By Maribeth Keane — I have about 20,000 records in my collection at my house and another 7,000 at another house. I keep them in a room in the basement that has to be humidity controlled with very little humidity at all because mold will grow on the records. I liked vocals when I was young, and I used to play my mother’s records at 78 rpm because they were mostly 45. That way, I couldn’t understand the vocals anymore, and it made the tune very upbeat and really fast. I just thought to myself, “I wonder what is...

The Birth and Evolution of Victor Victrola Antique Phonographs

By Maribeth Keane — When I was around 10, my grandfather passed away, and my dad brought home his Victrola and stuck it under the stairs in the basement. He didn’t want it or care about it. It was a 1917 - my grandfather bought it right before World War I. One day I was messing around and opened it up and started playing with it. I’d always been into music from the 1930s and ’40s, because my parents played it at home so much, but then I got this thing working. It intrigued me. It just was fascinating to get...

Record Collector Ted Staunton On His Favorite 78s

By Marty Weil — Ted Staunton was born in England, but now lives an active retired lifestyle in Vancouver, Canada. Ted has an outstanding collection of 78 rpm record labels. We talked about his collection, how he got started, and what excites him about the hobby during this recent telephone interview. : When did you become interested in collecting 78 rpm record labels? : My interest in 78 rpm labels grew out of another hobby, that of singing in a barbershop quartet. Listening to the sounds of quartets...