Making notes from your old records,
MUSIC memorabilia is flying high at auction and an expert who knows whether your treasures could hit the right note with buyers is heading to Derbyshire.
Claire Howell, an expert on music-inspired collectors’ items, can tell you if that celebrity autograph, Athena pop poster from the 1980s or record collection might net you a pre-christmas windfall.
She will be offering free valuations at Hansons Auctioneers in Heage Lane, Etwall tomorrow from 11am3pm. No appointment is necessary and items can be consigned into a November music memorabilia sale.
Claire said: “Music memorabilia is always in strong demand at auction. For example, in 2017 a Nottinghamshire client sold her 1967 Jimmy Hendrix autograph for £5,700 at Hansons. Hendrix autographs are particularly valuable because he died aged only 27 in 1970. Scarcity increases value.
“Beatles autographs do well, too. A set left tucked away in a filing cabinet for decades sold for £5,600 at Hansons. However, care must be taken to ensure they are genuine. As the band achieved mega-stardom, members of the Beatles’ team often signed autographs on their behalf.”
It’s not just about autographs. Objects once used by music legends can prove popular. Hansons has sold John Lennon’s leather jacket and car keys, Elvis’s cufflinks, a glove worn by Madonna on tour and trousers used in a Scissor Sisters video.
Lots already consigned into the November sale include 4,000-plus soul, jazz and blues records and CDS and a collection of records and sealed CDS featuring rock and pop icons including The Who, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.
Claire said: “Typically, a batch of records collected in your teens or early 20s may contain a few discs potentially worth £30 to £60 each. Auction off a handful and you may pocket a few hundred pounds.
“Records from the 1990s can be more valuable today than, say, LPS from The Beatles or The Rolling Stones. That’s because a limited amount of vinyl was being pressed in the UK in the 90s.”
Records in demand include Iron Maiden’s The X Factor, A Real Live One, A Real Dead One and Virtual XI. The X factor and Virtual XI which can sell for a few hundred pounds each. Any 1980s or 90s 12inch or 7inch discs or LPS from Oasis LPS regularly sell for in excess of £80-100.
Other bands that can prove a hit at auction include Joy Division, The Clash, New Order, The Smiths, The Stone Roses or Placebo. Albums produced by Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan or David Bowie from 1992 onwards are sought after, too.