Music soothes the soul – and inspires a nostalgia-fuelled auction sector which drums up more success with every passing year.
Music memorabilia is big business and it reaches out to everyone. We’re not all lucky enough to own a rare antique, Chinese vase or diamond ring but countless people have a musical item tucked away, possibly forgotten, that may be valuable.
For example, if you reached your formative years before CDs and digital downloads became the norm you may own a vintage vinyl collection. Roxy Music, The Police, David Bowie, The Jam, Oasis, Blur, Madonna … the list of rock and pop stars who inspired us to head to the nearest record shop is endless.
And if you missed out on buying a record back in the day, auctions offer a route to source rarities and classics. Right now, vinyl from the 1980s and 90s is often desirable because people in their 40s and 50s with disposable income are collecting the music they loved in their youth.
Trends change with every decade as the next generation with cash and time to spare comes of age. The kids fly the nest and then nostalgia kicks in. But now people want The Stone Roses, The Jam or Madonna rather than Elvis or Billy Fury because they were the musical greats they grew up with.
Keen to find out what your vinyl collection might be worth? On September 22 Hansons’ music memorabilia consultant Claire Howell will be offering free valuation appointments at Hansons’ Etwall Auction Centre in Derbyshire. She can cast her eye over your old records or anything music related such as autographs, vintage posters or objects with celebrity connections.
Demand for vintage vinyl has soared in recent years. Who would have the time you spent hanging out at your nearest record shop could net you a reward today. Music memorabilia is flying high under the hammer. For example, in March (2021) a rare early Oasis gig contract specifying a requirement for ‘sober’ helpers, ‘quality lager’ and no fast food sold at auction for £4,000.
In 2017 a Nottinghamshire client sold her 1967 Jimmy Hendrix autograph for £5,700 at Hansons. Hendrix autographs are 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. 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.
But it’s not just about autographs. Objects once used by musical 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.
But back to that all-important vinyl. Typically, a batch of records collected in your teens or early 20s may contain a few discs worth £30 to £60 each. Auction off a handful and you may pocket a few hundred pounds.
This sector has moved with the times. Records from the 1990s can be more valuable now than 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 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.
And who can forget Madonna? Her picture discs from the 1980s can sell for £30-£60. Meanwhile her rare Erotica 12inch picture disc from 1991 can soar to £2,500-£3,000 as only 138 were pressed.
Vintage concert posters are popular too. A limited-edition Souxsie and the Banshees poster from 1980 could net you £40. Some old Splash or Athena posters that cost £3.99 back in the day can fetch £20 or £30 now if they feature groups like Oasis. People frame them as a piece of art for their home.
Claire Howell will be at Hansons, Heage Lane, Etwall, Derbyshire, on September 22, 11am-3pm. To book a free valuation with Claire email [email protected] or call 01283 733988. You can also email details of your collection to claire: [email protected].
