What are 78 speed records from the 40s 50s worth?

Answer 1

eBay has become a very valuable resource for information on the value of collectibles. Try their advanced search to find previous auctions for similar records and see what they sold for.

Keep in mind the fluctuation of the economy and buyer's market. eBay provides a good idea of what people are willing to pay but may not be accurate in accordance with antique appraisal values and what dealer's estimate the value as.

With 78s, as with all recordings, there are a number of factors which determine the rarity and subsequent possible value of a recording to a collector. First and foremost is condition. 78s were often played on gramophones with a very heavy pick-up arm with a steel needle. Therefore the wear than was created via playing the records would, with continual playing, gradually wear away the recording from the grooves. Often, with careless mishandling, records would become scratched or damaged in other ways. Therefore worn records have very little or zero value.

Another factor determining value is the collectibilty and rarity of a particular recording. Certain genres of music are more saught after than others. Early operatic records, early blues and jazz, roots music and early rock and roll are particularly saught after. Another factor is how many of the original records were originally pressed and sold. The output from smaller record companies who may only have sold their product locally, possibly from just one outlet, is clearly going to be rarer and more valuable than a nationally known company like RCA Victor which had country wide distribution and international pressing agreements in other countries.

Answer 2

Go online to EBAY.com and search for 70s ad 80s 45 speed records. There are a lot of them still around, but they are fragile. The price varies according to the song someone is looking for. And condition of the records.

Answer 3

Many of the records are valued in price between $25 and $50 each. The exact price will depend upon the exact record and their condition.