Category: record collections

2 Recent Case Studies

Featured2 Recent Case Studies

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It’s been a busy month, with the purchase of 5 collections, ranging from 50 items up to over 600! I thought it might be useful, if you’re thinking of selling your records, if I gave you a couple of case studies, so you can see if it might suit your current situation.

The reasons for people to get in contact with me vary from needing more space, inheriting a family members collection, needing to raise some money, downsizing and many more. The point is, no matter what your reason is, I am happy to give advice, a free valuation and if you’re happy with my offer, an quick cash payment and speedy collection.

Case Study 1 – The Kent Collection

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It can be a little bit daunting picking up the phone and calling a number from a website you know nothing about, but that is just what this lovely couple did. We had a few telephone calls, and it became clear that this was a very interesting collection. It was also clear that I was not the only person they had contacted, and I had to arrange to get over and see the collection pronto! Luckily, I am available 7 days a week, so it was easy to find a suitable time to travel to Kent and find out more.

Having arrived at the house, and accepted a very welcome cup of tea, I sat down with the couple to find out what their situation was. Quite simply, having collected records for 50+ years, no one else in the family was interested in having them, so the decision was taken to sell them. And, what amazing musical taste they had!

Laid out before me where about 6 piles of records, around 100 LP’s and a similar number of 7″ singles. But, before looking through them, I wanted to find out how the collection had been put together. The husband had just loved his music, from The Rolling Stones to Led Zeppelin, The Who and so much more. And he had cherished the records, because they were in lovely condition.

Just a quick note here, if you’re thinking of selling your records, please remember the condition of the covers and vinyl is critical.

So, the collection had been assembled over about 30 years, and had been stored for a further 20 years or more. Every time any of their favourite artists released a record, they were there, on the day of release, to buy it. It was a real shame that no-one in the family was interested in having them.

They had already met another company who had spent a couple of minutes and then offered them a flat rate per LP. I don’t want to get into a debate over how to value records, but my approach is to look at every collection as a one-off, and then give a one-off valuation, based on what it is you want to sell. I think it’s the fairest way to arrive at the right offer.

So, having finished my tea, I spent some time crawling around on the floor looking through the records, and then very quickly, I made them a cash offer, which they were delighted to accept. We concluded the money part in a couple of minutes, I loaded the records into the car, with the help of the husband (thank you!) and then was on my way.

They were going to share the proceeds of the sale of their record collection between their grand children, reasoning that the money would be more use to them than a pile of vinyl records (no matter how great their taste was!)

Case Study 2 – The Hampshire Collection

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This was a very different situation, and all arrangements were conducted by e-mail. I visited the owner of this collection on a weekend, to fit around their other commitments.

The owner of this collection was in the middle of a change of life direction, which involved downsizing to a smaller home. The collection had been assembled through the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, and there was an eclectic mix of tastes, ranging from Elton John to Alice Cooper and everything in between.

The owner of the collection was unsure whether to just take the whole lot to their favourite charity, or try and sell them and then give the proceeds to charity. It was clear that the house move was imminent as there was not much furniture in the house, so I sat on the floor going through around 50 or so LP’s. The condition ranged from very good to almost mint, so having looked through them all, I was able to make an instant cash offer, which after a little bit of haggling, we agreed on a figure we were both comfortable with.

I was able to pay cash and take the collection away at the same time. For this person, having a quick decision and being able to collect at the same time, was a very important factor in choosing to sell to me. Time was limited and important to this person, so I was delighted to be able to take the records away whilst a welcome donation to charity was on it’s way too.

If you’re thinking of selling your record collection, be it small or large, then get in touch now. I can usually get to see your collection within a couple of days and can make an instant cash offer.

I specialise in Rock, Beat & 60’s, Prog, Punk, Indie and Britpop. From AC/DC to ZZ Top!! Not forgetting The Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Rolling stones etc….  Call me now on 07468 584343.

Top Beatles Rarities Currently On Ebay

Over the years, many artists and bands have suddenly become incredibly collectable, and then, disappeared from view almost as quickly. I remember how collectable The Bluetones were, and Starsailor (personally, I really like both bands!), not to mention dozens of others. But, some bands just continue to be uber-collectable, and today I want to talk about probably the most consistently collectable band in the world, The Beatles.

Now, I’m not the first person to try and write about the Top Beatles collectables, and you’d probably get bored pretty quickly, but just to be a little bit different, I thought I’d look at this through the lens of Ebay. So, here are the Top Beatles collectables currently being advertised on Ebay (other auction sites are available, ahem!).

In at No. 4 pop pickers is:

Beatles Yesterday And Today – 3rd State – Mono USA vinyl LP – Price: £1,798.95

For those of you who don’t know about this album, this was the one where the Beatles were so successful, that the record company just left them to it. Expecting some sugary album cover art work, imagine their faces when John, Paul, George and Ringo showed them this delightful album cover. The story goes that rather than trash the small number that had already been pressed and printed, the record bosses decided to stick new artwork over the top. Various enterprising folks have found ways to remove the new artwork, and restore the original. Here is an example of one:

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https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Beatles-Yesterday-And-Today-3rd-State-Mono-USA-vinyl-LP-album-record-T2553/273134247278?hash=item3f9811dd6e:g:Ys8AAOSwACRavcD8

Aaat number 3, we have:

THE BEATLES WHITE ALBUM. MONO, 0000865 – Auction Start Price: £2,000

A perennial favourite on Ebay and of Beatles collectors. The White Album comes in many different guises, but the one to go for is a low number, mono, top opening first day release in the wonderful Garrod & Lofthouse sleeve. Each copy had a fold out poster and 4 portrait photos of the boys, and each copy was individually numbered. Rumour has it, that Paul McCartney personally owns number 0000001, and it’s autographed by all 4 of the band. Low number copies can fetch a tidy sum, and by low I mean under 0001000, and a tidy sum being anything upto £5,000.

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https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/THE-BEATLES-WHITE-ALBUM-MONO-0000865/183151781260?hash=item2aa4b2658c:g:OCQAAOSwNWxaAJf2

In at number 2, we have:

Beatles Please Please Me Mono Gold & Black 1st Press – Price: £4,500

Whatever happened to those 4 clean living, sharp dressed young men? Just a great album cover that still looks fresh today. This is a fantastic copy in almost mint condition, and is one of the earliest releases, so definitely one for the Beatles collector who has to have the best! This album was released on the 22nd march 1963, and in some peoples opinion was the launch pad for the Liverpool lads. It’s still amazing to think just how many ground breaking albums they released in just 8 short years!

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https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Beatles-Please-Please-Me-Mono-Gold-Black-1st-Press-Dick-James-NEAR-MINT/282897147350?hash=item41ddfbe5d6:g:h50AAOSwpw1aeeoU

And at Number 1, we have:

THE BEATLES/KENNY EVERETT, RARE ABBEY ROAD 10″ EMI DISC ACETATE – Price: £5,995

When it comes to one-offs, this really does deserve the label! Acetates are what the vinyl discs are copied from, so by their very nature, they are incredibly rare, and this one is rare for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it features the Fab 4, so we’re off to a good start already, but then we find it’s an interview recorded by the much missed Kenny Everett, recorded during the recording of the White Album. It really is a piece of musical history, which maybe why it is on offer at £5,995.

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https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/THE-BEATLES-KENNY-EVERETT-6th-JUNE-1968-RARE-ABBEY-ROAD-10-EMIDISC-ACETATE/142722482655?hash=item213aec41df:g:LpoAAOSwHqdaqkAU

Well, obviously picking Beatles rarities is always difficult, and be warned, there are some unauthenticated items out there, so you have to tread carefully.

I have been collecting vinyl records for over 40 years, and I specialise in 60’s Pop & Beat, Rock, Punk, Indie and Prog Rock, so if you have any unwanted vinyl records, or are thinking of selling, then please get in touch! I offer free, no obligation valuations in London, South East and on occasion, further afield!

Send me a list of what you’re selling, and I’ll be in touch.

 

 

What Brexit Means To Record Collectors

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Two confused record collectors discussing the impact of Brexit on Record Prices

 

In a little over 5 weeks, record collectors across the country will be going to the polls to decide whether the UK stays inside the EU or goes it alone. It is a momentous decision, and one which I urge every record collector to think very carefully about. However, it strikes me that there has been very little coverage in the press about what effects a Brexit might have on the free movement of vinyl, so how can record collectors across the country make the right decision?

Well, worry no more!!  Help is at hand with my guide to cut through the scream of back ground noise and get to the sweet melodies of useful and relevant information. Lets start with the question on every record collectors lips:

Will I still Be Able To Import Music From Abroad?

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One of the central planks of the EU is that record collectors can buy music freely, so if you want to import an album from the Romanian band above, then you are free to do so. However, if the UK were to leave, would you still be able to import the same album, or would there be restrictions, such as how long you could keep the record in the UK for or if you imported the album, could you also import the singles from that album etc. It’s all very confusing, but I think all record collectors would agree that it is best to be able to enjoy the multi-culturism that music from different countries brings.

So, if you want to continue to enjoy the freedom to enjoy whatever your musical taste is and from where ever it may come from, you’re probably going to vote to stay in.

Will The UK Still Be Able To Take Part In The Eurovision Song Contest?

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The quick answer has got to be, unfortunately, YES! After all, if Australia can take part, there are obviously not many geographic restrictions in place. Now, I’m the first one to support diversity (not the dance troop), but I draw the line at Moldova’s 2005 entry from Zdob si Zdub called Grandmama Beats The Drum. The point to consider for all record collectors is that just because we leave the EU does not mean we can escape the horror of the Eurovision Song Contest every year. Now, if any of the “Leave” spokes people had made a firm commitment that the UK would never have to endure another Eurovision Song Contest, then I think they would sweep up the vast majority of record collectors – and most of the rest of the population too.

I just have to mention Guy Sebastian, who represented that well known European country Australia this year, one more time! In Australia, 4.2m people watched the show (a record coincidentally), and in particular they must have marveled at his pyrotechnic piano. I grudgingly concede it bought something new to the show (very grudgingly!)

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I know that out there, amongst the many different shades of record collectors, there are one or two who actually specialise in Eurovision vinyl, and as much as it is not for me, everyone should be able to make their own choice.

If We Stay In The EU and New Countries Join, Will Record Prices Increase Due To More Collectors?

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According to the leaflet that just popped through my letterbox, excitingly called “The 2016 EU Referendum Voting Guide”, there are currently 28 members of the EU, with 5 more countries waiting to join, including Turkey (that’s important for some reason – didn’t they win the Eurovision in 2003?) Now, it seems logical to me that if we leave the EU, then the in-flow of record collectors to the UK could be controlled, and conversely, if we stay in the EU, and 5 more countries join the EU over the next few years, then there is the potential for more record collectors to come to the UK. Is this a bad thing?

The thing about record collectors is that they have open minds and the chance to talk to interesting record collectors from new countries excites them. There isn’t a record collector in the country who would not give his tatty old anorak or his last egg sandwich to a fellow record collector who has fallen on hard times. Furthermore, look at some of the positives. If new and interesting record collectors start coming to the UK, we could see rare record inflation, which means the values of our own collections will rise faster than an Arsenal season ticket. And, there’s the opportunity to nip over to all these lovely European countries and find rare and valuable releases at bargain prices, and we can bring them back without fear of being stopped at customs and having a nasty tax added.

So, from where I am standing, record collectors have nothing to fear from the UK staying in the EU, but in fairness, we probably won’t notice anything different if we leave either. Now, where can I get a copy of Grandmama Beats The Drum?

If you are interested in selling any of your unwanted vinyl, please get in touch. I promise not to judge you on your likely referendum voting intentions!! I also want to say thank you to all the people who have contacted me recently with details of their records for sale. There are some fantastic collections out there and I will get round to see them all. Thanks again!!

 

Record Collecting and The EU Referendum

No, this is not the name of my new band, although it does have a certain ring to it. But, with the EU referendum a mere 7 weeks away, I thought I ought to raise the important question that no-one has yet asked. Namely, what impact will Brexit have on the free movement of vinyl across Europe?

But, before I talk about that, I wanted to talk about a great little record collection I came across recently from a really nice guy who was about to go travelling and wanted to clear his flat of all unwanted/unneeded items, presumably so he could rent it our. When I arrived, the place had furniture all over the place, and boxes half packed, but amongst this mayhem, I found 30 or so records of pure quality. It was clear that this guy loved his vinyl, had looked after it carefully, and more importantly, he had great taste!

Now, none of his records were mega-rare, but they were an interesting collection, which presumably gives an insight into how his taste had changed over the last 10 years. For example, there was a lovely copy of the Arctic Monkeys At The Apollo box set which really caught the eye, released in 2008, and captured some of their live shows from 2006. There were only 5,000 of these produced, so quite rare.

Arctic Monkeys

As time went by, so his taste evolved a little, with a really nice copy of The XX’s debut album XX which was in lovely condition. I’m guessing this was from around 2009, and what made this especially nice was the fact that the original poster was still neatly folded inside the sleeve. So, he’s still into his indie stuff at this point, but then something started to change, and his musical taste changed to. I am left wondering if he had left university and moved to London to work, maybe starting to find new musical influences. Or had he met the love of his life. I’m not sure, but his music was moving!

The XX

To demonstrate this subtle change in his musical taste, I came across an album by an Australian band called Bag Raider ( had he been travelling after finishing his degree and heard this band while down under?). It is not guitar indie, but much more electronic dance music, so a major change from just a year before. And it continues in this direction with the brilliant Gorillaz album Plastic Beach, which whilst having the guiding hand of Britpop darling Damon Albarn, is undoubtedly a stunning album of electronic dance music.

 

I’m not sure what happened between 2010 and 2013, but by 2013, he was getting into some really new territory, and I offer the double coloured vinyl release of Cut/Copy’s Free Your Mind as evidence of this. As one reviewer said of this album:

“Every Cut Copy album has it’s own feel to it. This album in particular though is very hard to pin. It combines New Wave/Synth Pop with Electro/Dance. I love the feel it provides the listener. 100% playable 200% all-around! 10/5!”

CutCopy

Who can tell what was happening in my record sellers mind, but he had graduated through indie to dance and beyond. The funny thing is, this is the last album that he had bought, or at least was in the collection. I wondered why he had stopped. Was it because he was now streaming his music or could it have been the beginning of the desire to go travelling again? Had the lure of the bright lights which had provided so much hope and opportunity just a few short years ago dimmed, and his thoughts turned to packing in his job, selling all the possessions that reminded him of his past, that reminded him of the dull 9-5 routine, the tortuous commute to the digital centre of London, and heading off to far off distant shores where he could relax and find a new direction?

I will probably never know, but whatever his reasons, he was a really nice guy and I just loved his small but beautifully formed record collection. I hope that he enjoys his travels and finds what he is looking for.

If you are interested in selling any of your unwanted vinyl, please get in touch. I promise not to over-analyse why you are selling!! I also want to say thank you to all the people who have contacted me recently with details of their records for sale. There are some fantastic collections out there and I will get round to see them all. Thanks again!!

 

Top 5 Reasons to Never Sell Your Vinyl Collection

OK, I’m not really going to tell you not to sell your record collection to me, and these 5 reasons are kind of meant to make you think why you should seriously think about calling me in to have a look. But, over the years, there are some recurring themes around why people decide to sell their vinyl.

No.5 – I’ve Gone All Digital (baby)

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This is a really common reason for people to decide that it’s time to sell some or all of their vinyl collection. The thing about vinyl is that it’s big and cumbersome, and in our fast moving world, where people are on the go all the time, vinyl records just don’t fit in to this life style. People have mobile devices – phones, watches, iPod’s, Fitbits and all manner of other gadgets – which give them instant access to music, so vinyl records are surplus to requirements. When was the last time you saw someone on the train listening to a 12″ single on a portable record player? Vinyl just does not fit into modern life in the same way that Spotify, Amazon or iTunes does (other steaming services are available. Ed)

No. 4 – I Need More Space (man)

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If you walk through any city centre, suburb or modern housing development, where young couples are setting up home together, or older couples are down-sizing, if you listen carefully enough, you will hear raised voices in despair howling “we can’t live like this, we need more space!!”. Now, far be it for me to discuss the housing policies of local councils, or the lack of for-thought that planning departments put in to their strategic housing plans or the damage the buy-to-let bubble has caused to hard working people looking to buy their own home and so on ad infinitum, but, there is a direct relationship between what is called a reasonable habitable area and the need to de-clutter. In other words, properties are getting smaller and vinyl records are big and space absorbing, so the two do not mix well. And God help you if you have a “collection” of vinyl records!! I have seen people using record storage boxes as pieces of furniture. If you need more space and it’s time to sell your record collection, contact me now!

No. 3 – Inheriting Vinyl Records

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Remember your long lost uncle, the one who your mother never spoke about, well that was because he lived alone with his cats and collected vinyl. Now, he’s sadly departed for the big old record shop in the sky, but you have become the guardian of his record collection back on earth. The first question you ask yourself is not what’s inside all these boxes, but where the hell am I going to put them? And following on rapidly thoughts such as, I don’t even have a turntable and I’ve never heard of any of these! The key thing to remember is that a solution is at hand. If you want to get rid of your inheritance as quickly as possible and turn it into cash that you can spend on something more fitting to remember the uncle you never actually met, then contact me now! I’ll take a look inside the boxes and give you a quick decision.

No.2 – I Need Some Money!!

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No, there are no jokes about this one. But, you would be amazed at how people are attached to objects like vinyl records, and sometimes do not realise that they may have something as basic as a small collection of vinyl records that if they sold them for cash, would help them out.

No 1. – You’ve Changed Man!

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It’s true, you always thought you’d have a life long love affair with vinyl music, but something has happened, and the love affair is over! Sometimes, there is a convergence of factors, and one day, you just wake up and think, why have I got all these records that I never play (because I don’t have a turntable) and I need more room (because vinyl records take up lots of space) and because I have a young family (and kids and vinyl records don’t mix) and I have just bought this expensive new Apple watch ( so I can listen to my music on the train, in the car, at the gym) so I don’t need my vinyl any more. It’s time to sell my vinyl to someone who will give me cash, a fair price, and get this stuff out of my house quickly! So, get in touch and I’ll talk through what to do.

I’ve been collecting records for over 30 years, and am interested in buying vinyl from The Beatles to Ed Sheeran; from Porcupine Tree to Blur, from AC/DC to ZZ Top. I am an enthusiast and buy records for my own collection. Get in touch with me if you want to sell your vinyl records.