Big Band Records

[Hahma]

My wife's father, who had passed away a few years ago, has a collection of big band records. My wife tried searching for collectors/buyers but had no luck. Does anyone by chance know of a place that would buy these records. She is thinking some kind of auction house in the Chicago area might be able to help move them, but I was just wondering if anyone has experience in trying to sell such records.

A couple of the artists that she can recall off hand are:

Gene Kruppa
Glenn Miller

Thanks in advance to anyone with ideas. :)

[atmospro]

Hahma can you give me some band names and record titles. I may know someone who would be interest if they are orginals in good condition.

Oh Gene Krupa is one of the greatest drummers of all time maybe the greatest of time in any music genre. No joke. For real. Break that out and listen.

Glenn Miller is the biggest star Bandleader of that time period. No he's a mega superstar who music still play today. He die at the hieght of his career in a plane crach on his way to France.

[django]

did she not like her father?why would you give away something your father loved.

[Malechi]

did she not like her father?why would you give away something your father loved.

Could you possibly be more of an inconsiderate azz? Having the items in a new home where they would be loved as her father loved them shows a lot more respect than in a box in the attic!

Another solution for finding collectors is eBay.

[django]

no no no i did not mean it like that.I know i wouldn't keep my fathers stuff in the attic id buy a nice shelving unit and the proper protection they need but if
i had to get rid of them i would make an effort to keep the collection in the family.

[Malechi]

Of course you keep them in the family first, but that requires a family member who enjoys Big Band vinyls. A few years ago there was a resurgence of the Big Band sound (Brian Setzer Orchestra, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Cherry Poppin' Daddies amongst others), but unless some family members got into swing dancing this may not be an alternative ...

Protecting and shelving an item simply because a family member had them before you can be money, time and space consuming, especially for something that means little if the recipient cares little for them except for the fact They were daddies.

[Hahma]

Of course you keep them in the family first, but that requires a family member who enjoys Big Band vinyls. A few years ago there was a resurgence of the Big Band sound (Brian Setzer Orchestra, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Cherry Poppin' Daddies amongst others), but unless some family members got into swing dancing this may not be an alternative ...

Protecting and shelving an item simply because a family member had them before you can be money, time and space consuming, especially for something that means little if the recipient cares little for them except for the fact They were daddies.

Thanks Malechi for the backup. :) Though I don't think Django meant any harm, just a different opinion.

That's the problem Malechi, she is an only child and only has a couple cousins that aren't interested in that music. Her mom (whom she really doesn't like, but that a whole other issue) lives in a house full of stuff that will eventually have to find a new home. We don't have the room, nor do we have a turntable to play the old 78's on. Thus, she would rather they go to someone that would truly be interested in them either as a fan of the music or a collector.

She loved her father immensely, he was everything to her and visa versa. Whe have his flag (WWII vet) in a case on our mantle, as well as pictures hanging about. But a box of records sitting in our house really wouldn't be anything more than that, just like hanging his favorite jacket up in the closet. There's only so much that you can keep/display of a passed loved one.

[Hahma]

Hahma can you give me some band names and record titles. I may know someone who would be interest if they are orginals in good condition.

Oh Gene Krupa is one of the greatest drummers of all time maybe the greatest of time in any music genre. No joke. For real. Break that out and listen.

Glenn Miller is the biggest star Bandleader of that time period. No he's a mega superstar who music still play today. He die at the hieght of his career in a plane crach on his way to France.

Atmospro,

My wife is stopping by her mom's today and I'll ask her to bring back the records. Unfortunately her father passed away only after a few years of my dating/engagement with my wife. He was really great, a WWII vet that took care of everything that he owned. I love that generation and am very sad that they are leaving us every day.

Regarding Gene Kruppa, I've heard a little of his stuff and he was fantastic. In fact, he was my father in-law's favorite and is burried in the same cemetary as Gene Kruppa. I think he's got framed pictures of him as well, though I don't know if any are autographed.

Whenever I find out more about the record condition (they are kept in a cool/dry room in the basement) and the exact titles, I'll let you know.

Thanks for the reply.

[Joah]

Oh Gene Krupa is one of the greatest drummers of all time maybe the greatest of time in any music genre. No joke. For real. Break that out and listen.

Glenn Miller is the biggest star Bandleader of that time period. No he's a mega superstar who music still play today. He die at the hieght of his career in a plane crach on his way to France.

I totally agree. It wasn't until the last five or six years that I embraced this style of music.( I was a rock 'n Roller)

I would check them out, I mean, really give them a listen before doing anything further.

[django]

Hahma did not mean to be an ass i just have a lot of love for vinyl but that was the other question i for got to ask if they were 78's and they are id say sell them it would probably cost a small fortune to find a player the last one i saw that played 78's was $385 in know there is a place down town a few blocks south from the house of blues and all they sell is jazz and big band stuff ill see if i can dig up the name for you.

[Hahma]

Hahma did not mean to be an *** i just have a lot of love for vinyl but that was the other question i for got to ask if they were 78's and they are id say sell them it would probably cost a small fortune to find a player the last one i saw that played 78's was $385 in know there is a place down town a few blocks south from the house of blues and all they sell is jazz and big band stuff ill see if i can dig up the name for you.

Thanks django.

I understood where you were coming from before, not a problem.

[Hahma]

Oh Gene Krupa is one of the greatest drummers of all time maybe the greatest of time in any music genre. No joke. For real. Break that out and listen.

Glenn Miller is the biggest star Bandleader of that time period. No he's a mega superstar who music still play today. He die at the hieght of his career in a plane crach on his way to France.

I totally agree. It wasn't until the last five or six years that I embraced this style of music.( I was a rock 'n Roller)

I would check them out, I mean, really give them a listen before doing anything further.

Joah,

I will have the wife hold off on selling them until I get to check them out further.

I think I remember her dad having a reel to reel tape player and may have some Kruppa on there as well. I'll have to look into that.

The problem is that her mother lives an hour away and isn't the type that we want our 3yr-old twins to be around (believe me it's a long story). So my wife usually deals with her mom on her own, while I take care of my mom's stuff (who is also an hour away but in a different direction, though is kid friendly, unlike my wife's mom).

[Hahma]

Hahma can you give me some band names and record titles. I may know someone who would be interest if they are orginals in good condition.

Oh Gene Krupa is one of the greatest drummers of all time maybe the greatest of time in any music genre. No joke. For real. Break that out and listen.

Glenn Miller is the biggest star Bandleader of that time period. No he's a mega superstar who music still play today. He die at the hieght of his career in a plane crach on his way to France.

Sorry it's been so long in replying Atmospro. I guess I didn't realize just how many records my father in-law had, so my wife didn't want to bother with going through them yet. But, as her mother just passed away a couple weeks ago, we are now bringing some of the stuff from her house home, including the records. I'd say we have between 300 and 500 of them now (yeah!). We've been crazy busy (and will be) working and trying to flip the in-laws' house, but I made a list of albums this morning.

These are from a boxed-set of some sort from Aug,23rd, 1941.

Gene Kruppa And his Orchestra
Ten inch singles or whatever they were

1. I Walked In/I'll Remember Suzanne
2. You Forgot About Me/Deep In the Blues
3. I'd Love To Call You My Sweetheart/Drummin' Man
4. I Don't Want To Be Loved/ That Feeling In The Moonlight
5. Bolero At The Savoy/Side By Side
6. We'll Gather Lilacs/ Gimme A Little Kiss
7. That's What You Think/ All Those Wonderful Years
8. Are These Really Mine?/ Harriet
9. Hop, Skip, And Jump/ Yesterdays
10. When You Awake/ Oh! They're Makin' Me All Over In The Army
11. "Murder", He Says/ Massachusetts

Benny Goodman

1. Sandman/Good-Bye
2. King Porter/Sometimes I'm Happy
3. Always/ Walk, Jennie, Walk
4. Who?/ Someday Sweetheart

Richard Himber And His Orchestra

Who's Theme Song? - Part 1/ Who's Theme Song? - Part 2



There are really too many to list right now, but you get the idea.

I think my wife would rather sell the majority of them to a collector locally because they weigh a ton and would cost a mint to ship. Those albums were easily twice as thick as the later ones.

If you know someone that is looking for something specific, that would be easier than me listing all of them.

Oh by the way, going to my mother-in-law's funeral a couple weeks ago, it reminded me that both her and her husband are buried in the same cemetary as Gene Kruppa (Holy Cross in Calumet City, IL) and are only a few hundred yards from his grave. Also, my wife brought home a ton of old Gene Kruppa pix from her parents house. They'll look cool in our bar someday when I finish the basement. Maybe we'll also frame a few records to hang up as well.

[django]

small world my grandpa was buried at Holy Cross Nov 2. I cant find the name of that record store at all sorry.

[mrbistro]

Last year my parents finally sold off their neglected record collection. My wife and I helped them sell it, and we were suprised by just how little vinyl is worth. My dad had original Beatles albums in amazing condition, but we had troubles finding anyone interested. In the end we dumped it all at a local record store and got $150 for what I had originally thought would be worth thousands.

[Hahma]

small world my grandpa was buried at Holy Cross Nov 2. I cant find the name of that record store at all sorry.

Sorry for your loss Django.

My wife and her family are originally from South Chicago (she went to Bowen) and moved to Whiting after she graduated highschool. So I guess Holy Cross is the cemetary of choice for many in the region. It's a nice place.

Thanks anyway regarding the record store.

We're in no hurry to do anything with the records and frankly don't even have too much extra time to catalog all of them. Sometime within the next year we'll get it done. We have a lot of work to do at the house in Whiting to get it ready to sell and that's the first priortiy.

[Hahma]

Last year my parents finally sold off their neglected record collection. My wife and I helped them sell it, and we were suprised by just how little vinyl is worth. My dad had original Beatles albums in amazing condition, but we had troubles finding anyone interested. In the end we dumped it all at a local record store and got $150 for what I had originally thought would be worth thousands.


Thanks Mrbistro,

I agree, and my wife will be disappointed. Not so much that she wanted a ton of money for them, but that the thought that something like that doesn't hold much worth any longer.