Any connoisseurs of vintage 45 records? I just inherited 4 or 5 HUNDRED.

[MercutioATC]

?

40's and 50's as far as I can tell.

[lazarus]

1. drool

drool drool drool.

Drool drool.

Drool?

Drool drool. Drool drool drool.


Drool.

[burrowowl]

2. Well

if you don't want them, I'm sure you'll make good bucks on e-bay.
Catalog them!

[grasswire]

3. hmmm

The prototype of the 45 rpm record wasn't introduced until 1948, and so I doubt that many (if any) of your records are from the 1940s.

Give us a few examples of the titles and artists, and maybe some DUers can help with a quick analysis of what you might have.

[MercutioATC]

7. A sampling...for your appraisal

I pulled a random 50. I believe these are all first "pressings" or editions, or whatever:

#1 I'll Always Love You/Baby, Obey me!...Dean Martin
#2 Midnight in Paris/The Conqueror...Frank Verna
#3 Out in the Cold Again/Once...Billy Eckstine
#4 Lonely Wine/Alone and Forsaken...Bill Darnell
#5 It's Easy For You To Say/Roulette...Tony Martin
#6 Go To Sleep, Go To Sleep, Go To Sleep/Ask me No Questions...Mindy Carson and Don Cornell
#8 Lies/Don't Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes...Perry Como
#9 Carmen - Gypsy Dance/La Virgen De La Macarena...Rafeal Mendez
#10 Johnny/Vaya Con Dios...Les Paul
#11 Hajji Baba/Unbelievevable..Nat"King" Cole
#12 The Cinderella Work Song/Fairy Tales..The Fontaine Sisters
#13 Masquerade Waltz...Boston "Pops" Orchestra/Gayne, Ballet Suite: Sabre Dance...Chicago Symphony Orchestra
#14 I Can't Face The Music/Mad About The Boy...Dinah Washinbton
#15 Conquest/Why Don't You Believe Me...Patti Page
#16 Three Letters/Comes A-Long A-Love...Kay Starr
#17 What'll I Do?/Love Me Or Leave Me...Perry Como
#18 Can You Find It In Your Head/Forget Her...Tony Bennett
#19 Angelique/Lazy Mary...Lou Monte
#20 Mambo Italiano/We'll Be Together Again...Rosemary Clooney

Did I say 50? 20 is more than enough for me.

...don't even ask about the stamp collection.........

[Norbert]

9. Looks like many of these are on major record labels

like RCA Victor, Colombia, Capitol and Decca. My guess without looking is they all seem to be early to mid 1950s and many of them predate rock and rolls rise. I would do some homework and find some collectors books on 45rpm records. The books I have are hopelessly outdated. If you want to kill some time looking up when these records hit the charts I included a link to the old Cashbox charts (Billboard magazines biggest competition for many years).

http://www.members.aol.com/_ht_a/randypny/cashbox/

[MercutioATC]

10. Thanks for the input

I'm holding onto them for now, but I'm seriously out of my depth on this.

[Crunchy Frog]

12. Hold onto them for right now

and get them professionally appraised.

[MercutioATC]

13. Exactly what I intend.

I have no immediate need for the money (yeah, it'd be nice, but it's not a must-have). I'll probably hold these long past the point where it's smart, simply because they're family heirlooms. I was mostly interested in digging out DU 45 connoisseurs and getting their opinions on the best way to handle the collection.

[bobthedrummer]

25. You've got a nice selection of 1950's popular music

judging by the sample you posted.

No doubt it is valuable to collectors.

Lucky you!

[Rhiannon12866]

4. WOW! This is a little before my time, LOL, but I am impressed!

I would hold on to them, if I were you, and decide what's best to do with them. Just try enjoying them, for the moment. They are probably valuable, so you should take your time in determining what to do with them.:-)

[grasswire]

5. some may be valuable...

...but some may be nearly worthless. Condition means a lot. Also, the original paper sleeves add to value.

[Norbert]

6. First off

What shape are they in?

Do they come with a sleeve? Hopefully they do. Records with picture sleeves fetch a little more money.

If you have early Rhythm & Blues records on the original independent labels (Chess, Alladin, Dootone ect.) thats a good thing. If you are lucky to have an Elvis Presley on Sun Records or Bill Haley and the Comets on Essex Records guard them with your life.

Lastly, this may be an unusual request but it really isn't. If they look to be in excellent shape don't play them. The difference in a record in mint, excellent, very good or good shape may be one play of a record.

I have many of them myself but haven't looked at the value of records in several years. Keep this kick so Night Train sees this. He could probably give you some good advice.

[MercutioATC]

8. See, THIS is what I'm looking for.

I'm not selling (the heirloom thing) but I AM interested in what to do for them.

Unfortunately, most of them have been put in albums...sans their original sleeves. The exceptions seem to be the boxed sets (soundtracks from Porgy and Bess, Schesherazade, April in Paris, Babalu, Showboat and The King and I, for example).

Some of them were my mother's. Some were my Grandmother's.

Most of them seem to be pre-Elvis and Haley, but I'm still looking

[trogdor]

36. You could try ripping them.

I've been doing this with my LP collection for awhile. I even bought me a THX-certified sound card, a professional DJ turntable and a good cartridge/stylus for this purpose. A friend listened to one of my CD's and he couldn't tell it was from a record.

[Exgeneral]

24. That's the guy I was thinking of

when I was still lurking Night Train did a lot of top 40's lists an dsuch; he is a dj I believe.

here's a site that may keep you busy for hours:

http://www.45-rpm.org.uk/where45.htm

[KoKo]

26. Hey, I have Pressley's "That's all Right Momma and "Blue Moon of Kentucky"

but alas no "sleeve." They were a gift. But it's Sun Records recording...

[Crunchy Frog]

11. Wow!

You lucky b@&#*%d! That is really cool. I myself have piles of old 78's that I inherited from my grandparents. I would hold onto them if I were you.

[ClintonTyree]

14. Contact...........

Night train........he's a DJ that is absolutely fanatic about oldies.

[MercutioATC]

15. That's the second recommendation I've recieved for Night Train...

We probably both thank you for the vote of confidence, but I'm certain tht I do.

[no_hypocrisy]

16. Are you going to transfer to CD's or tape?

n/t

[MercutioATC]

17. I have access to tape, but I'll probably transfer everything to DVD

I'll always have the originals...I think DVD would be the best way to store the copy.

[hunter]

21. Too much work...

Somebody else has probably made good mp3s of most of these records. You own the record, you should be able to get the mp3 off the internet, or from a friend... unless you think there is something extra special about your record's own particular clicks and pops.

I really don't care how the RIAA feels about this... It's your music, it's long been bought and paid for. You shouldn't have to pay for it again.

Okay, yeah, many of the mp3s you might find have been burned from "remastered" CDs, and the record companies do put some effort into that... after all they did save the original studio tapes (maybe) and they did pay someone who knows how to squash the tape hiss, but these days almost anyone can do that.

Myself, I don't give my mp3s to anyone who doesn't have the music on original media, nor do I download or keep mp3s of music I don't own on original media.

A slippery slope, I'm certain...

[MercutioATC]

28. Good point. I wanted to have electronic copies, but I'm sure they're

already out there. Thanks for saving me the time and effort :)

[trogdor]

37. My software does a good job squashing noise.

I bought a Creative Labs Audigy series sound card. It's THX certified, so it must be good. Anyway, my homemade CDs sound fantastic.

[Intelsucks]

18. Buy the 2004 RECORD PRICING Guide for about $25.

I own the 2000 version. It contains approximate values for over 1,000,000 recordings which includes 78's, 45'S, 10", LP's, etc. All values listed are for near-mint condition.

There is a very good chance that you may have a gold mine there.

[MercutioATC]

19. Thanks for the info. I'll pick it up.

.

[grasswire]

23. hmmmm again...

If these belonged to Mom and Grandma, it's not likely that you have the most collectible 45s, if you're trying to find value. Most "chick" recordings of the era were dreamy ballads or soft rock and roll or novelty songs, and most likely what you have are the top hits and not more obscure recordings. Doesn't sound like much swing or jazz, either.

Still, it's a window into their world, and lots of fun to have. Now you need a poodle skirt and a letterman's jacket to hang on the wall.

[MercutioATC]

30. I agree...they're not in collector condition anyway...

I'm just looking for a value for insurance and recommendations on how to care for them.

[Intelsucks]

31. What he said has nothing to do with the "collectability" of a record...

"Someone has to want it" is the first rule to remember. How much is it worth? It's worth as much as someone is willing to pay for it. A record doesn't even have to be old to be rare, and sought after by collectors. How obscure, or how mainstream a record is doesn't really have anything to do with value either.

If you have 400-500 of these 45's, there's got to be at least a few of them that are worth some money. Sure, many of them will be absolutely worthless.

If you get the Record Pricing Guide, it will explain all of this in the pages of the introduction. It will also show you how to tell if a record is a first pressing, 2nd pressing, etc. Owning a first pressing usually yields the highest value, but there are exceptions to that as well.

It is important to do your homework.

[MercutioATC]

32. Yep, I realize that, too. My point was that I'm not looking for a goldmine

I'm just curious about the value. I think there probably are a few that are worth something...probably quite a few are worth SOMETHING. I'm picking up the Record Pricing Guide in about an hour, so it ought to be interesting.

[Intelsucks]

35. keep your fingers crossed...

There could be one or two in there that are worth $500-$1000 on the collector market, you never know... Good luck!

[Loonman]

20. I used to have a 40-50 picture sleeve 45s from the 80s

Vanished in the mists of time.......

[XNASA]

22. Beatles Picture Sleeves are worth a mint.

Especially the original "Please, Please Me" sleeve.

I have that record, which is worth about $35. But not the sleeve, which is worth about $5K, if I remember correctly.

[Kat45]

27. I have 4 Beatles singles with picture sleeves..

but not "Please, Please Me." I do have "I Want to Hold Your Hand"; I can't remember off-hand what the other three are.

[XNASA]

29. Check out these links.

http://www.rarebeatles.com/sleeves/sleeves.htm

http://www.rarebeatles.com/

You might have something.

[Kat45]

38. Thanks for the links, XNASA.

Unfortunately, I don't know if any of mine qualify as "near mint." One has a pen mark on it; on another, the record store had written the price.

I bookmarked the link because I have a few other Beatles items, and those that aren't on the site could turn up there sometime.

[Forkboy]

33. Wow...that's like stumbling over some pirate booty

I'm seriously jealous :D

[MercutioATC]

34. Hehehe...you said "booty"

:silly:

As has been posted above, most are probably not worth that much, but it'd be nice to know...

[NightTrain]

39. Dude, I got your e-mail

Just haven't had a chance to reply yet!

[MercutioATC]

40. No problem...you were just recommended as somebody to talk to :)

.