As some of you may remember I joined Soul Source about 8 weeks ago asking if after 30+ years it was "Too late to rekindle my love for Northern Soul..." 

Although I received loads of replies and great encouragement I soon realised that I had a huge amount of catching up to do so set about "rekindling" by reading through old and new posts on the Soul Source forums, searching You Tube for tracks, sampling via iTunes etc etc  The more I read/heard the more excited I became as I soon realised there is enough great music to keep me going for decades!  So hopefully after hearing what I have learnt, done etc over the last 8 weeks I am hoping that some of you will be able to continue my education and help me go to the next stage.

Firstly I have started collecting digital tracks and now have about 800 and can't believe all the stuff I missed first round, especially by the likes of JJ Barnes, Major Lance, Betty Wright and Darrell Banks. I have felt like a kid in a sweet shop finding new treats every day but not knowing which to consume first. I can understand why, if you have been on the scene for years, hearing the so called "top 500" repetitively must be boring, but imagine if you hadn't heard them or (or any rarer stuff) for over 30 years or indeed ever!

So having started to collect my digital tracks, I began telling friends about my rekindled obsession and too my amazement realised that's  "it's a small world" as I learn that loads of people I know have long standing connections with Northern & Southern soul - for example our Operations Director has a significant vinyl collection, has attended quite a few events over the years and at the age of 50 attended his first all niter at the 100 club last month! Then our National Sales Manager  tells me that she can trace her soul roots back to when she was a young mod going to all niters at the Flamingo Club in the mid 60s and seeing Geno Washington and the Ram Jam Band, Zoot Money and "hearing DJs playing loads of fantastic soul music" and that she would buy her music from Soul City in Convent Garden - which i assume was Dave Godins place? 

Then a lady who runs our favourite restaurant down here in Bournemouth (who we have known for 10 years) tells me that she used to frequently go to Northern soul Events in town and that the husband of one of her best friends down here is another  Brummie (!)  who is heavily into Northern Soul and a great dancer (haven't met him yet!)  and so on and so on....  

The more people I speak to the more I realise the impact Northern Soul has had on so many people's lives and more importantly these people, although they may no longer "practice" -  to varying degrees still "Keep the Faith" and have fantastic memories that they love sharing and hopefully with a little encouragement from me will dip their toe back in!

So having nagged all these people for their memories I realised that I had to start going to events and meeting people who are still on the scene etc and decided to go to a few local dos in Totton & Bournemouth where we met some great people and heard lots of excellent music. As an aside, unbeknown to me my wife who was never into Northern Soul ordered herself a learn NS dancing DVD and surprised me when she started NS dancing :-) Now we have to go further afield and experience some of the events i hear so much about on here. However with Christmas imminent it really is a case of.... so much to do and so little time to do it :-) 

Needless to say I am hooked again and have decided that I need to start building my vinyl collection again (I lost the small record collection that I had sometime during the late 70's - don't ask :-( - I haven't got ANY vinyl, none, zero, zilch! But having only listened to CDs and digital for years I firstly needed some equipment.....

So having already acquired a nice Stanton Turntable a few weeks ago, today I bought a fabulous pair of Mordaunt speakers, a Nice Cambridge amp, cd player etc - I have only been able to listen to my soul CDs and digital tracks but have still been in heaven all day!! 

  

I now really need help with Vinyl and despite reading several books, I really don't know where to start - all I am certain about is that I want OVO, prefer 60s - am not interested in collecting for the sake of collecting and have already realised that many of the records I would like will cost more than I am (currently) prepared to pay i.e. I Walked Away - Bobby Paris, Velvet Satins, Bob Relf, Darrell Banks, Sandi Sheldon,  Jackie Wilson  etc etc 

Thanks for bearing with my long diatribe! I await any suggestions you have and look forward to meeting some of you when we start to travel! Please message me if you want contact details

Cheers Mick

Edit PS. What I should have also said is that I have also founds lots of slower tracks such as Betty Wright (The Best Girls don't always win) Freddie Scott (Hey Girl) that aren't necessarily NS but that I really love!

Edited November 6, 201113 yr by brummiemick

Hi Mate ,

There are still loads of " classics " around at decent prices , so draw a list up of you're faves and work through it steadily ,

Unless you have a few spare grand in the bank , want to pay extortionate prices to any dealer that'll serve you and fancy a spot at any upcoming soul night !!!!

Hi Mick, i see you attended the Totton doo (Ghetto Soul) the other week, did we meet ?? i live in Southampton and there are plenty of events going down South and Ghetto Soul is trying to do something different and we hope you both had a good night

good to see your looking to buy records and yeah they dont come cheap but if you look long enough and hard enough you will find what your looking for somewhere, there isa wants section on Soul Source which is always a great way to find tunes and also if you need any help with prices, labels etc etc you can ask the questions on Soul Source "Look in your box" section, "Popsike" is a rough guide price wise to whats been sold on Ebay last few years, plenty of great dealers websites to fund tunes and one i use often is Gemm.com,

good luck and if your out and about locally come say hello

atb

Bearsy

It's pretty crazy being down here in New Zealand, speaking to expat UK people & it seems like such a high percentage of them have some sort of "soul" past. It must have been a pretty big initial "flash" in youth culture in the mid-60s/early-70s which pulled a lot of people in for a moment.

Hi Mate ,

There are still loads of " classics " around at decent prices , so draw a list up of you're faves and work through it steadily ,

Unless you have a few spare grand in the bank , want to pay extortionate prices to any dealer that'll serve you and fancy a spot at any upcoming soul night !!!!

Hi thanks for the tips. I just looked at this on YouTube and it illustrates some of my confusion. Your scan is London American, but I saw it was also on Symbol - are these both original issues?

Symbol's the US issue, London is the UK issue.

Hi Mick,  i see you attended the Totton doo (Ghetto Soul) the other week, did we meet ??  i live in Southampton and there are plenty of events going down South and Ghetto Soul is trying to do something different and we hope you both had a good night  

good to see your looking to buy records and yeah they dont come cheap but if you look long enough and hard enough you will find what your looking for somewhere,  there isa wants section on Soul Source which is always a great way to find tunes and also if you need any help with prices, labels etc etc you can ask the questions on Soul Source "Look in your box" section,  "Popsike"  is a rough guide price wise to whats been sold on Ebay last few years, plenty of great dealers websites to fund tunes and one i use often is Gemm.com, 

good luck and if your out and about locally come say hello

atb

Bearsy

Hi Bearsy

No, the one I went to was mainly Motown with a bit of Northern. I'll be in touch when we can get to Totton again. 

Thanks for the advice - I'll have a look as you suggest. Sounds like I need to be patient and do my research!

Cheers Mick

Hi thanks for the tips. I just looked at this on YouTube and it illustrates some of my confusion. Your scan is London American, but I saw it was also on Symbol - are these both original issues?

Yes both original but if you want to split hairs the Symbol release is the first generation authentic release as it came out first in America followed by the British release.

[

.

Edited November 6, 201113 yr by 123-motown

Yes both original but if you want to split hairs the Symbol release is the first generation authentic release as it came out first in America followed by the British release.

Thanks Mark

I see that someone is selling this in "sales" on Symbol for £25 but don't mention it's condition - is it simply a case of needing ask the person concerned?

Thanks Mark

I see that someone is selling this in "sales" on Symbol for £25 but don't mention it's condition - is it simply a case of needing ask the person concerned?

Pretty sure he will advise you of the condition if you ask him.

Only way to own this in my opinion lol

And it's at least a tenner overpriced IMO - £15 tops in Mint condition only if you are desperate for one...

Thanks Mark

I see that someone is selling this in "sales" on Symbol for £25 but don't mention it's condition - is it simply a case of needing ask the person concerned?

Several copies available now on Ebay starting at about £12.99 to £25.00 on USA Symbol, always worth shopping around.

Several copies available now on Ebay starting at about £12.99 to £25.00 on USA Symbol, always worth shopping around.

You're right about the WD though Mark, looks superb and is hard to find as well

An issue is fine but I agree with Pikey, £25 is too much to pay for this. Mick start at the low end and see how you go, there are some ridiculous prices about that you dont always need to pay for records.

I reckon ebay is the best place to start for a beginner, with the most reasonable prices, just make sure you check sellers feedback and you shouldnt have too many problems.

Best to avoid the major dealers at first as well until you gain some experience as their prices are usually on another planet to us mere mortals.

Plenty of decent people on here to ask for advice as well who will share their experience with you, dont be afraid to ask- such as Pete S and others who have vast knowledge and dont like tpo see people ripped off

Edited November 7, 201113 yr by Steve L

As some of you may remember I joined Soul Source about 8 weeks ago asking if after 30+ years it was "Too late to rekindle my love for Northern Soul..."

Although I received loads of replies and great encouragement I soon realised that I had a huge amount of catching up to do so set about "rekindling" by reading through old and new posts on the Soul Source forums, searching You Tube for tracks, sampling via iTunes etc etc The more I read/heard the more excited I became as I soon realised there is enough great music to keep me going for decades! So hopefully after hearing what I have learnt, done etc over the last 8 weeks I am hoping that some of you will be able to continue my education and help me go to the next stage.

Firstly I have started collecting digital tracks and now have about 800 and can't believe all the stuff I missed first round, especially by the likes of JJ Barnes, Major Lance, Betty Wright and Darrell Banks. I have felt like a kid in a sweet shop finding new treats every day but not knowing which to consume first. I can understand why, if you have been on the scene for years, hearing the so called "top 500" repetitively must be boring, but imagine if you hadn't heard them or (or any rarer stuff) for over 30 years or indeed ever!

So having started to collect my digital tracks, I began telling friends about my rekindled obsession and too my amazement realised that's "it's a small world" as I learn that loads of people I know have long standing connections with Northern & Southern soul - for example our Operations Director has a significant vinyl collection, has attended quite a few events over the years and at the age of 50 attended his first all niter at the 100 club last month! Then our National Sales Manager tells me that she can trace her soul roots back to when she was a young mod going to all niters at the Flamingo Club in the mid 60s and seeing Geno Washington and the Ram Jam Band, Zoot Money and "hearing DJs playing loads of fantastic soul music" and that she would buy her music from Soul City in Convent Garden - which i assume was Dave Godins place?

Then a lady who runs our favourite restaurant down here in Bournemouth (who we have known for 10 years) tells me that she used to frequently go to Northern soul Events in town and that the husband of one of her best friends down here is another Brummie (!) who is heavily into Northern Soul and a great dancer (haven't met him yet!) and so on and so on....

The more people I speak to the more I realise the impact Northern Soul has had on so many people's lives and more importantly these people, although they may no longer "practice" - to varying degrees still "Keep the Faith" and have fantastic memories that they love sharing and hopefully with a little encouragement from me will dip their toe back in!

So having nagged all these people for their memories I realised that I had to start going to events and meeting people who are still on the scene etc and decided to go to a few local dos in Totton & Bournemouth where we met some great people and heard lots of excellent music. As an aside, unbeknown to me my wife who was never into Northern Soul ordered herself a learn NS dancing DVD and surprised me when she started NS dancing :-) Now we have to go further afield and experience some of the events i hear so much about on here. However with Christmas imminent it really is a case of.... so much to do and so little time to do it :-)

Needless to say I am hooked again and have decided that I need to start building my vinyl collection again (I lost the small record collection that I had sometime during the late 70's - don't ask :-( - I haven't got ANY vinyl, none, zero, zilch! But having only listened to CDs and digital for years I firstly needed some equipment.....

So having already acquired a nice Stanton Turntable a few weeks ago, today I bought a fabulous pair of Mordaunt speakers, a Nice Cambridge amp, cd player etc - I have only been able to listen to my soul CDs and digital tracks but have still been in heaven all day!!

I now really need help with Vinyl and despite reading several books, I really don't know where to start - all I am certain about is that I want OVO, prefer 60s - am not interested in collecting for the sake of collecting and have already realised that many of the records I would like will cost more than I am (currently) prepared to pay i.e. I Walked Away - Bobby Paris, Velvet Satins, Bob Relf, Darrell Banks, Sandi Sheldon, Jackie Wilson etc etc

Thanks for bearing with my long diatribe! I await any suggestions you have and look forward to meeting some of you when we start to travel! Please message me if you want contact details

Cheers Mick

Edit PS. What I should have also said is that I have also founds lots of slower tracks such as Betty Wright (The Best Girls don't always win) Freddie Scott (Hey Girl) that aren't necessarily NS but that I really love!

A brilliant post in amongst most of our usual bickering efforts appreciated :thumbsup: Hope you're search goes well Mick

A brilliant post in amongst most of our usual bickering efforts appreciated :thumbsup: Hope you're search goes well Mick

Yeah...nice post...Give him five years and he'll be replyiing calling MR BICKNELL a 'purist snob'.....Lol! Good luck mate, there are still lots of great cheap records around....You'll be surprised...

Plenty of decent people on here to ask for advice as well who will share their experience with you, dont be afraid to ask- such as Pete S and others who have vast knowledge and dont like tpo see people ripped off

Best piece of advice on here so far Mick

Mick , I'm sure you probably have but have a look through 'Recommended Record of the Day' thread in 'Look at your box'

There a loads of great cheap tunes on there ()and a few expensive ones!) , plus you can have a listen. I'm sure whoever

has put a record up would give you some Idea of Price/availability if you pm'd them.

As someone else put , you can get nice cheap originals off ebay

good luck mate

Cheers

Swifty

I only started collecting again a year ago from having no vinyl at all, but now have a 200 record box full of tunes I remember and am proud of. I've been lucky enough to get a few £200-300 records along the way, but the majority of stuff has been picked up from Pete Smith and a good few of the "sale" sales lists posted on here, along with the odd thing from ebay.

prices do vary up and down the country, and although there's a great selection of Northern Record Sales websites, prices can vary enormously, as they can on here. Just check up with someone you trust, and there are some bargains to be had.

I managed to get a copy of The Falcons "Has it happened to you yet" off a sales list on here that had been reduced twice, cost me £5! The two copies that have been for sale since have been £75 & £125 - so it pays to read EVERY sales list thoroughly, and never be scared to make an offer for some of the mid priced stuff, you never know, and as they say "if you don't ask, you don't get"!

As some of you may remember I joined Soul Source about 8 weeks ago asking if after 30+ years it was "Too late to rekindle my love for Northern Soul..."

Although I received loads of replies and great encouragement I soon realised that I had a huge amount of catching up to do so set about "rekindling" by reading through old and new posts on the Soul Source forums, searching You Tube for tracks, sampling via iTunes etc etc The more I read/heard the more excited I became as I soon realised there is enough great music to keep me going for decades! So hopefully after hearing what I have learnt, done etc over the last 8 weeks I am hoping that some of you will be able to continue my education and help me go to the next stage.

Firstly I have started collecting digital tracks and now have about 800 and can't believe all the stuff I missed first round, especially by the likes of JJ Barnes, Major Lance, Betty Wright and Darrell Banks. I have felt like a kid in a sweet shop finding new treats every day but not knowing which to consume first. I can understand why, if you have been on the scene for years, hearing the so called "top 500" repetitively must be boring, but imagine if you hadn't heard them or (or any rarer stuff) for over 30 years or indeed ever!

So having started to collect my digital tracks, I began telling friends about my rekindled obsession and too my amazement realised that's "it's a small world" as I learn that loads of people I know have long standing connections with Northern & Southern soul - for example our Operations Director has a significant vinyl collection, has attended quite a few events over the years and at the age of 50 attended his first all niter at the 100 club last month! Then our National Sales Manager tells me that she can trace her soul roots back to when she was a young mod going to all niters at the Flamingo Club in the mid 60s and seeing Geno Washington and the Ram Jam Band, Zoot Money and "hearing DJs playing loads of fantastic soul music" and that she would buy her music from Soul City in Convent Garden - which i assume was Dave Godins place?

Then a lady who runs our favourite restaurant down here in Bournemouth (who we have known for 10 years) tells me that she used to frequently go to Northern soul Events in town and that the husband of one of her best friends down here is another Brummie (!) who is heavily into Northern Soul and a great dancer (haven't met him yet!) and so on and so on....

The more people I speak to the more I realise the impact Northern Soul has had on so many people's lives and more importantly these people, although they may no longer "practice" - to varying degrees still "Keep the Faith" and have fantastic memories that they love sharing and hopefully with a little encouragement from me will dip their toe back in!

So having nagged all these people for their memories I realised that I had to start going to events and meeting people who are still on the scene etc and decided to go to a few local dos in Totton & Bournemouth where we met some great people and heard lots of excellent music. As an aside, unbeknown to me my wife who was never into Northern Soul ordered herself a learn NS dancing DVD and surprised me when she started NS dancing :-) Now we have to go further afield and experience some of the events i hear so much about on here. However with Christmas imminent it really is a case of.... so much to do and so little time to do it :-)

Needless to say I am hooked again and have decided that I need to start building my vinyl collection again (I lost the small record collection that I had sometime during the late 70's - don't ask :-( - I haven't got ANY vinyl, none, zero, zilch! But having only listened to CDs and digital for years I firstly needed some equipment.....

So having already acquired a nice Stanton Turntable a few weeks ago, today I bought a fabulous pair of Mordaunt speakers, a Nice Cambridge amp, cd player etc - I have only been able to listen to my soul CDs and digital tracks but have still been in heaven all day!!

I now really need help with Vinyl and despite reading several books, I really don't know where to start - all I am certain about is that I want OVO, prefer 60s - am not interested in collecting for the sake of collecting and have already realised that many of the records I would like will cost more than I am (currently) prepared to pay i.e. I Walked Away - Bobby Paris, Velvet Satins, Bob Relf, Darrell Banks, Sandi Sheldon, Jackie Wilson etc etc

Thanks for bearing with my long diatribe! I await any suggestions you have and look forward to meeting some of you when we start to travel! Please message me if you want contact details

Cheers Mick

Edit PS. What I should have also said is that I have also founds lots of slower tracks such as Betty Wright (The Best Girls don't always win) Freddie Scott (Hey Girl) that aren't necessarily NS but that I really love!

A great story! Good luck with your quest, pretty soon you'll be a vinyl addict, it's a dangerous game....

Still loads of good records and bargains to be had if you look hard enough.

gary

There are so many nice things you can pick up for a fiver at the mo or even less, think my umpteenth copy of the poets was around £6 quite recently.

my best advice would be to buy manships latest price guide...not because of the prices but for all the information on bootlegs!...especially when buying off ebay...can get a bargain but dont wanna pay over the top for bootlegs described as rare

good luck and happy hunting!

dean

good advice dean i think you cant go wrong with johns guide especially where bootlegs are concerned.

i'd get around the car boot sales also mick you'll be suprised what you find on a good day.

rupe

Edited November 8, 201113 yr by rupert

congratulations on getting back into the music. now is an ideal time to get back into the music as so many obscure / rare records are online on youtube, etc., it's much easier to learn and hear new sounds. also, there are what seems like an infinite number of releases, many not yet "known", as there were so many independent labels. I've been collecting pretty aggressively for about 15 years and every day I'm still learning about new records.

Several copies available now on Ebay starting at about £12.99 to £25.00 on USA Symbol, always worth shopping around.

Thanks Mark, yes I have been looking at the Poets record as an example and seen how widely the prices vary. However I couldn't see many white label so I assume that its very rare and priced accordingly?

An issue is fine but I agree with Pikey, £25 is too much to pay for this. Mick start at the low end and see how you go, there are some ridiculous prices about that you dont always need to pay for records.

I reckon ebay is the best place to start for a beginner, with the most reasonable prices, just make sure you check sellers feedback and you shouldnt have too many problems.

Best to avoid the major dealers at first as well until you gain some experience as their prices are usually on another planet to us mere mortals.

Plenty of decent people on here to ask for advice as well who will share their experience with you, dont be afraid to ask- such as Pete S and others who have vast knowledge and dont like tpo see people ripped off

Thanks Steve, spent most of last night scanning eBay till I realised that I really need to draw up my list of wants! Also looked at Gemm.com which doesn't contain much information but obviously has more choice. Then I was checking against popsike - didn't realise how complicated all this collecting business is!

Yeah...nice post...Give him five years and he'll be replyiing calling MR BICKNELL a 'purist snob'.....Lol! Good luck mate, there are still lots of great cheap records around....You'll be surprised...

Thanks Rich and Winnie - who knows in years to come you might be saying i remember when that upstart Mick when knew sweet FA - only joking I will never have the patience or knowledge that the aficionados on here clearly have! lol :-)

As long as I can build a collection that I love to listen to and know a little about, I will be happy. I am quite interested in knowing the background and owning OVO but not necessary the rarest issues.

Mick , I'm sure you probably have but have a look through 'Recommended Record of the Day' thread in 'Look at your box'

There a loads of great cheap tunes on there ()and a few expensive ones!) , plus you can have a listen. I'm sure whoever

has put a record up would give you some Idea of Price/availability if you pm'd them.

As someone else put , you can get nice cheap originals off ebay

good luck mate

Cheers

Swifty

Thanks Swifty I will definitely do as you suggest, I am currently drawing up my list No.1 and will then start the hunt. I have so many avenues to follow and will enjoy trying to track stuff down. My wife is already complaining that I am currently glued to my iPad :-)

I only started collecting again a year ago from having no vinyl at all, but now have a 200 record box full of tunes I remember and am proud of. I've been lucky enough to get a few £200-300 records along the way, but the majority of stuff has been picked up from Pete Smith and a good few of the "sale" sales lists posted on here, along with the odd thing from ebay.

prices do vary up and down the country, and although there's a great selection of Northern Record Sales websites, prices can vary enormously, as they can on here. Just check up with someone you trust, and there are some bargains to be had.

I managed to get a copy of The Falcons "Has it happened to you yet" off a sales list on here that had been reduced twice, cost me £5! The two copies that have been for sale since have been £75 & £125 - so it pays to read EVERY sales list thoroughly, and never be scared to make an offer for some of the mid priced stuff, you never know, and as they say "if you don't ask, you don't get"!

Thanks mate, I have already had the good fortune to deal with Pete and he will be an early port of call when I get my list together. He is obviously a very well respected member of Soul Source and from the posts I have seen very knowledgable. The fact that he is almost a Brummie also helps ;-)

As regards eBay must admit it's a bit mind boggling. I have ordered a couple of books to help me with identification and pricing. The biggest challenges I have are buying OVO and not paying OTT. Should be fun.

Winnie, Rich, Gazman et al thanks for the compliments - I enjoyed writing it as it sort of sums up where I am at the moment. I find the Northern Soul scene so interesting on so many levels. I love soul music and social history so it fits me to a tee! I also find the dynamics of this site fascinating with it's mix of DJ's, Collectors, Sellers, Event Promoters and Fans. With such a diverse range of people I suppose it is inevitable that perceptions of what Northern Soul represents will be very different to different people.

Personally as long as I can listen to the music, attend some great events, meet likeminded people, learn something about the scenes folklore and background to the artistes I will happy.

Last but not least - I am delighted to announce that i christened my new turntable and system with it's first vinyl tonight courtesy of a friends ancient, scratchy STAX LP....."Soulville USA"

The track..... William Bell "Never like this before"

Last but not least - I am delighted to announce that i christened my new turntable and system with it's first vinyl tonight courtesy of a friends ancient, scratchy STAX LP....."Soulville USA"

The track..... William Bell "Never like this before"

You picked a nice track.

Thanks Mark, yes I have been looking at the Poets record as an example and seen how widely the prices vary. However I couldn't see many white label so I assume that its very rare and priced accordingly?

Hi Mick, it took me an age to locate a Symbol white demo, can't remember what I paid for mine think it was £30.00 could have been £60.00 lol but whatever still a bargain even at the top end, very hard demo to find.

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Hi Mick, it took me an age to locate a Symbol white demo, can't remember what I paid for mine think it was £30.00 could have been £60.00 lol but whatever still a bargain even at the top end, very hard demo to find.

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

I can do him one at £35...different design to yours, plain white without the stripes

I can do him one at £35...different design to yours, plain white without the stripes

Then he or another should rip your arm off Pete.

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Then he or another should rip your arm off Pete.

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

But that would be the end of my career as a professional tennis player!

But that would be the end of my career as a professional tennis player!

Game, set and match lol

Great story Mick. Pete Smith could even cope with being called a brummie, ha ha. Wanna meet you oneday Mick, that would be nice .take care.

But that would be the end of my career as a professional tennis player!

Hows your sisters dancing lessons coming along Pete?..... :lol:

Great story Mick. Pete Smith could even cope with being called a brummie, ha ha. Wanna meet you oneday Mick, that would be nice .take care.

Pete would NEVER cope with being called a Brummie!

Hi Mick - was good to say hello at the last B'mth Uni do - look forward to seeing you and your friends on 17 December if you can make it Cheers, Soul Camper

Hi Brummymick

I'm in a similer situation as you hence my post on the forum "Record sellers" I want to start my vinyl collection, I know I'm a bit late but you have to start somewhere right.

Glad to hear its going well, I hope I have some good advice as you did and i hope to learn a few things from your posts too

cheers

Con

Hi Brummymick, welcome back to the scene, glad you're starting to enjoy 'the journey'.

Might be an idea, once you've put together your first short-list (or more likely long-list) of records you'd like to get into your collection, then put them up on here and I'm sure amongst us we could:

a) give you an idea of likely availability, might help you in terms of prioritising your time; no point in searching high and low for something virtually impossible, diverting attention, possibly missing something more achievable in the process;

b) an idea of price for an original;

c) give you some background as to whether there are any particular bootleg problems with the specific record (there are just so many very good look-a-likes currently being produced, that especially to the inexperienced eye, may make you think you're getting the 'real thing');

d) let you know if they have a copy for sale.

The above may save you some searching time as well as helping you avoid making too many errors with genuine-looking fakes. Hope this helps.

Hi Mick, it took me an age to locate a Symbol white demo, can't remember what I paid for mine think it was £30.00 could have been £60.00 lol but whatever still a bargain even at the top end, very hard demo to find.

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

It was 30 squidleys. And a bargain. Still have one too.

Regards,

Dave

You can't go wrong with Detroit stuff, Ric Tic, Golden World and countless others. Many many of them starting at around a tenner.

That's great reading Mick and I remember your mate enjoyed his first nighter at the 100 Club and said he'd be back.

Ask the National Sales Manager if she's got any photos of her time as an original mod. What year did she start?

Ady

Yes as Ady says great reading! Welcome back to a scene that at least helps us all not to go too senile too early! It keeps the brain ticking and does get heated at times but the passion is still there if not the legs to do what we used to.

Just some friendly advice - Put a limit as to how much you will pay for a record and try to stick to it as best as you can(not always easy when the fever hits) then you will become disciplined a bit when you buy or bid!

Good luck

ATB Steve

Hi Mick - was good to say hello at the last B'mth Uni do - look forward to seeing you and your friends on 17 December if you can make it Cheers, Soul Camper

Alright mate same here. Yes my good wife and I intend to come along all things permitting. See you there

Hi Brummymick

I'm in a similer situation as you hence my post on the forum "Record sellers" I want to start my vinyl collection, I know I'm a bit late but you have to start somewhere right.

Glad to hear its going well, I hope I have some good advice as you did and i hope to learn a few things from your posts too

cheers

Con

Hi Con

Unfortunately I am still at the planning stage and finding it difficult to decide where I start, but am also in a cleft stick as I think various family members might be some vinyl so I am under strict orders not to but any singles till Christmas!! Very frustrating!

Hi Brummymick, welcome back to the scene, glad you're starting to enjoy 'the journey'.

Might be an idea, once you've put together your first short-list (or more likely long-list) of records you'd like to get into your collection, then put them up on here and I'm sure amongst us we could:

a) give you an idea of likely availability, might help you in terms of prioritising your time; no point in searching high and low for something virtually impossible, diverting attention, possibly missing something more achievable in the process;

b) an idea of price for an original;

c) give you some background as to whether there are any particular bootleg problems with the specific record (there are just so many very good look-a-likes currently being produced, that especially to the inexperienced eye, may make you think you're getting the 'real thing');

d) let you know if they have a copy for sale.

The above may save you some searching time as well as helping you avoid making too many errors with genuine-looking fakes. Hope this helps.

Hi Brian Thanks for the great advice. I have now had a great deal of fantastic advice from the friendly and very knowledgeable people on here that I am sure will be invaluable in the future. Once Christmas is over I intend to start building my short list. I have already realised that some of the records I want are a bit more than I expected so need to listed to more soul to broaden my wants. I only want to buy original vinyl that I actually like as I am not interested in collecting for collectings sake. It doesnt help that I have a memory like a sieve so have to write everything down or I forget the detail!

ATB Mick