Expert: Bruce R. Gilson - 4/21/2011

Question
I have recently been working with the estate of a major Hollywood agent/manager who had clients from the 1940s and 1950s. Among the collection are quite a number of records labeled "master musical recordings." There are recordings by Peggy Lee, Mel Torme, Stan Kenton, The Pied Pipers and even some Sinatra. Many are labeled "Capitol Transcriptions," "Radio Recorders" and "Electric Transcription Standard Program Library." Also, there are a number of records of live radio shows of the post-war years including Dinah Shore and Dick Haynes. Do any of these have any value to collectors and if so, what range?  Also included a quite a few unlabeled copper-clad zinc "master" Audio Discs with no identification other than that some were addressed to Rodeo Recorders, Hollywood and sent by Radio Products Sales, Inc. of LA.
Any help would be appreciated.  Many thanks.
                                      Kyle

Answer
I am sure that there are collectors to whom these would have great value. But I cannot say how much that value would be. I would suggest you get in touch with such people as the ones who run the Music Hoarders blog (http://www.musichoarders.com/ ) because that blog discusses some of the more unusual forms of recorded music, and the people interested in your masters would likely be viewers of that blog.