Let me make it clear that I am a collector and not an
investor. And so, While Ringo Starr's personal copy of the White Album sold at
auction for $790,000 in 2015, that's a wee bit out of range for most of us. Ringo's
copy was stamped 0000001; the very first issue; in essence, a museum piece. Conversely, I'm pretty proud of my copy,
A1412599 in VG+ condition, which is worth about $150. That's
extravagant for me.
A signed copy by all four Beatles of Sgt. Pepper recently sold for
more than $300,000 and an acetate copy of Elvis Presley's "My Happiness" was
bought by Jack White in 2015 for nearly the same amount. I'm sure there are
some collectors who have these albums,
but for the most part (like Jack White), these are prices associated with investors instead. I like collectors better: those of us who listen to our records, who put them on the
phonograph and keep them alive.
Of
course, there are still big guns for the average collector. A sealed copy
of the Beatles Yesterday and Today in its first state recently sold for
$125,000; unsealed copies of the LP range from$150 to more than $10,000. First State
copies are those with the Beatles in medical garb with baby dolls and blood
splattered over them. The record was released in both stereo and mono
versions with 10 times as many mono versions printed, and obviously, the stereo
version commands a higher price. These are the ones that can range up to six
figures. Second state LPs, often called paste-overs, had a more tasteful cover
glued over the original with a photograph of Paul sitting in an open travel trunk
and the other Beatles standing around him. You can see the original image bleeding through the paste-over in a kind of pentimento, an art term that means being able to see what's
underneath before the artist finished his work. Depending upon the condition, unpeeled copies are also among the most valuable collectibles.

In future posts I'll elaborate, but for now, here's one of my favorites, an LP that in great condition, will usually fetch 100 bucks. But look around
for a bargain. I got mine on eBay for $35. It's Alice Cooper's School’s Out. Aside from being among
Alice Cooper's best, the cover looks like a scarred up school desk from an old
high school with the album's title scratched into the wood surface along with
other graffiti. The bottom corners are rounded off, just like those old desks. And the fun part? The original LP came with a pair of cotton panties, some green, some white, some pink.* The vinyl was adorned with the panties inside the LP. School's Out is my unofficial album of
early summer. As a school teacher for 30 years, I was just as excited as
everybody else when school was indeed out for summer, out till Fall. I'll get it out of the special
cabinet I have reserved for my true collectibles, put it on the phonograph and
crank it up every year as May turns to June. The panties my vinyl wears are
pink. It's collectibles like these - fun, rare, great rock 'n' roll to boot - that truly make having a growing vinyl collection
*Watch out for imposters on eBay, though. The panties are what increase the value and often you'll see posted offers that include a facsimile artifact, but are not original.
*Watch out for imposters on eBay, though. The panties are what increase the value and often you'll see posted offers that include a facsimile artifact, but are not original.
No comments:
Post a Comment