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Aug 19, 2014 Web Exclusive By Frank Valish

Amanda Petrusich’s Do Not Sell at Any Price examines the esoteric nature of 78 rpm record collecting. In doing so, she travels across America to discuss collecting with the foremost collectors of the format and meets all manner of interesting personalities along the way, individuals obsessed with obtaining rare 78s and finding out every minute historical detail about the artists behind them. In addition to presenting her tales of curious collectors, Petrusich also manages to weave together a history of the 78 record, including scholarly discussions pre-war blues, Harry Smith, and the Paramount record label, among others. She disappears down any number of rabbit holes in search of information and records, from scouring university collections to scuba diving in the Milwaukee River to try to unearth masters that were purportedly hurled into the river when Paramount went under.

As interesting as the individual stories is Petrusich’s examination of the art of collecting, the personality required to be as obsessive a collector as 78 rpm collecting requires, and even the possible neuropsychological bases for such. This larger narrative percolates throughout the text, but also represents the bigger question for Petrusich. Although she ultimately falls prey to the collector’s desires herself, metacognitive analysis of the process is never far behind. More than just 78s, Do Not Sell at Any Price examines what it means to be a collector, to be exclusively focused on one thing. And anyone who has collected anything-rocks, stamps, bottle caps, records-can relate to that. (www.simonandschuster.com) (www.amandapetrusich.com)

Author rating: 7.5/10