Dont know if this has been discussed before but is 1960s Northen soul vinyl a wise investment or a bad one? Prices have now reached frightening levels so is now the best time to buy or sell? I know the Northern / Soul scene is probably as healthy as ever at the moment but what will it be like in 10 - 20 years time , will it continue to grow in value or will prices gradually decline? What are your personal views on this? I quite honestly fear the latter, but on a non financial note i am enjoying the scene now more than ever before.

Craig.

Dont know if this has been discussed before but is 1960s Northen soul vinyl a wise investment or a bad one? Prices have now reached frightening levels so is now the best time to buy or sell? I know the Northern / Soul scene is probably as healthy as ever at the moment but what will it be like in 10 - 20 years time , will it continue to grow in value or will prices gradually decline? What are your personal views on this? I quite honestly fear the latter, but on a non financial note i am enjoying the scene now more than ever before.

Craig.

One day they won't be worth anything of course. Real collectors have never collected as an investment anyway. And... real investors never collect either for that matter!!

Andy K

Certainly not! You can't live in them, you can't eat them, and I doubt you can take them down to the shops and exchange them for a new TV!

I suspect the increase in prices is down to fact that:

the economy is good and disposable incomes are high.

many people are ?returning? to the scene having jettisoned their kids, paid of the mortgage and are in better position to folk out for that record they always dreamt of owning.

credit is very, very easy to get and you can put you purchase and eBay bid on the plastic ? no more asking your dad to write a cheque out for next month pocket-money to 'Soul Bowl'!!!

a lot of people new to things do not realise that most records are not that rare and therefore not worth the prices currently being demanded.

dealers are not collectors and thus want to get as much for a record as possible

people publish price guides full of over inflated prices, not realising Americans can read!

Many collectors like me have been collecting for 20+ years and have bought the fast majority of their collection and 'wants' at a fraction of the going prices. And I suspect that the only records going for big money in 10, 20 years time will be the truly rare ones that we all would like to own ? Lester Tipton, Magnetics, Andantes, J D Bryant etc, etc ....you get the picture? (My must have, before I die, wants list is about six records long)

Twenty years ago I bought Ace Spectrum for 50p. In twenty years time I will be shitting myself about my lousy pension, and I very much doubt they'll be many people willing to give the equivalent of 50p for it then!!!

If you are financially concerned enough as an investement if probably is a good investment. But I have yet to meet a true soulm fan who buys as an investment rather then because they love you music.

An extremely pissed Dave Rimmer (8 years and all changhe !)

Good question.

20 years ago I sold a Darryl Banks London demo for about £100.

I'd probably get £1000 for it today...

That's a tenfold increase. So what will that disc go for in another 20 years? £10,000... I doubt it. When this generation of collecters is satisfied then I personally don't think we'll see another

Just mho

If you got records you piad a few bob for 10,15.20 years ago. and people want to give you big money for them now, then flog'em on.

Now is a very good time to sell !

Use the money you get back to buy any bargains you can find, then flog'em on agian. you'll be rackin' it in.

Hello everybody

I've been back colllecting for 2 years now and yes the prices have risen dramaticaly since 1977 (when i sold a lot of good stuff). To put the case into perspective, can the rise in prices be sustained?.......you better beleive it can because if you think that some rare records are dear now just wait till this time next year!. As Dave Rimmer rightly said most people are not in it for profit, they just love the music. Most rare records by definition stay rare so "get em if you can while you can".

Best regards to all Ritchie.

Use the money you get back to buy any bargains you can find, then flog'em on agian. you'll be rackin' it in.

That's just stupid! You can't possibly predict what is going to sell for a high price in 10-20 years time. All the bargains i bought years ago are still cheap now - i'd be up the creek without a paddle had i ever thought they'd be my retirement fund.

Wise and Northern Soul. Not often found in the same sentence. he he.

Most Soul fans are guilty at one time or another of paying an amount for their desired record considered lunacy by people not into our music, and reckless by people who are.

Some of my records are worth high hundreds, even a couple of four figure bits, but in reality they arent. Because I am never going to sell them. So if someone else wants a copy they are now looking in a market where there is one less copy to be found.

But then I have never been the kind of collector who buys up lots of records in order to sell or swap, to attain possesion of a record they want for their collection. That is far to forward thinking. There you go, another phrase not often used for soulies either ;-)

I'd say it's definitely a good time to sell - ebay prices are just crackers

I've read all your opinions with great interest, I'm technically what you would call 'new to the scene' in terms of collecting, however there has not been a day in my 29 years on this planet where the music has not played a part in my life.

My 'old man used to buy the records he liked at the time, some of them cheap, some of them expensive (I wish he had kept hold of the Yum Yum's and passed it on to me!), but I think in terms of cost everything is relative. OK, so I wasn't talking much sense back in 79', but speaking to him now he spent what was weeks wages back then (without telling mother!), and these are just laughable sums now.

I admit to paying more than I should have on one or several items, but so what? can you put a price on 7" of heaven when it's in your head and you've just got to have it?

I'd like to think someone would agree, but there's always a tight b*stard who's too sensible. To a lot of people who aren't one of the old faces and still on the scene, you try and buy a classic on the cheap. You've no chance.

One of the reasons for the higher prices is that people like me actually have a chance to own some of these gems, that historically only moved about in closed circles, by means of the internet. Only problem is we have to pay for the privelege!

Will they be worth anything when I'm your age? Who gives a toss, I'm loving it!

Buy what you want when you want.

Nuff said,

H

in my 29 years on this planet where the music has not played a part in my life.

Will they be worth anything when I'm your age?

When you're my age ? You cheeky young whipper-snapper, in ten years time you will be my age!

I think Ill hold on to my collection for another 10 years at least , you never know the Yanks might want to start buying it then! Stranger things have happened.

Sorry Hippo!

I'll say anything to get a response!!!

In fact, I cheated a bit. It's my 30th tomorrow so I'm enjoying being a twentysomething while I can, tomorrow I join the realms of the big misters and the thirtysomethings.

You couldn't give me a few tips could you???!!!!

In the words of the immortal Johnnie Taylor 'It's Friday night and I rush home with all my pay.....'

Leeds get ready...'cos here I come!!!!

12 months ago a friend of mine was talking to a certain record dealer on the phone. He said that certain customers were buying records and then selling them twelve months later for a profit. They were buying high end sounds because they could earn more money (Interest) in twelve months than buying and selling Gold!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

The records that we are buying and selling now (from the sixties) are now 40 years old and can never be replaced as the supplies of originals will eventually dry up (demand is now worldwide).

Prices will definately increase due to this. If you have alternative views on this I would like to know. Even buying an original US record for £5 has to be an investment, surely

Dunc

ps. my children enjoy listening to the sounds, so, will Northern ever end?

I wouldn't buy records as a means of investment.

But prices aren't just going up on Ebay, I've just seen John Manships auction.

Greg Perry - It Takes Heart - Alfa, from 1982

I paid £18 on Ebay for my copy last year, after many years playing a bootleg bought at a scooter run during the 1980's.

Currently on JM's auction at £121 ! (still got 11 days to go) Has the world gone mad?

The fella who is bidding crazy money for Greg Perry please come round to my house. I've got a spare 12" that by definition must be worth twice as much as the 7", and I'll do you it for £400 cash. Sounds like a bargain.

And yes Hippo, I'm 30 now.

Hi Ian,

Yes, I know!! Price has got beyond ridiculous for Greg Perry. I even flinched when I heard that the supposed correct price these days should be between £30 - £40!!

I bought mine for £2 (Keb's old copy) in 1982, about 8 months after it was a new release!!! As the lyrics should dictate;

"It takes heart to get up,

It takes mugs to pay up!"

Gene

Going back to the jist of the original post, is it just 60's stuff that can be regarded as an investment?

What 70's/80's stuff do you consider is worth having/chasing?

And no, Greg Perry doesn't count........

Collecting records is so subjective (one mans poison,etc....) i buy vinyl records because i love the songs and believe in them, yeah over the years i've bought more than my share of turkeys, but i have never had a desire to pick something up purely to make a few quid ( maybe thats why i'm skint) don't we all love the music and want the tracks for our own use, i know i do, thats the difference between a collector and a dealer isn't it. i shudder at the thought of selling my records just to have a bit more cash, i've heard all the horror stories of freinds getting rid of their collections because they "Have" to.

Only hope that i am never put in that wretched situation........

just gonna tuck the 45's in and read them a story.......

Brett

The funny thing about this topic is that I bet all of you who say "we don't buy for an investment" tell your wife's the complete opposite when trying to justify how much you just spent on a record...... eh ;-))))

The funny thing about this topic is that I bet all of you who say "we don't buy for an investment"  tell your wife's the complete opposite when trying to justify how much you just spent on a record......    eh ;-))))

CORRECT!!!!!!

Andy K

Investment NO WAY collecting is far deeper than that, it's a passion and addiction without question, Ebay has no true reflection on true values of records, often if you hype a tune enough then it will sell for way over the odds. Example's - Dottie And Millie ( Topper ) a £5.00 record pretty average in sound and quality played by a couple of top names and bingo a £200.00 record...NOT, Dee Dee Sharp - Deep Dark Secret ( Cameo ) got a few spins at the right venue's catchy dancer but will never be a classic tune being very much a novelty tune and now on Ebay almost daily for over £100.00, Mickie Champion selling for over £500.00 recently what's that all about then?????? Demand sometimes over shadow's how rare some of these records are, sorry but if you follow the trends and go with the flow then you will at some stage pay over the odd's for records, we have all done it........

It's easy to sit at home and get carried away when pressing buttons, but anyone who collects records with investment in mind is a fool.

I turn stuff around now and invest in little tunes and hope that they will become popular, i'm lucky that i can source tunes and do this.

I would love a George Pepp etc. but in my own little real world Mrs Bicknell would have them off at the base if i paid two or three grand for it so i dream and keep looking as half the fun of collecting is the chase, the buzz of getting a tune on your want list is a fantastic feeling and is part of the fun...then it's on to the next one.

It would be nice in a way if the prices did decline then maybe the real true soul fan's can complete their dream wants lists.

I never look at my records as an investment until i sell something and yes if it's a top tune then what do you do give it away.....come to think of it it would be the soulful thing to do...lol

Keep It Real - Mark Bicknell.

Yeh before i get the stick it was my Hayes Cotton on Ebay and if it sell's the money will simply go into more tunes.............. Collecting RARE records is for most a true, pure hobby, when DJ'ing there is even more presure to do and collect the best you can, it's so easy to get hooked and sucked in to the buying only big money records by often outside presure and influence, £8.000.00 plus for a record is a rare thing but when this type of transaction goes on it's part of the game that the whole rare soul collecting world knows about it...and be honest if we all had loads of cash would we not all do the same.......where's me quid for The National Lottery.