Ralph DeLuca's Pre-War Blues 78's collection, (Auction #3,) Complete List!
Closes Thursday, March 17, 2022 at 7:00 pm PT
This is auction #3 (of at least five) of the record collection of Ralph DeLuca.
Mr. DeLuca is most known for his legendary collection of rare movie posters, but for 15 years he actively, and aggressively, collected rare Blues 78's, mostly Pre-War.
He plunged into collecting rare Blues 78's hot and heavy and went for the best whenever and wherever he could find them. He bought smart and paid big to get what he wanted!
Mr. DeLuca has moved into the art world, no longer collecting 78's, as he finds it easier to buy rare art than rare records. That should tell you something!
There should be something for each and every Blues collector reading this auction. There are titles here not seen for sale in decades . . . and some may never be seen again.
This is your chance to get some LEGENDARY rarities and just plain GREAT records for your collection. Be prepared though — the great stuff is going to go for a lot of money!
E+ is the highest grade used. This is the old-time 78 grading system and I am very strict.
The next Ralph DeLuca auction will be in several monthsand contains another 100 or so goodies.
The previous DeLuca auction realized over $300,000 in sales and this one is even better!
Good luck to all!
Printed (PDF) version of Ralph DeLuca's Pre-War Blues 78's auction, part 3, low-res (20 mb)
Printed (PDF) version of Ralph DeLuca's Pre-War Blues 78's auction, part 3, high-res (28 mb)
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DeLuca Pre-War Blues 78's consignment, part 3, complete-list
1. Garfield Akers — "Dough Roller Blues / Jumpin' And Shoutin' Blues" VOCALION 1481 • VMONSTER RARITY!! Less than five known copies! His version of "Rollin' & Tumblin' " and a MAJORLY IMPORTANT DELTA BLUES MASTERPIECE! MB $10,000
2. Skip James — "Devil Got My Woman / Cypress Grove Blues" PARAMOUNT 13083 • VMONSTER RARITY!! Less than five known copies! ABSOLUTE LEGENDARY MASTERPIECE! NEVER FOR SALE AT ANY PRICE! MB $20,000
3. Robert Johnson — "Cross Road Blues / Ramblin' On My Mind" VOCALION 03519 • V- HIS MASTERPIECE!!! The one everyone wants, yet almost never for sale!!! Yes, it is fairly worn, but it plays decent! MB $8,000
4. Robert Johnson — "Milkcow's Calf Blues / Malted Milk" VOCALION 03665 • E+ AS CLEAN AS THEY GET! Absolutely stunningly beautiful copy! You almost NEVER see Johnsons in this kind of condition—just a hair from PERFECT! MB $15,000
5. Tommy Johnson — "Bye Bye Blues /Maggie Campbell Blues" VICTOR 21409 • E- "Maggie Campbell" is an absolute classic and later covered by Robert Nighthawk in 1954. MB $5,000
6. Charley Patton — "Shake It And Break It But (Don't Let It Fall Mama) / A Spoonful Blues" PARMOUNT 12869 • V+ Double-sided Patton masterpiece! Nice decent copy that plays well!MB $10,000
7. "Texas" Alexander — "Sabine River Blues/Mama I Heard You Brought It Right" OKEH 8542 E+ GORGEOUS COPY MB $500
8. Texas Alexander — "Blue Devil Blues/Penitentiary Moan Blues" OKEH 8640 E+ BEAUTIFUL COPY MB $500
9. Kokomo Arnold — "Bad Luck Blues/My Well Is Dry" DECCA 7540 E+ MB $300
10. Will Batts — "Cheatin' Woman / Cadillac Baby"VOCALION 02542 • E/E- FABULOUS! MB $2,000
11. Blind Blake — "Stonewall Street Blues/Too Tight" PARAMOUNT 12431 V+/E- MB $500
12. Blind Blake — "Police Dog Blues/Diddie Wah Diddie" PARAMOUNT 12888 G BLAKE MASTERPIECE that ALWAYS shows up whipped. Best known copy is a weak V + . . . most copies are V or less. MB $200
13. Barbecue Bob — "Goin' Up The Country/Mississippi Low-Levee Blues" COLUMBIA 14316 E+ Gorgeous copy!!! MB $500
14. Barbecue Bob — "Blind Pig Blues/Hurry And Bring It Back Home" COLUMBIA 14372 E+ STUNNING MB $500
15. Barbecue Bob — "Freeze To Me Mama/Me And My Whisky" COLUMBIA 14507 E Labels are slightly faded MB $300
16. Dobby Bragg aka ROOSEVELT SYKES — "Fire Detective Blues /Single Tree Blues"PARMOUNT 12827 E SUPER CLEAN copy of one of SYKES early ones MB $800
17. Big Bill (Broonzy) And Thomps — "House Rent Stomp / Big Bill Blues" PARAMOUNT 12656 • E- GREAT ONE! MB $1,000
18. Flossie And Duke Brown — "Gas Man Blues/Pig Meat Mama" CHAMPION 15858 E- Mae Glover and John Byrd MB $500
19. Bob Campbell — "Shotgun Blues / Dice's Blues"VOCALION 02830 • E Beautiful Copy! MB $1,000
20. Gus Cannon's Jug Stompers — "Last Chance Blues /The Rooster's Crowing Blues"VICTOR 38593E-/V+ B-side has some groove stripping—very scarce one MB $500
21. Bo Carter — "Banana In The Fruit Basket/Pin In Your Cushion" BLUEBIRD 5594 E- Small #ol as shown MB $300
22. Bo Carter — "Please Warm My Weiner/She's Gonna Crawl Back Home" BLUEBIRD 6058 V+ MB $300
23. Bo Carter — "All Around Man/Cigarette Blues" BLUEBIRD 6295 E Slight stain on the label as shown MB $500
24. Bo Carter — "It's Too Wet/Dinner Blues" BLUEBIRD 6407 E+/E- MB $500
25. Bo Carter — "Pussycat Blues/Banana In Your Fruit Basket" VOCALION 03091 E- MB $300
26. Lonnie Clark — "Broke Down Engine / Down In Tennessee"PARAMOUNT 12871 E+ Stunningly beautiful clean copy MB $1,000
27. Ida Cox — "Cherry Picking Blues/Wild Women Don't Get The Blues" PARAMOUNT 12228 E+ The B-side of this one is an ALL TIME CLASSIC WOMEN'S ANTHEM!!! This is the RED WAX original first pressing! MB $300
28. Walter Davis/Pine Top — "Santa Claus/Every Day I Have The Blues" BLUEBIRD 6125 E+ MB $300
29. Walter Davis — "Everything Is O.K./Mercy Blues" BLUEBIRD 8058 E-/E MB $100
30. Black Spider Dumpling/Robert Lee McCoy — "Sold It To The Devil/Prowling Night-Hawk" BLUEBIRD 6995 E- The B-side is the very first record by Chicago Legend ROBERT NIGHTHAWK MB $300
31. Frank Edwards — "Terraplane Blues/We Got To Get Together" OKEH 06363 E ROBERT JOHNSON MB $300
32. John Estes-James Rachel — "T-Bone Steak Blues/Little Sarah" VICTOR 38595 V SLEEPY JOHN ESTES AND YANK RACHELL MB $300
33. Sleepy John Estes — "Married Woman Blues/Drop Down Mama" CHAMPION 50048 E MB $500
34. Sleepy John Estes — "Someday Baby Blues/Who's Been Tellin' You" CHAMPION 50068 E- MB $300
35. Sleepy John Estes — "Government Money/I Ain't Gonna Be Worried No More" DECCA 7414 E+ MB $300
36. A. C. Forehand — "I'm So Glad Today, Today/Mother's Prayer" VICTOR 20547 E MB $500
37. Georgia Pine Boy — "Look Who's Coming Down The Road/The World Is A Hard Place To Live In" DECCA 7828 E- Kansas Joe McCoy does a FABULOUS version of Tommy Johnson's "Maggie Campbell" on the A-side of this one!!! MB $500
38. Emery Glen — "Two Ways To Texas/Fifth Street Blues" COLUMBIA 14283 E/E+ MB $500
39. The Harlem Ham Fats — "The Garbage Man/Southern Blues" DECCA 7229 E-/E GREAT ONE MB $25
40. The Harlem Hamfats — "Weed Smoker's Dream/Little Girl" DECCA 7234 E MB $100
41. The Harlem Ham Fats — "She's A Mellow Mother For You/Hamfat Swing" DECCA 7262 E/E+ MB $25
42. The Harlem Hamfats — "Mellow Little Devil/The Barefoot Boy" DECCA 7484 E+ MB $25
43. The Harlem Hamfats — "I Believe I'll Make A Change/I'm In So Much Trouble" DECCA 7530 E- MB $20
44. The Harlem Ham Fats — "What Was You Doing/Way Down That Lonely Road" VOCALION 04828 E MB $25
45. The Harlem Ham Fats — "Ready For The River/Bartender's Blues" VOCALION 04870 E- MB $20
46. The Harlem Ham Fats — "Rockin' Myself To Sleep/You Done Turned Salty On Me" VOCALION 05233 E MB $25
47. The Harlem Ham Fats — "Business Is Gone Away/Take Me In Your Alley" VOCALION 05287 E+ MB $25
48. Daddy Moon Hayes And His Boys — "Two Little Tommie Blues/Gang Of Brown-Skinned Women" GENNETT 6122 G MB $200
49. Mississippi John Hurt — "Louis Collins / Got The Blues Can't Be Satisfied"OKEH 8724 • E/E+ Gorgeous copy of his BEST RECORD! Almost never for sale in this condition! MB $5,000
50. Mississippi John Hurt — "Avalon Blues / Ain't No Tellin' " OKEH 8759 • E+ VIRTUALLY PERFECT COPY of his RAREST RECORD MB $5,000
51. Jackson Blue Boys — "Sweet Alberta/Hidin' On Me" COLUMBIA 14397 E+ aka The Mississippi Sheiks MB $500
52. Bo Weavil Jackson — "You Can't Keep No Brown / Pistol Blues"PARAMOUNT 12389 • EBEAUTIFUL COPY MB $1,500
53. Charlie Jackson — "Skoodle Um Skoo/Sheik Of Desplaines Street" PARAMOUNT 12501 V+ MB $300
54. Frankie Half Pint Jackson — "Fan It/How Can I Get It?" VOCALION 1257 E- MB $100
55. Blind Lemon Jefferson — "Got The Blues/Long Lonesome Blues" PARAMOUNT 12354 V+ MB $300
56. Blind Lemon Jefferson — "Rising High Water Blues/Teddy Bear Blues" PARAMOUNT 12487 E SUPER CLEAN COPY MB $500
57. Blind Lemon Jefferson — "Black Snake Moan / Match Box Blues"OKEH 8455 E+STUNNING COPY MB $1,500
58. Edith Johnson — "Good Chib Blues/Can't Make Another Day" PARAMOUNT 12864 E MB $300
59. Lil Johnson — "Hot Nuts—Get 'Em From The Peanut Man/Press My Button" VOCALION 03199 E- MB $50
60. Lil Johnson — "Was I?/Two Timin' Mama" VOCALION 03266 E- "Was I Drunk—Was He Nice—And Did My Mama Give Me Hell" MB $50
61. Lil Johnson And Her Chicago Swingers — "Let's Get Drunk And Truck/Hottest Gal In Town" VOCALION 03312 E+ MB $200
62. Lil Johnson — "Get 'Em From The Peanut Man (Hot Nuts)/Anybody Want To Buy My Cabbage?" CHAMPION 50002 E- MB $50
63. Lonnie Johnson — "Mean Old Bed Bug Blues/Roaming Rambler Blues" OKEH 8497 E CLASSIC MB $100
64. Lonnie Johnson — "Playing With The Strings/Stompin' 'Em Along Slow" OKEH 8558 E+ GREAT ONE MB $500
65. Lonnie Johnson And Blind Willie Dunn — "Two Tone Stomp/Have To Change Keys To Play These Blues" OKEH 8637 E/E+ Great! MB $500
66. Lonnie Johnson And Blind Willie Dunn — "Bullfrog Moan/A Handfull Of Riffs" OKEH 8695 E/E+ GREAT ONE MB $500
67. Lonnie Johnson And Spencer Williams — "Keep It To Yourself/Once Or Twice" OKEH 8812 E+ MB $300
68. Louise Johnson With CHARLEY PATTON AND SON HOUSE — "On The Wall / By The Moon And Stars" PARAMOUNT 13008 • E+ STUNNING COPY!! From the SUPER BLUES session in Grafton, with Patton and House in the background egging her on, Johnson does her version of Patton's "Shake It And Break It." (See item #6 in this auction.) Both were recorded at the same session. MB $10,000
69. Blind Willie Johnson — "Praise God I'm Sat-isfied/When The War Was On" COLUMBIA 14545 V Gorgeous and rare BLUE WAX MB $200
70. Lead Belly — "Packin' Trunk/All Down And Out" MELOTONE 13326 V+/E- HIS BEST RECORD MB $100
71. Huddie Leadbelly — "Easy Rider/Worried Blues" BLUEBIRD 8570 E MB $100
72. Huddie Leadbelly — "Roberta/The Red Cross Store Blues" BLUEBIRD 8709 E MB $100
73. Huddie Leadbelly — "New York City/You Can't Lose-A Me Cholly" BLUEBIRD 8750 E+ MB $100
74. Furry Lewis — "Billy Lyons And Stack O' Lee/Good Lookin' Girl Blues" VOCALION 1132 V+ All time classic and great playing copy! MB $1,000
75. Poor Boy Lofton — "It's Killin' Me/Poor Boy Blues" DECCA 7010 V MB $100
76. Ramblin' Bob — "Next Door Neighbor/Good Gamblin' " BLUEBIRD 8059 E+ ROBERT NIGHTHAWK MB $300
77. Blind Willie (McTell) — "B And O Blues No. 2 /Savannah Mama" VOCALION 02568 E-/V+ McTell rarity in decent shape!MB $1,000
78. Blind Willie McTell — "Writing Paper Blues/ Mama, T'Ain't Long Fo' Day" VICTOR 21474 E+ Double-sided Masterpiece MB $1,000
79. Ruby Glaze-Blind Willie (McTell) — "Mama, Let Me Scoop For You / Rollin' Mama Blues"BLUEBIRD 6007 E- McTell Master-piece! MB $1,000
80. Memphis Jug Band — "Coal Oil Blues/Papa Long Blues" VICTOR 21278 E+ MB $500
81. Memphis Jug Band — "Bob Lee Junior Blues/I Packed My Suitcase, Started To The Train" VICTOR 21412 E- Tiny tol on B-sideMB $500
82. Memphis Minnie — "Bumble Bee/I'm Talking About You" VOCALION 1476 E Memphis Minnie classic and CLEAN— most copies are V or less MB $500
83. Mississippi Jook Band — "Skippy Whippy/Hittin' The Bottle Stomp" MELOTONE 6-11-65 E+ MB $500
84. Mississippi Sheiks — "Your Good Man Caught The Train And Gone/Ramrod Blues" OKEH 8905 E+/E MB $500
85. Mississippi Sheiks — "Baby Please Make A Change/Somebody's Got To Help Me" BLUEBIRD 5659 E-/E+ Rare MB $500
86. Little Brother (Montgomery) — "Farish Street Jive/You Gotta Quit Your Low Down Ways" BLUEBIRD 6894 E+ MB $300
87. Buddy Moss/Fred McMullen & Curly Weaver — "Cold Country Blues/Poor Stranger Blues" ORIOLE 8205 POOR Wall hanger MB $20
88. Yank Rachell — "Biscuit Baking Woman/Hobo Blues" BLUEBIRD 8768 E TOUGH ONE BY HIM MB $200
89. Tampa Red—The Guitar Wizard — "It's Tight Like That /How Long, How Long Blues" VOCALION 1258 E+ Tough to find clean MB $200
90. Tampa Red "The Guitar Wizard" — "It's Tight Like That—No. 3/Strange Woman Blues" VOCALION 1418 E Scarce follow up to previous one MB $200
91. Tampa Red — "Things 'Bout Comin' My Way/Denver Blues" VOCALION 02774 E- MB $100
92. Bessie Smith — "Rocking Chair Blues/Sorrowful Blues" COLUMBIA 14020 E MB $50
93. Ramblin' Thomas — "So Lonesome/Lock And Key Blues" PARAMOUNT 12637 V+ Small tol on B-side MB $300
94. Ramblin' Thomas — "Hard To Rule Woman Blues / No Baby Blues" PARAMOUNT 12670 • E Tough one! MB $2,000
95. Oak Cliff T-Bone aka T-BONE WALKER — "Wichita Falls Blues / Trinity River Blues" COLUMBIA 14506 • E+ His very first record!! Recorded in 1929 and WAY, WAY before he became famous. MB $1,000
96. Casey Bill (Weldon) — "Give Me Another Shot/Round And Round" VOCALION 03529 E MB $200
97. Peetie Wheatstraw — "Let's Talk Things Over/One To Twelve" DECCA 7605 E MB $75
98. Tim Wilkins aka ROBERT WILKINS — "Losin' Out Blues/Black Rat Blues" VOCALION 03176 V FABULOUS and SUPER RARE!!!! MB $750
Good luck, everybody!
John Tefteller
Next Month's Auction:
Girl Groups and Girl Teen Singers!