Saturday, August 1, 2009

Most Valuable Vinyl Records

Well, I made it, this story is now what they call, viral, so I am placing it here (this is a repost) so all may find it. My vinyl record appraisal service is just that, a service that I charge for, there is no such thing as free record appraisal. That said, if you want your records appraised, my fee is $1 per record with a minimum of 10 records- payable via PayPal. If you have any questions, email me at fonzie1957@charter.net

I did a post last week and after searching the Internet for the world’s Top Ten Most Valuable vinyl records, one can be sure that the lists can be subjective, vary from country to country and will fluctuate over time. For instance, the copy of John Lennon & Yoko Ono “Double Fantasy” LP, the one that he signed for Mark David Chapman just a few hours before he was shot to death, is at the top of a common list.

However, the record remains unsold, so the asking price may not be exactly what the record is worth. With the recent death of Michael Jackson, copies of “Thriller” were selling at more than three times what the record price guides listed and Jackson’s rare vinyl has also skyrocketed. Although the prices for his more common records will even out, one can assume his rare vinyl will remain at high prices.

In all actuality, a record is worth what someone will pay for it; which is true of most collectibles. Many variables will effect the price, such as demand, the death of an artist, the condition of the vinyl itself, just to name a few. However, in the case of vinyl records, there are some recording artists that always show up on the ‘top ten’ lists, including the Beatles and the Sex Pistols. My guess is that there will always be a demand for the Fab Four and the Sex Pistols, hence the prices for their records and the rare ones will always be on the high end of any list. Also, the lists include acetates, which are another rare form of a record release.

If we take a look at the three lists below we see that the early Beatles work done as the Quarrymen show up on both the Wikipedia list and the list from the Telegraph in the UK. Also, the Beatles show up as the one that command the most money at www.popsike.com (according to their database).

Most Valuable Records Lists

The following list is an attempt to list some of the most valuable recordings. Data is sourced from Record Collector magazine, eBay, Popsike, Good Rockin' Tonight and other sources.

Source: wikipedia


1) John Lennon & Yoko Ono – Double Fantasy (Geffen US Album, 1980) Note: Autographed by Lennon five hours before Mark David Chapman assassinated him. Value: $525,000

2) The Quarrymen – “That’ll Be the Day”/”In Spite Of All The Danger” (UK 78 RPM, Acetate in plain sleeve, 1958) Note: Only one copy made. Value: $180,000

3) The Beatles – Yesterday and Today (Capitol, US Album in ‘butcher’ sleeve, 1966) Value: $38,500, though more typically prices range from $150-$7500

4) Bob Dylan – The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (CBS, US album, stereo 1963 featuring 4 tracks deleted from subsequent releases) Value: $35,000

5) Long Cleve Reed & Little Harvey Hull – “Original Stack O’Lee Blues” (Black Patti, US 78 RPM in plain sleeve, 1927) Value: $30,000

6) Frank Wilson – “Do I Love You?” (Tamla Motown, US 7” 45 RPM in plain sleeve, 1965) Value: $30,000

7) Velvet Underground & Nico – The Velvet Underground and Nico (US Album Acetate, in plain sleeve, 1966 with alternate versions of tracks from official release) Value: estimate $25,200.

8) Elvis Presley - Stay Away, Joe (US, RCA Victor UNRM-9408, 1967) Note: One side promotional album.

9) The Five Sharps - “Stormy Weather” (US, Jubilee 5104, 78 RPM, 1953) Value: $25,000

10) The Hornets - “I Can’t Believe” (US, States 127, 78 RPM, 1953) Value: $25,000



Here is a list from the UK (note they do list several acetates, which are different from vinyl, these are very rare indeed!) and the two lists certainly are different and the estimates of worth vary.

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk


1. THE QUARRYMEN: That'll Be The Day/ In Spite Of All The Danger (1958): £100,000 ($165,000)

2. SEX PISTOLS: God Save The Queen (1977) Value: £7,000 ($11,500)

3. SEX PISTOLS: Anarchy In The UK (1976) Value: £6,000 (double-sided acetate) ($9,900)

4. QUEEN: Bohemian Rhapsody (1978) Value: £5,000 ($8,250)

5. JOHN'S CHILDREN: Midsummer's Night Scene (1967) Value: £4,000 ($6,600)

6. TOBY TYLER: The Road I'm On (Gloria) (1964) Value: £3,000 (acetate) ($4,950)

7. DAVID BOWIE: Space Oddity (1969) Value: £3,000 ($4,950)

8. JOHN LENNON WITH THE PLASTIC ONO BAND: You Know My Name (Look Up The Number) (1969) Value: £3,000 ($4,950)

9. XTC: Science Friction (1977) Value: £2,500 ($4,125)

10. JACKIE LEE COCHRAN: Ruby Pearl (1957) Value: £2,500 ($4,125)



Now let’s explore the Top Ten Vinyl Records that have been documented as sold by www.popsike.com (although this does not include private sales between record collectors)

Source: www.popsike.com

1. Beatles - White Album UK 1968 Mono LP Cover No.0000005 2008-11-23 ($31,700)

2. VELVET UNDERGROUND & NICO 1966 Acetate LP ANDY WARHOL 2006-12-21 ($25,200)

3. SEX PISTOLS - God Save the Queen - GENUINE A&M AMS7284! 2006-03-02 ($20,900)

4. SEX PISTOLS God Save The Queen PUNK PRE A&M 2006-04-02 ($17,750)

5. SEX PISTOLS - God Save the Queen - GENUINE A&M AMS7284! 2006-06-30 ($16,500)

6. THE ROLLING STONES US 7" ST FIGHTING MAN PICTURE SLEEVE 2007-04-24 ($15,200)

7. SCARCE Northern Soul 45 Junior McCants KING RARE PROMO 2008-10-05 ($15,099)

8. Sex Pistols- Jamie Reid Complete Set LTD Edition Signed 2007-12-12 ($15,000)

9. THE MISFITS- PLAN 9 1009- HORROR BUSINESS ULTRA RARE 2008-01-26 ($14,301)

10. PINK FLOYD Meddle BLUE VINYL Colombia ULTRA RARE UNSEEN 2009-01-17 ($12,000)

Music News & Notes

Ronnie Milsap releases 1st gospel album

Country music legend Ronnie Milsap recently released his first gospel album, Then Sings My Soul, which includes 24 of his favorite hymns and spirituals in a two-CD set.

I’m not one to listen to gospel music, but when I decided to review this new CD I found myself really enjoying the peaceful sounds of recognizable gospel greats like “I’ll Fly Away,” “Amazing Grace,” “Up To Zion” and secular treasures like “Stand By Me” and “People Get Ready.”

The album is being hailed as a personal life journey for Milsap, who was born in the Smoky Mountains of western North Carolina. His family brought him to many church revivals, hoping that a divine intervention would cure his blindness. According to his bio, a young Milsap left those revivals defeated, as his family presumed his own lack of faith prevented the miracle cure from happening. Throughout this, Milsap’s faith was unwavering.

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Foreigner signs with Wal-Mart

Mick Jones has watched classic rock bands like the Eagles, AC/DC and Journey reach new levels of popularity thanks to Wal-Mart; now he wants to get his band, Foreigner, in on the action.

Foreigner is releasing a three-disc set of new and classic material in Wal-Mart stores on Sept. 29. "Can't Slow Down" will include a CD of new material, another of remixed versions of Foreigner hits and another live DVD of performance footage, all for $12.

Jones says the Wal-Mart exclusive deal is the perfect way for the band -- best known for hits such as "Hot Blooded," "I Want to Know What Love Is" and "Urgent" -- to reestablish itself.

"As we've been off the album scene for some time. We need a lot of support to get the word out," Jones said in an interview. "Although we've played a tremendous amount of shows, a lot of the public doesn't realize that we're back."

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'Whiter Shade' organist wins

He didn't skip the light fandango, but Procol Harum's former keyboardist said he was delighted Thursday after Britain's top court ruled he was entitled to a share of royalties from the band's hit "A Whiter Shade of Pale."

Judges in the House of Lords said Matthew Fisher, who played the track's distinctive Hammond organ intro, should get a portion of future royalties from the song.

Renowned for its mystifying lyrics (beginning "We skipped the light fandango, turned cartwheels cross the floor"), the song was one of the signature hits of 1967's Summer of Love. It topped the British singles chart for five weeks and was a Top 10 hit in the U.S.

Fisher, 62, now a computer programmer, left the British band in 1969 but 35 years later began a legal battle for a share in the song's copyright.

Procol Harum singer Gary Brooker argued that it was his idea to use the Bach-inspired theme that Fisher played on the track. Brooker, who still tours with the band, said he and lyricist Keith Reid wrote the song before Fisher joined in March 1967.

Fisher said he was delighted by the victory, which was "never about money."

"There will not be a lot of that anyway," he said. "But this was about making sure everyone knew about my part in the authorship. A win without money was never going to be recognized as a win at all."

Oh, yeah, it was never about the money- I have a bridge to sell you in NY.......

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Skeletonwitch Unveils New Album, "Breathing the Fire," Cover Art

Athens, Ohio’s SKELETONWITCH has unveiled the cover art of their new full length, "Breathing the Fire," due out October 13th on Prosthetic Records. The cover, designed by Andrei Bouzikov, who has previously done art for Municipal Waste and many others, can be viewed below.

Scott Hedrick, the band's guitarist, commented on the cover, “The art really sums up the new album and what drew me to heavy metal in the first place: it’s brutal, evil, and in a sadistic way, it’s fucking fun! Breathing the Fire is meaner, faster, and far more sickening than Beyond the Permafrost, and the art reflects that. We went for the jugular, and so does Andrei’s art. He did an amazing job. It’s fucking killer when the artist and band share a similar approach: organic. Blood and sweat, ink and paint, tubes in amps, and non-triggered drums. A set of balls. Not gym shorts, sterile computer generated art, effects pedals and redundant arpeggios."

The band will be touring with Black Dahlia Murder in support of Children of Bodom in September and October.

Sacramentan buys old vinyl 45s, finds out they were his mom's

Found this story fascinating, and wanted to share it. Amazing stuff, these records!

By Gina Kim

The lick-on label was unmistakable. Paul Campfield was reading his mother's name and the address of his childhood San Lorenzo home.

And it meant the old records he picked up for $2 at a Sutter Creek antique shop had once belonged to her, although she died in Redding in 1979.

What are the chances?

The 68-year-old Sacramento man never knew what came of his record collection owned by his mother, May O. Rainey. He simply remembered how they fit into slots in a compartment beneath the oak RCA Victor console with the automatic turntable.

"It's just a thrill, a genuine thrill," said Campfield, a retired engineering technician. "I think my mother is still with me."

It was just the two of them – a mom and 4-year-old son who left Redding for an Alameda housing project in 1944 when his mother got a job as a secretary for a naval officer.

Campfield remembers when she brought home his soon-to-be stepfather, Fred Rainey, a World War II veteran with a penchant for double-breasted suits whom she'd met at a church dance.

"Mom introduced us and he put out his hand and my hand was swallowed up in his," Campfield recalled.

Read The Rest Here:


SOURCE: www.sacbee.com