Collectors insist performances recorded long ago can sound best in their original format. Even patient sound engineers doing straight transfers can lose a little sound. Some collectors say that owning original recordings helps them understand America's musical past in a special way. I cannot explore here what old recordings are likely to increase in value since that is a rich topic for a future article. But I will say that investing in 78s and cylinders only pays for those who know what they are doing.
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