‘The Record Guy’ Says Your Old Albums Could Be Worth Thousands

Mighty John Marshall, "The Record Guy," is a favorite guest who brings interesting stories about famous groups and the value of records we used to play. It's interesting to find out exactly what makes some records worth more than others.

"Most of the money is in records of the 1950s and 60s. Many of the 45s were issued with picture sleeves, where there's a picture on the sleeve, usually of the artist," Marshall said. "Almost always, these picture sleeves are worth more than the 45 rpm record that came inside."

His website MoneyMusic.com is an interesting labyrinth of music history and curious trappings. He has people from all across the globe ask his expertise on a record's worth all the time.

"When I used to fly to hundreds of places a year to do live shows, people on the flight next to me would ask, 'what do you do'? At first, I'd tell the truth and in no time I had people coming down the aisle asking about this record or that artist. It was a steady stream of folks, so I learned to answer that I'm an accountant, and from that time, I enjoyed a nice, quiet flight," snickered Marshall.

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Marshall always has "10 records worth $100 or more for every radio appearance, plus two bonus records worth really big bucks," he said. Some of the September picks include: Elvis Presley "Teddy Bear" (1957, RCA) on 45 with the picture sleeve is up to $100. I bet you have a copy of the Temptations "My Girl" (1965, Gordy) 45 with the picture sleeve, which is worth up to $125, while the sleeve itself is worth $100. Do you remember The Monkees album The Birds, The Bees and the Monkees that had the hit "Daydream Believer?" It's worth $650 for a mono copy but only $25 for a stereo copy, because a lot fewer mono records were pressed. Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues" (1958, Liberty) on 78 rpm is worth $1,200 but the 45 only gets you $30.

But here's a twist: Marshall features two bonus records every month by artists you know and artists you never heard of. For instance, are you familiar with Rita & The Tiaras? Their song "Gone with the Wind is My Love," (1967, Dore) is a 45 that you can cash in for $4,500. I've never heard of her. From that fabulous Doo Wop group The Flamingos, "I Really Don't Want to Know" (1955, Parrot) 45 on red vinyl is worth $6,000 or on black vinyl for $2,500.

There's gold in your golden oldies. If records interest you, Marshall offers a CD with over a million songs and their artists and worth, that makes for hours of interesting discoveries. He also has a similar CD in Microsoft Word that lists the worth of over 10,000 picture sleeves. Everything I mentioned you can see at MoneyMusic.com.

Keep a song in your heart until next time.