“John Heneghan tugged a large shellac disc from its brown paper sleeve, placed it on a turntable and gently nudged a needle into place. Behind him, in the corner of his East Village apartment, sat 16 wooden crates, each filled with meticulously cataloged 78-r.p.m. records. The coarse, crackling voice of the blues singer Charley Patton, performing ‘High Water Everywhere Part 1,’ his startling account of the 1927 Mississippi River flood, rose from the speakers, raw and unruly. The record is worth about $8,000.
“Mr. Heneghan, 41, is part of a small but fervent community of record collectors who for decades have hunted, compulsively and competitively, for 78s: the extraordinarily fragile 10-inch discs, introduced near the turn of the 20th century and made predominantly of shellac, that contain one two- to three-minute performance per side. At a time when music fans expect songs to be delivered instantaneously (and often at zero cost) online, scouring the globe for a rare record — and paying thousands of dollars for it — might seem ludicrous.” (cont’d @ NY Times)
The 'Not-So-Rough' Guide 
I am 32, and have been collecting 78s for 2 years only. I have a pretty decent collection of prewar blues, some postwar, that fills about 2 milkcrates.
Some of my faves are Tommy McClennan (3 discs) Lightnin Hopkins (6 discs) Blind Willie JOhnson, Lemon Jefferson, Joe Williams (2 discs) Peetie Wheatstraw (2) and Yank Rachell (2) with Sonny Boy Williamson 1.
I also have many Carter Family on Victor, and 2 Louis Armstrong from 1927-28, which are very dear to me.
I always thought it was strange that I am so young, and yet prefer these old discs over cds, mp3s, ipods, or even albums. Something about the sound of an old somewhat scratchy hissy 78 from the 30s. I love the hunt also, going to flea markets, thrift stores, estate sales. It is something of a quest. I also have learned so much about music, history, culture, and value.
I am so lucky that I stumbled across these old shellac records one day when I was at a garage sale. That started me on a great pastime, which I can enjoy with my 3 kids.
Joe Wood
Amatuer Collector
St. Louis
I’m 18 and have been collecting records of all kinds since I was 6. I own a 1927 Victrola 4-3 and a 1918 Edison C-150, and although it is awkward sometimes possibly being the youngest 78 rpm collector in the entire US, the payoff is wonderful-I get bargain prices for records that would otherwise have high prices (since dealers take pity on the fact that I’m a poor college student) and I get 78s that I will cherish for a lifetime.
Jason Madore, youngest known official veteran record collector
St. Paul, MN