How do you place a value on a record that has nothing to compare to?

This is the second time in my eight plus years selling records locally: Coming across a record for which I find nothing to compare it to. The first was a Woody Guthrie album that I eventually gave up on finding a value for, so I got in touch with Arlo Guthrie and donated the record to the Woody Guthrie Archives. That just seemed like the right and honorable sort of thing to do with that record.

This time though, I am considering offering what I have to the California State Library in Sacramento at a reasonable price. But how do I place a value on a record for which there is nothing to compare it to? The closest I have been able to find in this, a two 7" 45RPM edition listed on Discogs thus:



The Padre Choristers – Songs Of The California Missions (1959, Gatefold, Vinyl)

What I have is a two 10" 78 RPM boxed set in mostly excellent condition with one small surface scratch on one of the 4 sides. The RCA catalog numbers and run-out matrix numbers are is RR-18148 through RR-18-18151 The cover looks the same of the 45RPM set but is more oblong and, of course, is larger and has liner notes inside both front and back covers.

My goal is not to price gauge the state, but at the same time this appears to be a very scarce set and I don't want to short myself on the value of something so unusual. How do I put a value of such an item?

Thoughts?

 

Donate it to the church.

 

No, I'm thinking this would find a better home in our State Library. It's more likely to be handled properly. I've already sold a few recordings of California indigenous people's (aka "Native American") music to the California State Library (very reasonably) and I know those records are in good hands. This set would also find a better home at the State Library because it is as much (or more, even) related to California history/ Western Americana.

I'm not being stingy wanting to sell this. It's what I do to eek out a modest living and I already tithe and donate to social and environmental organizations through both my personal and my business dealings.

I'm hoping someone here might have some suggestions for how to assess value to hard-to-find items such as this one.

 

Discogs or ebay are probably the best sources for determining the market value. The Discogs link you shared shows one for sale at about $33. You might be able to value it a bit higher based on condition. Good luck!

 

There isn't a lot of interest in the 45 7" version so doubt there's much interest in this thing. If you want to SELL it to the library, ask them what they're willing to give. The best thing to do is raise awareness of it. Make a listing for it on Discogs, transfer it, throw it on youtube. If no one knows about it, I can't see a value ever being that great.

 

I think your idea of asking the library what they are willing to give for it is probably the best way to go. They have a rather extensive collection of books, paper ephemera, recordings, etc. so would probably give me a fair price in any case.

 

There is only one way to know for sure, and that is the amount of head bops when playing:
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The value is not in the "product"...the value is you becoming known for being a person who has products of such a calibre to offer. Put it within that perspective, and then be the good guy who gets that article to a place where it will benefit the most people.

Every time you do such a deed, you increase the overall value of yourself.

Quark wins more Dabo tournaments not because he has the most bars of gold-pressed latinum, but because he is the only one in the Delta Quadrant whom everybody knows as Quark.

 

That seems a bit catty!

 

Let us know what happens. I don't know much how libraries work, but I bet anything they get grants and have a certain amount of money they must spend on acquisitions pertinent to their institution.

 

The California Historical Society in SF and UCSB already have copies on 78RPM, but those are the only two libraries in the US who have catalogued it. (Many sound recording holdings in libraries are not catalogued).

 

Thanks, I will. My wife's bookstore business partner has a friend who is looking into it for me. In the long run, I'm most interested it this set finding it's way to a good home. Selling books and records is how I make my living, so of course I hope to get paid. But sometimes a book or record just needs to find its right place for that reason alone. I might make a little money or it may end up becoming a donation.

 

I don’t think it’s wrong to try to get value but in this instance if you got it without much cost to you, you should pass along the savings to the library.