost any of the artists that recorded classical music back then? I still think the records are more interesting for having been signed, but I wouldn't expect to pay more for them, or to sell them for more, because of that. Then again, I don't collect autographs.

Anyway phonogal, I hope you enjoy the recordings, and that you find out they are very valuable, and that I am wrong.

[OrthoSean]

Caruso is still a well known name. Who, outside of record collectors, has heard of Elsie Baker? Or almost any of the artists that recorded classical music back then? I still think the records are more interesting for having been signed, but I wouldn't expect to pay more for them, or to sell them for more, because of that. Then again, I don't collect autographs.

Ah, but there are people that do collect just autographs. Caruso autographs sell very highly, in fact. Elsie Baker, on the other hand, wasn't a true "star" other than her Victor records. She was an oratorio / concert singer who never had any desire to be at the Met, but nevertheless her Victor records sold in the tens of thousands, I'm sure. I enjoy her records very much and I'm probably one of a very few that collect the titles I haveen't got, which at this point isn't many since none of her discs are terribly rare, although I've not seen a signed one by her. That all being said, I collect autographed 78s, I probably have at least 300 of them, mostly operatic / classical discs. Most of them didn't really cost me a premium. An autographed 78 of a well known singer / performer generally will add maybe $10-20 to it's value, which these days isn't saying much. Of course, I'm not talking about Bix or Caruso autographs, which would greatly add to a record's value, but rather more commonly encountered things. Geraldine Farrar, John McCormack and Sophie Tucker autographed materials, for example, are quite common and really don't add at all to "value". Again, there are no real tried and true rules here and there are always exceptions.

Sean