Really, Really old lp's


I inherited from my father (through his mother) some really old lps in leather bound binders. Most of the stuff is "Music Appreciation Records" and "Victor Red Seal Records". I vaguely recall that the red seals are worth something, although this vintage dates from I suspect 1930's and 1940's. All of the records are classical and include some pretty interesting artists and conductors (such as Heifetz and Toscannini). I tried playing one side after a turn on a nitty gritty and they only thing I can say is that there was a tremendous amout of surface noise and it seems they need a faster speed on the dial (IE 78 RPM).

My question is does this stuff have any value? Also, any recommendations for cleaning up really old, moldy records would be appreciated. Thanks.
russellrcncom
Thems ain't LPs, which stands for 'long playing', as opposed to the short play you have, called 78 rpm. LP is 33 1/3. They are probably not shellac (apologies above, they are even older). You can clean them safely with Disc Doctor. The conservator at the Library of Congres was using that last we spoke. The surface noise is probably 95% a combination of your cartridge and not deep cleaning. Last is a big final boost to greasing your skids.

It depends on how much you love the records. The market is more alive than it has been since the Tokyo market crash. But the internet cuts both ways. I have more ability to buy and to sell. That makes an efficient market.

It is also quite possible that your records were horribly abused by playing with shattered needles. In that case the cover art is worth the most.
Out of curiosity, I just checked Ebay to see what 78s are selling for. Amazing, and I must revise my earlier comment to reflect this "reality." Take a look -- It might well be worth trying to sell yours there, if you're prepared to pack them well enough to avoid breakage!