My March 31, 2026 Strachwitz Pre-War Blues 78's Auction highlights!
Closes Tuesday, March 31, 2025 at 7:00 pm PT
My March 31, 2026 Strachwitz Pre-War Blues 78's Auction complete list!
Printed (PDF) version of My March 31, 2026 Strachwitz Pre-War Blues 78's Auction
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* * * Hello Blues 78's Collectors! * * *
Chris Strachwitz was one of THE Pioneer Collectors of Vintage Rural American Music! He started collecting Blues records in the South in 1958! He owned the Arhoolie Label and recorded GREAT Blues music and GREAT MUSIC OF ALL KINDS. Chris passed away in May of 2023 at 91 years of age.
I purchased his entire personal collection of just under 50,000 78's last November. This is the first of several auctions featuring GEMS from his collection (with a few of my own thrown in for good measure) and IT'S A DOOZY!!
Read the listings carefully and don't miss anything! There are great records in all price ranges and conditions. (Auction #2 of the Strachwitz Pre-War Blues collection will come later this year and at least one more next year.)
This collection is one of the very LAST great 78 collections from the first generation of 78 collectors to come up for sale. Some items offered here may never be offered again . . . FOR DECADES!
"This Ain't No Mouse Music" was painted on the side of Chris' DownHome Music Store in El Cerrito, California. There AIN'T NO MOUSE MUSIC in this auction! So bid like you really want to win and ask for a call back for any records you just can't live without!
Chris also had a World Class collection of Ethnic, Cajun and Mexican 78's as well as some "off-condition" Blues, Gospel, Jug Band and Post War Country 78's. Check my weekly eBay listings for these records.
CHRIS STRACHWITZ' KINGS OF THE BLUES! (Records 1 – 10)!
1. Willie Brown "M & O Blues / Future Blues" PARAMOUNT 13090 • G My choice for one of the top five Pre-War Blues records of all time! About FIVE known copies! This one doesn't look pretty but plays decent. You may not see this one for sale again for a long time. Get it while you can . . . if you can. MB $5,000
2. Smokey Harrison "St. Peters Blues Part 1 / Part 2" PARAMOUNT 12936 • POOR EXTREMELY RARE PARAMOUNT!!! This is one of only THREE known copies and the others are not clean either. Looks wrecked but you can hear it decently through quite a bit of noise. Probably will never be for sale again, so now's your chance. MB $500
3. William Harris "Kansas City Blues / Hot Time Blues"GENNETT 6707 • E-/V+ VERY NICE COPY that was broken in half and then EXPERTLY REPAIRED!!! You do NOT hear ANY evidence of the break! ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE! THREE known! MB $500
4. Robert Johnson "Preachin' Blues (Up Jumped The Devil) / Love In Vain" VOCALION 4630 • E/E- MASTERPIECE!!! And his second rarest record!!! "Preachin' " comes right from SON HOUSE and "Love In Vain" has become a BLUES standard covered by THE ROLLING STONES and many others. VERY nice copy with minimal wear and it plays fantastic! Almost never for sale as everyone who has this one keeps it as long as possible. MB $10,000
5. Charley Patton"Shake It And Break It But (Don't Let It Fall Mama) / A Spoonful Blues" PARAMOUNT 12869 • V+ DOUBLE-SIDED PATTON Masterpiece! And V+ is very clean for a Patton—near impossible to find them any cleaner! Plays nice and clear with standard PARAMOUNT noise floor. To own ANY CHARLEY PATTON is most collectors' dream and this one is one of the very best. MB $5,000
6. Long "Cleve" Reed & Little Harvey Hull" Hey! Lawdy Mama—The France Blues / Two Little Tommies" BLACK PATTI 8001 • V Another Pre-War Masterpiece! This is one of four known copies!!! Could be your one and only chance to own this one! A GREAT one on BLACK PATTI. MB $5,000
7. Henry Sims With CHARLEY PATTON" Be True Be True Blues / Tell Me Man Blues" PARAMOUNT 12940 • V+Mr. Sims played Violin for Mr. Patton on several of his records and Mr. Patton returns the favor on this one!!! One of THREE known!!! Now or never. MB $5,000
8. Jim Thompkins / Speckled Red "Bedside Blues / We Got To Get That Thing Fixed" BRUNSWICK 7200 • E+ STUNNING GUITAR BLUES on the A-side! His ONLY record! Almost never for sale at any price!!! Maybe FIVE known . . . maybe. Grab it now. It will never be seen this clean again . . . until one day if my copy becomes available . . . if . . . MB $3,000
9. Henry Townsend as Jesse Townsend "Take A Chance / No Home Blues"VICTOR 23322 • V+ ONE of only THREE known copies! Only his PARAMOUNT release is rarer (with just ONE copy known). Townsend was known as "The Mule" and was the last living Blues singer from the Paramount era to pass away. There is only this copy, my copy (which is just a hair better) and the copy in the VICTOR ARCHIVES. MB $3,000
10. Minnie Wallace And Jug Band"The Old Folks Started It / Dirty Butter" VICTOR 38547 • E+A MASTERPIECE of the genre! Stunning Jug Band with TOUGH Female vocals! Not many of these around and almost never for sale! Grab it if you can!!! MB $2,000
Chris Strachwitz' Rare and Classic Pre-War Blues 78's!
12. Kokomo Arnold — "Goin' Down In Galilee (Swing Along With Me)/Something's Hot" DECCA 7485 E GREAT STOMPIN' ROCKIN' BLUES from the man who gave the world "Milk Cow Blues." If you don't know this one, look it up or call me to hear it. MB $100
16. Blind Blake —"Fightin' The Jug /Hastings Street" PARAMOUNT 12863 • E ROMPIN' STOMPIN' MASTERPIECE! MB $800
17. Blue Harmony Boys — "Ragged But Right/All Down And Out" PARAMOUNT 12976 V+ Nice Hokum Blues with fun lyrics! LATE Paramount—from that period where some releases are either missing or only one or two copies exist! MB $200
18. Barbecue Bob — "Barbecue Blues/Cloudy Sky Blues" COLUMBIA 14205 E+ This does show up—but almost never in OLD STORE STOCK NEW condition! Not many around in this shape! CLASSIC! Grab it now and never have to upgrade. MB $500
19. Barbecue Bob — "Blind Pig Blues/Hurry And Bring It Back Home" COLUMBIA 14372 E+ ANOTHER OLD STORE STOCK BARBECUE BOB!!! You will never have to upgrade! These just don't turn up in this kind of condition anymore! MB $500
20. Lucille Bogan — "Levee Blues/Sweet Patunia" PARAMOUNT 12469 E- Nice one by the Queen of Bawdy Blues! And OH, SO CLEAN! MB $500
24. Frank Busby — " 'Leven Light City (Sweet Old Kokomo)/Prisoner Bound" DECCA 7295 V+ Very SIGNIFICANT record! This is the roots of Robert Johnson's "Sweet Home Chicago"— Sweet Home Old Kokomo. MB $50
26. Bobbie Cadillac And Coley Jones — "Listen Everybody/Easin' In" COLUMBIA 14505 E A-side is Blues standard "Too Bad Jim"—Gorgeous copy!!! MB $300
29. Bo Carter — "Ain't Nobody Got It/Rolling Blues" BLUEBIRD 6373 E+/E MB $300
33. Ida Cox — "Cold And Blue/Seven Day Blues" PARAMOUNT 12556 E Classic MB $300
36. Julius Daniels — "Can't Put The Bridle On That Mule This Morning/Frogtown Blues" VICTOR 21359 E MB $300
37. Teddy Darby — "Lawdy Lawdy Worried Blues / My Laona Blues" PARAMOUNT 12828 V+ MASTERPIECE!!! MB $500
39. Baby Doo/Gene Gilmore — "I'm Gonna Walk Your Log/She Got Something There" DECCA 7773 E With GUITAR and WASHBOARD! Look it up! MB $300
42. Will Ezell — "Bucket Of Blood/Playing The Dozen" PARAMOUNT 12773 E- PIANO BLUES MASTERPIECE MB $300
43. Troy Ferguson With Jesse Thomas — "Good Night/College Blues" COLUMBIA 14483 E+ Gorgeous copy! MB $300
44. The Four Southern Singers — "Be Ready/Mammy Lou" VICTOR 24624 E With Violin, Jug and Washboard—Great Gospel MB $200
45. Blind Boy Fuller — "Big Leg Woman Gets My Pay/I Want Some Of Your Pie" VOC-ALION 05030 E The A-side later became "Too Much Competition" by Allen Bunn on Red Robin—GREAT RECORD! MB $100
54. Georgia Pine Boy — "Look Who's Coming Down The Road/The World Is A Hard Place To Live" DECCA 7828 E Magnificient Cover version of Tommy Johnson's "MAGGIE CAMPBELL" MB $300
55. Gene Gilmore — "The Natchez Fire/The Death Of Walter Barnes" DECCA 7763 E/E- VERY HISTORIC RECORD! The A-side is about a terrible fire in a Black nightclub in Natchez, Mississippi—later called "The Natchez Burning" by Howlin' Wolf in 1959. MB $50
61. The Guitar Evangelist — "Jesus Is Sweeter Than Honey In The Comb/You Will Never Know Who Is Your Friend" VOCALION 1122 E MB $300
62. Eddie Head And Family — "Down On Me/Lord I'm The True Vine" COLUMBIA14548 V+ MASTERPIECE—COVERED by JANIS JOPLIN! PLAYS MAGNIFICENT! MB $200
63. Rev. J. L. Hendrix With Congregation — "Let Your Light Shine For Jesus/Mothers Love" VOCALION 1595 E+/E Nice version of Blind Willie Johnson classic Gospel song with Hell Fire Preaching and congregation answering! MB $200
65. Peg Leg Howell And Eddie Anthony — "Banjo Blues/Turkey Buzzard Blues" COLUMBIA 14382 E+ Classic MB $300
73. Blind Lemon Jefferson "Lockstep Blues / Hangman's Blues" PARAMOUNT 12679 • E+ Stunning copy! Usually turns up beat, like most Lemons. HARD to get this in E+ condition! MB $1,000
75. Alec Johnson — "Miss Meal Cramp Blues/Sundown Blues" COLUMBIA 14446 E+/E Tough! About the cramps you get when you miss too many meals! MB $300
76. Johnson And Smith — "Brown Skin Shuffle / Stove Pipe Stomp" CHAMPION 40074 • E Big Bill Broonzy!!! And both sides of this are GREAT GUITAR WORKOUTS! Tough! If you don't know these sides, LOOK THEM UP. MB $400
77. Edith Johnson — "Honey Dripper Blues / Nickels Worth Of Liver Blues" PARAMOUNT 12823 • E ALL TIME CLASSIC FEMALE BLUES MB $400
78. Edith Johnson — "Good Chib Blues/Can't Make Another Day" PARAMOUNT 12864 E More Classic Female Blues BLUES MB $400
81. Lonnie Johnson — "Sweet Woman You Can't Go Wrong/St. Louis Cycyclone" OKEH 8512 E+ Lonnie Johnson was one of the most influential guitar players of the Pre-War era! His records sold well but were played to death. It is hard to find in nice clean condition but this one is just about perfect. MB $400
87. Lonnie Johnson — "Mr. Johnson's Blues No. 2/The New Fallin' Rain Blues" OKEH 8709 E+ ANOTHER STUNNING COPY! SO hard to find these super clean—and they SOUND so GOOD! MB $400
88. Lonnie Johnson — "She's Making Whoopee In Hell Tonight/Death Valley" OKEH 8768 E+ ONE OF HIS ALL TIME BEST! And a beautiful copy! If you don't know this one, look it up. Your chances to get E+ copies of these are getting slimmer. MB $400
91. Blind Willie Johnson — "I Know His Blood Can Make Me Whole/Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed" COLUMBIA 14276 E/E- These CLASSICS by Blind Willie Johnson are HARD to find clean! Most copies sold were played to death. They sound OH, SO GOOD when clean! MB $300
94. Blind Willie Johnson — "John The Revelator/You're Gonna Need Some-body On Your Bond" COLUMBIA 14530 V+ The TOUGH one! And this copy plays LIKE NEW!!! MASTERPIECE! MB $200
97. Blind Willie Johnson — "Everybody Ought To Treat A Stranger Right/Go With Me To That Land" COLUMBIA 14597 E Nice and clean—just like you like them! MB $400
100. Jack Kelly "World Wandering Blues / Men Fooler Blues" VOCALION 05312 • E+ MAGNIFICENT COUNTRY BLUES!!! If you don't know it, look it up! Gorgeous condition and seldom for sale in any condition. MB $1,000
101. Willie Kelly aka ROOSEVELT SYKES — "Kelly's Special/Don't Put The Lights Out" VICTOR 23259 E- Tough 23000 Victor MB $300
102. Lottie Kimborough as Lottie Brown — "Going Away Blues / Rolling Log Blues" SUPERTONE 9367 • E Indescribably gorgeous Female Blues with Guitar! "Rolling Log Blues" is an absolute MASTERPIECE of the genre! Don't miss this NICE copy!!! MB $500
103. Lead Belly — "Pig Meat Papa/Becky Deem, She Was A Gamblin' Gal" MELOTONE 6-04-55 E+/E Nice early one by the legendary Blues master! So clean! MB $400
105. Huddie Leadbelly — "Easy Rider/Worried Blues" BLUEBIRD 8570 E+ Masterpiece! Blues Standard! Stunning Copy! MB $100
108. Charlie Lincoln — "Mojoe Blues/Country Breakdown" COLUMBIA 14475 E+ MAGNIFICENT!!! Barbecue Bob's brother brings it home on this one! MB $500
109. Poor Boy Lofton — "It's Killin' Me/Poor Boy Blues" DECCA 7010 V+ Magnificent ROCKIN' Country Blues! Super hard to find in any condition! This copy plays really nice with just light surface noise! If this were a Paramount, it would sell for thousands. MB $500
110. Poor Boy Lofton — "Dirty Mistreater/Rainy Day Blues" DECCA V+/E- SOUNDS LIKE TOMMY JOHNSON!!!! Incredible record! If you don't know these, look them up! BEST RECORDS on DECCA! Almost never for sale! MB $500
117. Charlie McCoy And Bo Carter — "The Northern Starvers Are Returning Home / Mississippi I'm Longing For You"OKEH 8853 • E+ STUNNING COPY of a GREAT RECORD! Sounds just like the Mississippi Sheiks . . . because it kind of is! "Northern Starvers" is all about the Black migration from the South to Chicago and back. MB $500
118. Lonnie McIntorsh — "Arise And Shine/How Much I Owe" VICTOR 21411 E+ MB $400
119. Blind Willie McTell And Ruby Glaze"Mama, Let Me Scoop For You / Rollin' Mama Blues" BLUEBIRD 6007 • V+ Plays E+ Magnificent playing copy of McTell classic!!! MB $800
120. Memphis Jug Band — "Memphis Jug/Newport News" VICTOR 20576 E Beautiful copy!!! MB $300
123. Memphis Jug Band — "Peaches In The Springtime/Evergreen Money Blues" VICTOR 21657 E+ Gorgeous copy! You will never need to upgrade this one!!! MB $500
127. Kansas Joe And Memphis Minnie"Bumble Bee / I Want That" COLUMBIA 14542 • E MASTERPIECE AND SOUNDS SO CLEAN AND NICE ON A COLUMBIA LAMINATED PRESSING! MB $1,000
145. The Mississippi Mudder — "Evil Devil Woman Blues/Please Baby" DECCA 7822 E+/E His version of "Devil Got My Woman," the legendary SKIP JAMES song . . . and much more affordable MB $300
146. Alice Moore — "Black And Evil Blues/Broadway St. Woman Blues" PARAMOUNT 12819 V+ Plays E MB $300
147. Rosie Mae Moore — "Staggering Blues/Ha-Ha Blues" VICTOR 21280 E+ Fabulous Guitar backing her up MB $500
148. Rosie Mae Moore — "School Girl Blues / Stranger Blues" VICTOR 21408 • E+ More fabulous guitar backing MB $500
149. Blind Gussie Nesbitt — "He's The Joy Of My Salvation / God Is Worried At You"DECCA 7113 • V+ Plays E and WHAT A RECORD! Sounds like Blind Willie Johnson!!! VERY tough to find in any condition! MB $500
152. Nugrape Twins "I Got Your Ice Cold Nugrape / There's A City Built Of Mansions" COLUMBIA 14187 • E+ALL TIME CLASSIC MB $500
155. Sylvester Palmer — "Do It Sloppy/Broke Man Blues" COLUMBIA 14524 E Nice Barrelhouse Piano MB $250
156. Pigmeat Pete And Catjuice Charlie — "On Our Turpentine Farm/My Friend John" COLUMBIA 14485 E MB $300
158. Robert Petway — "Boogie Woogie Woman/Hollow Log Blues" BLUEBIRD 8987 E MB $200
160. Yank Rachell — "38 Pistol Blues/It Seem Like A Dream" BLUEBIRD 8732 E+ All Time Blues Classic MB $150
164. Ma Rainey With The Tub Jug Washboard Band — "Black Cat Hoot Owl Blues/Victim Of The Blues" PARAMOUNT 12687 E Classic and CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN MB $300
165. Speckled Red — "The Right String—But The Wrong Yo Yo/The Dirty Dozen—No. 2" BRUNSWICK 7151 E All Time ROLLICKING PIANO Classics MB $300
168. Tampa Red — "Georgia Hound Blues/New Strangers Blues" VOCALION 1654 E+ Tough to find clean! MB $400
176. The Seven Gallon Jug Band — "Wipe 'Em Off/What If I Do" COLUMBIA 2087 E+ JUG BAND MASTERPIECE and TOUGH TO FIND CLEAN MB $500
178. Mississippi Sheiks — "Stop And Listen Blues No. 2/Unhappy Blues" OKEH 8859 E/E+ CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN MB $400
185. Guy Smith — "Southland Blues/Sad Story Blues" PARAMOUNT 12806 E- MB $300
188. Victoria Spivey — "Spider Web Blues/Hoodoo Man Blues" OKEH 8370 E+ GORGEOUS COPY!!! You never see this clean! MB $250
191. Vol Stevens With The Memphis Jug Band — "Vol Stevens Blues/Baby Got The Rickets" VICTOR 21356 E+ Beautiful copy! MB $400
192. Black Billy Sunday — "The Red Horse And Its Rider (The White Horse, The Black Horse and The Red Horse)/This Old World's In A Hell Of A Fix" PARAMOUNT 13052 V+ 13000 PARAMOUNT!!! MAYBE FIVE KNOWN COPIES! MB $200
193. Black Billy Sunday — "The High Cost Of Sin/Will You Spend Eternity In Hell" PARAMOUNT 13105 V EVEN LATER 13000 PARAMOUNT—THREE KNOWN COPIES??? MB $300
199. Henry Townsend "Mistreated Blues / Poor Man Blues" COLUMBIA 14491 • E+ FABULOUS AND OH, SO CLEAN!!! MB $1,000
207. Sylvester Weaver — "Penitentiary Bound Blues/Can't Be Trusted Blues" OKEH 8504 E+ MB $300
213. Whistler & His Jug Band — "The Jug Band Special / Pig Meat Blues" OKEH • E With lam crack on B-side, but it doesn't affect PLAY AT ALL! This record sounds NEW! And a GREAT JUG BAND RECORD IT IS—Rare! MB $500
215. Ellis Williams — "Buttermilk Blues / Smokey Blues" COLUMBIA 14482 • E+ GREAT HARP AND GUITAR SOLOS MB $400
Good luck, everybody!
John Tefteller
Next Month's Auction:
Special Consignment Auction #2: Rockabilly • Boppers • Rock & Roll • Country 45's and 78's!