Record given to store could be worth hundreds
A SECOND-HAND record shop in Cardiff is trying to track down a customer who dropped off a number of old albums – one of which turned out to be a vinyl rarity worth hundreds of pounds.
Staff at Cardiff Record Exchange, on Whitchurch Road, initially told the person that delivered the haul of unwanted LPs on Friday that there was “nothing of value” among them.
But having later checked online, it was discovered that one of the titles – a 1971 eponymous collection of songs by Irish “psychedelic” folk singer Ernie Graham – had recently fetched $400 amongst collectors in the States.
As a result, the shop’s owner Ed Daw has asked the album’s former keeper to get back in touch so he can pay him a fair price for the sonic curio.
Ironically, Daw initially gave the mystery shopper a £10 discount off a Jimi Hendrix LP in return for his donation – Hendrix’s manager Chas Chandler having been the one to sign Ernie Graham’s early band Eire Apparent in the late ‘60s.
Graham’s group even toured with Hendrix during that time.
“The guy came in with a big bag of stuff he said he didn’t want anymore,” said Daw, who described the soughtafter LP as “a bit battered sleeve-wise, but otherwise A+”.
“It was in amongst a load of dance
stuff – the sticker on the cover said it had been originally bought for the cut price of just 25p, reduced down from 59p at a branch of WH Smith.
“So someone definitely had a bargain there.”
Daw added that Belfast-born Graham is currently very popular among vinyl enthusiasts.
“His was one of the those albums that didn’t sell very much at the time but has since become very desirable.
“When I saw how much it was changing hands for, I couldn’t believe it.”
Ed, who opened his eclectic store in Cathays last December, said he’d even be happy to give the record back to its former owner.
“I’m willing to pay him a decent amount for it, but I suspect when he does come back into the shop he’ll be keen to have it back, and that’s fine with me. Hopefully he’ll get in touch soon.”