CLASSICAL / OPERA SHELLAC 78s up for grabs

[timwed]

I've come into a collection of CLASSICAL / OPERA SHELLAC 78s

Loads of them.. with more to come.. no idea what to do with them.. are they of any value to anyone? will run into the 1000s eventually.. first batch are currently clogging up my hallway.. any suggestions gratefully received.. thanks Tim 

[RichH]

There are an increasing number of collectors and archivists looking for 78's and I'd suggest that the Opera ones may be of paticular interest, especially those featuring artists who retired or died before "modern" recording techniques and record formats became available.  In such cases those old 78's may be the only known recordings of the singer's voice which could make them especially interesting and potentially valuable.  In my opinion, the classical discs will likely be of less value, unless you have any that are of extremely rarely performed pieces, or feature particulary well-regarded virtuosos.  Unfortunately, the only way to be sure is to catalogue every item and see who's interested in them.  You could sell the whole collection as a job lot but you may miss a potentially valuable gem.  Rare Jazz and Blues discs are especially collectable so it's worth checking you don't have a few of those tucked away in the collection somewhere. 

If you search the Internet for "78rpm collectors" you'll find several potentially interested parties (dealers and individual collectors) and some who may be able to help with valuations.  A proper auction house (not eBay) may also be an avenue to consider.

Luckily I have only a couple of dozen 78rpm's, which I plan to transfer to digital files, when I eventually get around to it.  It's quite a laborious process if you want to get it right!

Good luck with the collection, I'm rather envious! :)

[timwed]

any takers? I'm literally prepared to give them away.. just don't have the time to deal with them

[timwed]

free to anyone interested.. thanks 

picture now added

if anyone decides to take these off my hands, there will also be more to come if interested.. thanks