Frequently Asked Questions

What are my records worth?

This is almost impossible to answer without seeing the records in person. Factors such as condition, edition, and even certain variations in the label design can greatly affect the value of any record. However, here is a general guideline that may be helpful:

If the record is a well known song by a well known artist, then it probably is not valuable, regardless of its age. Popularity generally means that millions of copies were made.

This is not to say that all of a popular artist's records are common. For instance, Louis Armstrong recorded a tune called "Terrible Blues" with a band called the "Red Onion Jazz Babies" on the Gennett label in 1924. This record was pressed in small quantities, had limited distribution, and is quite scarce today.  Yet, you can regularly fine  copies of Armstrong's "Sleepy Time Down South".  This is why we don't get excited about records by Enrico Caruso or a copy of Bing Crosby's "White Christmas". There were so many copies of these sold (and of many, many others also) that even 50 or 75 years later there are far too many copies still in existence to consider them as "rare".

Most rare 78s fall into the following catagories:

• Classical records made before 1910
• Jazz (not dance band) records made before 1930
• Voices of political or historical interest
• Rock and R&B records made between 1947 and 1957
• Blues records made before 1940
• Any record made before 1900
• Many picture records

Of course there are many exceptions to the above, but in general, the chances of finding a $50 or $100 record in Grandpa's collection of 1940s big bands and popular vocals are slim to none. The average value of most 78 rpm records offered to us is $1 or less. Remember, we had to go through 500,000 records to find a single copy of "Terrible Blues". We do offer appraisals, but this is mainly for very large collections. Quite often the cost of appraising a small collection is more than the value of the collection itself.

How old are my records?

There are two factors to consider here. First, what was the date of the original recording session, and second, when was the record actually manufactured?

There are very few 78s that actually have the recording date on the label. What is often encountered are patent dates, specifying when a certain recording or manufacturing process was actually patented. This has nothing to do with either the age of the recording or the record itself.

These are a few of the general things to look for that can at least help you determine when a record was probably manufactured:

• Recorded only on one side - 1900 to 1925
• Label diameter 3.5 to 4 inches - before 1930
• Label diameter 3 inches - after 1930
• Eccentric "run-out" groove - after 1925
• Lead in groove - after 1930
• Record diameter 7 inches - before 1920
• Oversize spindle hole - before 1920

There are many more factors to consider, but these are the most obvious. Often the best way to determine the age of a record is to look at the title and artist, and then research some dates. The copyright date of a song will give you a general idea, as will the birth and death dates of an artist. Dating records accurately requires research in a number of specialty publications but by just using a few of the above ideas you should be able to arrive at a reasonably close answer.

How do I clean 78s?

Use two soft cloth or paper towels - cotton baby diapers are ideal. Place one of the towels on a flat, firm surface and place a record on it. Take a bottle of spray Windex (I recommend the brand name) and lightly spray the other towel - NEVER spray directly on the record. Clean the record as if you were polishing a pane of glass, being careful to keep the paper label dry. The Windex on the record surface evaporates quickly and leaves no streaks. Check your cleaning towel after a few records - you will be amazed how dirty it is! Windex works fine for all 78s, even Edison discs, as long as it is used sparingly and quickly wiped away.

There are other more involved cleaning methods, but this one works well when you just need to get the surface dust and fingerprints off. If you are determined to experiment with other cleaners, please keep one thing in mind - NEVER USE ALCOHOL! Nothing will reduce a good 78 to a blob of black mush any faster.

How do I store my records?

The best way is on edge, preferably in individual sleeves. Records stacked on top of one another like pancakes are difficult to get to, and are very prone to scratching. And be sure that when you store your records vertically that they are fully upright. Records stored at an angle less than 90 degrees are very prone to breakage. You may use the old type of storage album that holds 10 or 12 records, but be careful in turning the pages or laying the album flat when it is open. The record edges have a tendency to catch in the inner seam of the page and will easily break if they do. We have a selection of sleeves and storage albums on our Record Supplies Page where you can print out a mail order form for whatever you need.

First, you should know that we deal only with hand wound acoustic phonographs. We define an acoustic phonograph as one that runs without any electricity whatever, either battery or AC, and therefore must be wound by hand. Anything that plugs into the wall is too new for us, and therefore we cannot provide any information on electric phonographs or any type of radio.

What is my phonograph worth?

Price ranges given here are for phonographs that are in good original working condition, with no missing or damaged parts, and with no major cabinet damage. Phonographs in non-working condition or with missing parts or major damage generally have value as parts machines only. Another factor to consider is that market values for phonographs vary widely across the US. For example, prices in the San Francisco area (only 90 miles from us) can be as much as double the prices in the Sacramento area.

With these facts in mind, here are a few broad price catagories on several generic styles of phonographs:

Cylinder model, small horn - $300 to $500
Cylinder model, large horm - $500 to $700
Cylinder model, wooden horn - $1000 up
Cylinder model, internal horn - $300 to $500
Cylinder model, upright cabinet - $700 up
Disc table model, metal horn - $500 up
Disc table model, wooden horn - $1000 up
Disc table model, internal horn - $100 to $200
Disc table model, with lid - $200 to $300
Disc floor model, upright - $200 to $400
Disc floor model, console - $100 to $300

Art cases, unusual model variations, and many other factors can greatly affect the price. Asking prices seen in an antique mall are only a general guideline, as most dealers in these malls are not phonograph specialists. Besides, there is often a great deal of difference between an asking price and the amount of money that actually changes hands. The best way to determine the precise value of a phonograph is through a personal inspection by a reputable dealer. We are happy to do written appraisals on phonographs we can personally inspect, but we cannot provide information based on photographs or verbal descriptions.

How old is my phonograph?

Most of the common cylinder phonographs were manufactured between 1900 and 1915. The earliest disc phonographs also appeared about 1900, and all had external horns. The switch in disc phonographs to internal horn models began in 1907 and by 1910 very few models remained that still used the external horn. Table top, upright and console phonographs of many makes and styles proliferated between 1910 and 1925, but with the coming of radio and the availability of electricity in many homes, hand wound acoustic phonographs were mostly discontinued by 1930. Some companies manufactured small portable acoustic models into the 1940s.

Many phonographs have model identification tags that give not only the model number, but list a number of patent dates. These dates are not a reliable guide to the age of the phonograph. Patent dates merely state when a specific feature of the machine was patented. The only information that can be obtained from patent dates is that the machine was manufactured sometime after the last patent date - sometimes as much as 10 years after. There are reference books available in many libraries that will assist in dating a phonograph.