Ma Rainey Pre-War 1920s 78 RPM Blues Record - Lost Wandering Blues & Dream Blues
$
53
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Description
I am not a record collector and I only casually deal in records, but as soon as this Ma Rainey record appeared in a stack I was going through, I knew it had to be good. Alas, what looked to be a desirable record in decent used condition turned out to be a desirable record with a major flaw in it. It has a crack that begins on the outer edge and continues all the way into the center of the record where the paper label is. I have tried to show this in the photo, but the light reflections may make it hard to see. The crack affects both sides. There are also minor surface scratches. There are no chips on the edge. The record doesn't appear to be warped. The paper label is actually quite good on both sides.
I do have an old Victrola, so I tried playing the record. I was amazed that the needle didn't get hung up in the crack. Both sides played. Of course, in addition to the background "static" noise that's common on old 78 records, this record makes a "click" every time the needle passes over the crack. The crack doesn't seem as deep and wide the closer you get to the label, so the noise diminishes as the song plays, but it's still there all the way through. Nonetheless, you can hear Ma Rainey singing. And if your player has a better needle than mine, which it probably does, it may sound even better.
Because this is such a rare and desirable record, I'm offering it for auction with a low starting bid. My thought is that a collector of blues records might be happy to have it even in the condition it's in. If nothing else, it could be framed and hung it on the wall.
Please feel free to ask questions and I'll do my best to answer. Shipping is $4.00.
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