OK, I'll play. I've had 78s ever since I discovered my granddad's collection when I was a little boy. I've always had access to a 78 player, starting with my dad's Garrard. I then went to an Elac Miracord 40h. From there I went to a Dual 1228. Now I'm using a Technics SP-15 with various 78 carts from Grado, Shure, AT and Stanton.
I haunt thrifts, garage sales and antique stores. I visited a thrift two weeks ago and picked up "The Song of the Woodpecker" on the Blue label, Debbie Reynolds and Carlton Carpenter singing "Aba Daba Honeymoon" (my third copy of this record, I also have the original from the late teens), "Song of the Sewer" by Art Carney, "Tutti Frutti" by Pat Boone (!) and the prize from the group, "Sixty Minute Man" by the Dominoes on a gold Federal label.
I don't have a Black Patti, but I do have a Black Swan. It was in a group of my biggest 78 find so far. I was in a small town in Arkansas in a downtown antique store. I saw a stack of 78s on a table. The first five or so was the typical Bing Crosby, etc. I then started running into Paramount labels, Columbia Flags, and Okeh, including Okeh Electric. There were songs from Ida Cox, Mamie Smith (Crazy Blues), Louis Armstrong and the Hot Five, Bessie Smith, Blind Lemon Jefferson and others. They were all in great shape, E to EE.
I casually asked the old gentleman behind the counter how much he wanted for them. He said: "Them blue labels are $1.00, the rest are 75 cents. I walked out with over 50 pre-war blues and jazz records!