The Mail on Sunday

Is there a single worth £200,000 hidden in your attic?

- By Toby Walne toby.walne@ mailonsund­ay.co.uk

NOTHING, not even coronaviru­s, can stop the inexorable rise in vi nyl s al es – with man y mus i c fans now preferring to spin a record rather than pop on a compact disc.

With purchases expected to top five million in Britain this year, the resurgence in demand is also having a knock-on effect on the value of vinyl – with some collectabl­es selling for thousands of pounds.

In October, a signed first pressing of 1965 The Who’s My Generation album sold for a record-breaking £8,400 at auction – smashing the £1,500 valuation. In a separate sale, a copy of the 1977 Sex Pistols Virgin label album Never Mind The B******s – with a seven-inch promotiona­l single – went under the hammer for £2,700.

But this investment is still a relative bargain for punk band vinyl. The Sex Pistols’ God Save The Queen single that was also due to be released i n 1977 by A& M Records – before the group was fired after Sid Vicious smashed up its office toilet – can command an auction price of £9,000.

This is because only a handful of the cancelled singles escaped being melted down once the band was kicked out of the building.

The single was released later that same year by Virgin Records but copies only sell for £20.

Rob Campkin is owner of Cambridge-based record shop Lost in Vinyl. He says: ‘Collecting vinyl can be a minefield when you start searching for valuable rarities – but it is also hugely rewarding.’

He believes a local independen­t record shop is a good place for collectors to get guidance on key issues such as pressings, condition and special editions. He adds: ‘There was a time when it could be an intimidati­ng experience seeking help from a record dealer but these days we are far more open to new customers and eager to help.’

Monthly magazine Record Collector costs £4.95 and is a treasure chest of useful informatio­n. The accompanyi­ng Rare Record Price Guide (£24.95) gives informatio­n on historic releases and values.

Another industry bible is the Goldmine Record Album (£22.99) that focuses on US releases. Website Discogs provides details on all the different pressings that bands have made and the prices they have fetched. It also gives links to online traders.

Campkin believes the tactile nature of vinyl is one reason behind its renaissanc­e – as well as the fabulous artwork on many sleeves. Also, there is a growing understand­ing that ‘music can sound better on a decent record player than through a music streaming service’.

LAST year, CD sales fell by more than a quarter to 22 million. Experts now believe vinyl sales could overtake those of CDs within a couple of years as a new generation of music fans turn to vinyl.

The highest selling vinyl album this year is Rumours by Fleetwood Mac. Gennaro Castaldo, a spokesman for the British Phonograph­ic Industry, says: ‘ Bands such as Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and Queen are perennial best sellers. There is an aspiration­al quality and an emotional connection with t heir vinyl. The occasional scratch can even give an authentic feel, although an investor will only want an early pressing in top pristine condition.’

According to Record Collector, the most valuable record is a 1958 ten-inch acetate of a single That’ll Be The Day recorded by The Quarrymen before they became The Beatles. This one-off cost 17 shillings and sixpence (87.5p) to record but is now valued at more than £200,000. The Beatles are still the most collectabl­e band. Early pressings of their 1968 White Album can fetch £10,000.

When looking for first pressings – the first batch of records released – it’s advised to look at the issued code on the spine of the LP sleeve as well as on the disc. There is also a so-called ‘matrix run-out’ code etched on the end-groove of the vinyl on the inside of a disc. This provides details of the pressing plant and when it was recorded. This is often hard to see and you might need to hold the record to the light and look at it at an angle. Websites such as Discogs offer full details of what these strange looking codes mean.

Vinyl is profession­ally graded – and understand­ably investors want the best quality available. The grading system is separate for the disc and sleeve – but they should both be in top condition. Investors tend to o opt for a ‘ mint’ or ‘n ‘ near mint’ copy – wh which is worth more than double that of a ‘very good’ condition record record. Ve Very good indicates a record has been played a lot and that light scratches might be heard. A ‘ good’ record might be badly scratched – not good at all. A Discogs spokesman says: ‘Our database enables you to find all the available versions of a particular record – and look up what record you already have and to catalogue your vinyl using our “collection” online library service. ‘But it is not only early pressings of the most popular bands that people look out for – but also unusual rarities. These can include rare record labels, internatio­nal releases, thicker 180 gram discs, different colour variations, limited releases and odd album covers.’ Coloured vinyl will not sound any better than traditiona­l black but because fewer copies are released the records can often fetch more money. For example, a 1970 Pink Floyd The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn album that was released in Japan on red vinyl can sell for £3,000. The album was originally issued in 1967 and a mono v e r s i o n from this year can sell for £1,500. A standard 1971 re-issue might go for £70.

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 ??  ?? SOUND INVESTMENT: Vinyl by the Sex Pistols, The Who and Pink Floyd fetches top prices
SOUND INVESTMENT: Vinyl by the Sex Pistols, The Who and Pink Floyd fetches top prices
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RECORD PRICE: 1958’s That’ll Be The Day by The Quarrymen with John Lennon, above
RECOR That’l Jo RECORD PRICE: 1958’s That’ll Be The Day by The Quarrymen with John Lennon, above
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