Two Unusual Ebay Auctions

one's a selection of Beatles 78rpm singles

When was the last time you saw an offer for a collection of early-1960s Beatles Parlophone 78rpm singles? Every so often one or two appears (including cracked unplayable ones that still fetch decent dollars) but this auction is for thirteen of them!

The advents of the long-playing 33rpm phonograph record (1948), the 45rpm single (1949), and the stereo LP (1957) did not immediately end 78rpm production. Even by 1952 78s still accounted for slightly more than half the records sold, by unit volume. The 45rpm, introduced in 1949, accounted for slightly more than 30% of the 1952 unit volume. 33rpm releases accounted for about 17% of 1952 record unit sales.

 By 1958, the 78rpm disc was pretty much gone—at least in the United States, accounting for only 2% of the unit volume, and 1% of the dollar volume. The jukebox market kept 78rpm shellac records alive for years beyond would should have been its demise. Even as late as the 1990s, Rhino produced a series of 78rpm singles for juke boxes, though they were pressed on vinyl. There were even a few recent 78rpm releases including "Good Vibrations" by The Beach Boys.

 But well beyond 1958 78rpm discs soldiered on in other parts of the world, including Argentina, India, and the Philippines. Why? Because, in the 1960s, large areas of many developing countries did not yet have electricity available to most of the people. Supposedly when British musical giant EMI phased out 78rpm production in the early 1960s, they packed up and shipped all their 78rpm equipment to India, precisely because people in India were still buying 78rpms to play on hand-cranked Victrolas (and other brands because they did not have electrical service.

That's the backstory of the currently active eBay auction No. 365124004091.

 The seller has a "Buy It Now" asking price of $79,999.20 (Best Offers considered). He also wants $499.00 for Shipping. How would you like to be responsible for packing these fragile records? Discogs lists an Indian Parlophone “I Want To Hold Your Hand / This Boy” 78rpm on offer from the UK at $649.34. But it is a cracked copy rated “Poor,” and for display purposes only. The only completed eBay sale we could find of a 78rpm Beatles record was from January, 2025: “She Loves You / I’ll Get You,” a Philippines Parlophone issue that sold for $870.

While perusing these record auctions, some ridiculously priced, including an American Apple Beatles "White Album" priced at $4,999 because it's sealed and has embossed numbering, I noticed our John Marks is offering on eBay the North Star signed, numbered limited edition Arturo Delmoni LP of the sonatas of Franck & Fauré (with pianist Meg Bachmann Vas) that Arturo somewhat extravagantly inscribed to John. The starting price for this sealed copy, plus an EX open “Play” copy (not signed or numbered), is $237.37.John’s sealed copy is numbered 2,000 of 2,000.

Checking in with him, John believes (but cannot prove) that it is not actually the 2,000th LP pressed. John believes that all the LPs that were destined for delivery to Arturo (because he had inscribed them to friends, family, or colleagues), were all pressed early on, to get them out of the way.

 John points out that as famous as Arturo Delmoni’s Songs My Mother Taught Me is (that was Arturo Delmoni’s first solo LP release), the French Sonatas album was actually recorded first, days before the SMMTM recording sessions. So, same venue, same recording engineer (David Hancock), and same equipment (Cambridge C35 ribbon mics; 30ips, half-inch two-track stereo tape).

 He is particularly enthusiastic about the Doug Sax LP mastering RTI pressing, and the high-quality jacket-slick printing. He's thinking that throwing in an excellent, newly washed and with new sleeves “Play” copy, will make this auction attractive to collectors who would rather keep the sealed copy sealed.

Though perhaps these albums are unknown to a younger generation of record collectors, as 78rpm records are to many. On the other hand, on Discogs opened unsigned copies of the Franck & Fauré album start at $150 and go up to $250.00. So, good luck John!